Mental Health + Diabetes
2018-12-17
There is more than just the physical aspects of diabetes management. It can be emotionally and mentally exhausting. Whether you have diabetes or are a caregiver for someone who has it, you should know first that you are not alone.
If you have type 2 diabetes or are caring for someone who does, it is likely that you or your loved one will experience any of the following: stress, diabetes distress, burnout, diabulimia, or depression. Sometimes talking to other people with diabetes who truly get it can make a big difference—connect with others at the Beyond Type 2 App.
Do you have a personal story you’d like to share? Follow this link to submit your story on how type 2 diabetes has impacted your life. Your story contributes to our growing community of people living with type 2 diabetes and brings a new perspective to our fight in redefining what it means to live with it.
Diabetes + Mental Health 101
Just Diagnosed with Diabetes? Why and How to Find Mental Health Support
Just diagnosed with diabetes? No matter how you're feeling right now, you deserve help; here's how to find it.
Emotional Health + Diabetes: A Necessary Conversation
When we sat down with Dr. Cynthia Muñoz, she shared essential tips and insights into improving your emotional health with diabetes.
How Diabetes Impacts Your Mental Health
Diabetes can affect various parts of your life that impact your mental health, including relationships and emotions. Let’s explore how.
How Diabetes Impacts Your Mood
Blood sugar fluctuations and constant stress means diabetes can easily impact your mood...
Depression in People with Type 2 Diabetes: Prevalence + Treatment Strategies
Research on the relationship between type 2 diabetes and depression highlighting the true burden of daily management.
Men’s Mental Health + Diabetes
Every day with diabetes is different, but our community is here to help. Join #MenTalkHealth—real conversations about men's mental health.Getting Therapy
Educational content related to mental health therapy is made possible with support from BetterHelp. Editorial control rests solely on Beyond Type 1.
Thank you to BetterHelp for offering everyone in our community two free weeks of professional online therapy. Learn more at BetterHelp.com/BeyondType1.
What To Expect in a Telehealth Appointment for Mental Health
Dr. Mark Heyman answers questions about the impact of telehealth on mental health and why it's an important option to consider.
Why Going to Therapy is Giving Yourself the Chance You Deserve
Taking care of your physical health is a no-brainer for a person with diabetes. But mental health can often be overlooked.
How to Find Therapy Online
Online and telehealth options for therapy can help you personalize your mental health care to fit your life.
Mental Health Care for All
Health care is a human right. That’s why affordable, accessible and equitable mental health support matters.
Getting Therapy as a Man with Diabetes: “Our pride gets the best of us.”
Asking for help is never easy—especially for a man in today’s world where mental health is often overlooked. Here, Keith shares why asking for help was worth it.
A Guide to Different Types of Therapy
Knowing the most common forms talk therapy will help you know what to expect when meeting with a therapist.
How Therapy Helped Me After My Diabetes Misdiagnosis
For T’ara Smith, the tools she learned in therapy to manage negative thoughts helped her weather big life transitions—and a misdiagnosis of type 2 diabetes.Depression + Anxiety
Are depression and diabetes related?
Research shows that if you have diabetes, your risk of developing depression more than doubles. In fact, some studies show, that it could be as high as four times more likely.
5 Ways to Overcome Blood Sugar Testing Anxiety
Testing your blood sugar sucks sometimes. It can be painful and cause anxiety if we fear our numbers. If you feel this way, we have 5 ways to help you overcome blood sugar testing anxiety.
Anxiety in People with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Anxiety in people with diabetes may not be discussed very often, but research finds that it's very common.
I need to take insulin but I’m scared of needles…
Are you struggling to take your insulin as prescribed because of a fear of needles? Learn more about needle phobia here.
Your Doctor May Start Screening for Anxiety. Here’s Why.
