Diabetes and Depression: Managing Physical and Mental Health

Diabetes and depression can each be devastating on their own, and when a person lives with both, the symptoms of one can worsen the other. The encouraging news is that a few manageable steps can ease the symptoms of both and help prevent them from taking hold.

Managing diabetes is already demanding, insulin, appointments, and effects on your vision, feet, and heart. Adding depression to the mix can feel overwhelming. Research has linked the two conditions, but the diagnosis is not a reason to give up. With the right knowledge and attention, you can care for both your physical and mental health.

How diabetes and depression interact

Each year, millions of Americans live with diabetes, and millions more with a major depressive disorder, and there is significant overlap. Depression appears to increase the risk of diabetes, and diabetes appears to increase the risk of depression. After accounting for factors like physical activity and body weight, a common thread emerges: stress.

The long-term strain of managing diabetes can reduce quality of life and raise the likelihood of depression. On the other side, people who live with depression often have elevated stress hormones such as cortisol, which can contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain around the middle, raising the risk of diabetes.

A healthy approach to self-care

With a few lifestyle changes, both conditions can be managed, and patients can lead a healthy, fulfilling life.

Recognize the risk. Simply understanding the relationship between these two conditions puts you a step ahead, more aware of symptoms and better prepared to act on them.

Eat a balanced diet. Healthy eating helps with both diabetes and depression. Limit alcohol, caffeine, and high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, and choose foods that balance blood sugar and support your mood. A dietitian can help create a plan suited to your needs.

Move more. Exercise is one of the most accessible forms of medicine. It helps prevent and improve many health problems and also reduces anxiety and lifts mood. Even small steps count, taking the stairs, parking farther away, a short walk with a friend, gardening, or dancing.

Quit smoking. Smoking raises the risk of type 2 diabetes and is associated with higher rates of depression, on top of its many other harms. Quitting brings you closer to a healthier, happier life.

Practice meditation. If stress is the thread connecting diabetes and depression, then reducing stress is a priority. A few quiet minutes focused on your breath, or a meditation app, can have real benefits.

Ask for help. There is no shame in seeking support. Expert advice and the right tools make self-care easier, and for many people, therapy leads to improvements in depression and, in turn, in diabetes management.

Recognizing the signs

If you are unsure whether you may be experiencing either condition, review the symptoms below and discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Symptoms of depression may include persistent sadness or anxiety, a sense of hopelessness, feeling helpless to change your situation, loss of interest in activities, low energy and fatigue, sleep changes, difficulty concentrating or remembering,

restlessness, appetite or weight changes, and thoughts of death.

Symptoms of diabetes may include increased hunger and fatigue, frequent urination and thirst, dry mouth and itchy skin, blurred vision, frequent infections, slow-healing cuts and wounds, and pain or numbness in the feet and legs.

For more on care programs and preventive medicine, MD at Home is a trusted resource for primary care and geriatric medicine for homebound patients in Chicagoland and South Florida.