Which Comes First Diabetes or Depression?

Understanding the diabetes and depression is like asking the question: What came first the chicken or the egg?

Stress can affect blood sugar levels and having diabetes can add stress to people’s lives. Experiencing stress for a prolonged period of time may result in depression.

Many people newly diagnosed with diabetes go through stages of mourning:

Denial
Anger
Depression
Acceptance

Many people are in denial about their disease. “Oh, it’s just a little sugar,” some might say or “I feel fine, I’ll just cut back on my sweets,” or “I’m only borderline.”

Sometimes these people who are in denial will end up with a complication of diabetes, like nerve damage, and then they start to take it seriously and become angry.

While angry, they acknowledge how much of a responsibility diabetes is and the devastating complications they may suffer from if they choose to ignore it. For many, the next stage is acceptance. They accept their disease and make strides in controlling it the best way possible. Others, become depressed.

Are you depressed?

People with diabetes tend to have a greater risk of depression than people without diabetes. This may be due to the responsibility of managing a disease that requires a lot of thought, daily. The possible complications may add stress to your life. Even fluctuating blood sugars can affect your moods.

If you have been feeling very sad, or if you worry that you may be depressed please seek the help of a professional – a psychologist, psychiatrist or social worker, or: