EMOTIONAL HEALTH & WELLBEING WITH DIABETES

 

Ups and downs are a normal part of life, but sometimes new challenges and stressors can affect our emotional health and wellbeing. At a time when you’re experiencing a lot of change such as during adolescence, taking care of diabetes can add stress and bring its own unique challenges which can impact on mental health & wellbeing. Understanding why this happens and where to find help when you need it can make a big difference. Here are some common challenges you might face and some tools and resources that can help:

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DIABETES BURNOUT & DIABETES DISTRESS

Living with diabetes can be tough – there are no days off. Many people at times feel distressed by the demands of diabetes and emotional difficulties can add a further complication to diabetes management.

This article on diabetes distress can help you understand how diabetes can affect your mood, and Diabetes Distress resource has more information, advice and where to go for help.

This blog post from Mark Heyman, Director of the Centre for Diabetes and Mental Health (CDMH) in Solana Beach, California, on diabetes burnout can help you understand more about how it might affect you.

STRESS

All kinds of stress, good and bad, controllable and uncontrollable, can affect the body by producing adrenaline and make it harder to control blood glucose – which can then cause more stress!

Learning to deal with the stress day can help reduce the impact they have on our mental health & wellbeing.

This resource can help you understand how to manage stress and your emotional wellbeing with diabetes. It also has helpful information on:

  • Feeling down or anxious

  • Body image & eating disorders

  • Feeling fed up with diabetes

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ANXIETY & DEPRESSION

Depression and anxiety are quite common in young people – one in seven young people in New Zealand will experience a major depressive disorder and one in five a serious mood disorder before the age of 24.

Having diabetes can increase your risk of depression too, so it’s important to know the signs to look for and where to seek help.

This resource from the Diabetes NZ Toolkit can help you understand diabetes & depression and treatment options.

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Helplines for children and young people

Need to talk? 
1737 - Free call or text any time to talk to a trained counsellor.

Depression helpline - 0800 111 757 to talk to a trained counsellor 24/7

Healthline - 0800 611 116 to get help from a registered nurse 24/7

Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.

What's Up  – 0800 942 8787, (for 5–18 year olds) phone counselling and online chat

SPARX – online programme and app for teenagers (12–19 year olds) who are feeling down, stressed or who have depression.

The Lowdown - Helping young Kiwis understand and deal with depression. Free text 5626 for help.

Allright.org.nz - Online toolkit with practical tips for looking after yourself and your whānau

Aunty Dee - Online tool to help you cope with stressful life experiences through support with problem solving

Smiling Mind - App for children, adolescents and adults who want to practice mindfulness and meditation.

Mindshift - App to help teenagers and young adults cope with anxiety