Your mental health should be a part of your ongoing diabetes care—after all, anxiety is more common among people with diabetes.Diabetes Burnout + Diabetes Distress
Diabetes Burnout
Diabetes burnout is a state in which someone with diabetes grows tired of managing their condition, and then simply ignores it for a period of time, or worse, forever.
Reducing Diabetes Distress Tips: Everyday Self-Care Acts
When people have better blood glucose control, they feel better physically because they are experiencing fewer highs and lows or actually able to get it into target range. Read some fantastic tips in this piece.
Connecting Mental Health + Physical Health to Diabetes
Mental health as a big part of Type 2 diabetes management. Is it an under-discussed topic? Read Alexis Elliot's thought about this important topic in Diabetes Education.
How a Mindset Shift Can Improve Diabetes Self-Care
Your relationship with diabetes self-care will change over time. Dr. Mark Heyman discusses how a mindset shift can improve your self-care.Shame + Stigma + Denial
How to Remove Shame from Type 2 Diabetes
There's no reason to be ashamed to have Type 2 diabetes. Read our article on how to resolve and remove shame from Type 2 diabetes in your life.
Type 2 Isn’t a “Good” Form of Diabetes
Jenita has had to deal with hearing she has the "good" diabetes since she was diagnosed in '95. She discusses why there's no such thing.
Moving Past Denial With Type 2 Diabetes
Denial is all too common for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and for good reason. Let's take a closer look...
Tips for Talking to Your Teenager with Diabetes: Avoiding Shame + Blame
Are you struggling to connect with your teen with diabetes? Here are tips for talking to them without judgment when they're struggling.Body Image + Eating Disorders
Body Image: You Don’t Need to be Skinny to be Fit
Plenty of extremely active, fit people look decidedly “average” by the insane standards of our current society and they are kicking butt every day. You don’t have to be stick thin to be thriving and living a healthy, fit, fun-filled life.
Diabetes Diagnosis and Diabulimia
Eating disorders aren't discussed much in the diabetes world. Qiana shares her story about diabulimia to normalize the discussion about eating disorders.
Losing Weight with Type 2 Diabetes: Things to Consider
Losing weight with type 2 diabetes isn’t as simple as many might think. Here are a few important details to keep in mind while working on your weight-loss goals as a person with T2D.
Losing Weight with Type 2 Diabetes: “You cannot hate yourself to wellness.”
Mary Van Doorn shares her weight loss journey over 20+ years with type 2 diabetes while facing the biggest obstacle—her emotional wellness.Personal Stories: Managing My Mental Health
I Didn’t Beat Diabetes, I Fight with It
Diabetes patient advocate, Phyllisa Deroze, writes about her ongoing battle with diabetes and gets real about winning and losing with it.
Diabetes Support Helped Me Confront Trauma
Shanerica Churchill has had Type 2 diabetes since August 2018. Receiving support from her husband helped her confront trauma and thrive with diabetes. Read her story here and how having a supportive partner is essential to her diabetes care.
Remaining Fierce in the Face of Type 2 Diabetes
Tiff McFierce is a DJ and Music Director for the NY Liberty Basketball Team. Diagnosed w/ Type 2 diabetes in 2017, she's remaining fierce in the face of it.
Hiking My Feelings to Manage Diabetes
Sydney Williams has been living with Type 2 diabetes for over two years. Her love for hiking forced her to confront some deep feelings...
Incorporating a Latinx Lens for Mental Health
To explore and learn more about disparities and the way our mental health is being addressed nowadays, I spoke with Rosalie Aguilar, project coordinator for the Salud America! program at University of Texas Health San Antonio.
Overcoming Denial: This Chef Lowered Her A1c from 9.5 to 5.9 Percent
Within 95 days, Genny lowered her A1c from 9.5 to 5.9 percent while still enjoying a diet full of real food and flavor.
“I stopped taking insulin in January 2021,” says Prince Blue
With an A1c of 17.6 percent at his diagnosis, Prince looks back and realizes he should’ve started insulin right away. But today, he’s no longer taking insulin and thriving.
