Diabetes and depression are linked and are more common then you might think.

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Uncontrolled diabetes can play havoc with your mental health. Blood sugar that is too low or too high can affect your moods which can have a knock on effect on your mental health. 

The best thing to do is to get your blood sugars under control and then you should feel better in yourself. If you have any underlying mental health problems you will need to receive treatment for them.

Sometimes when I go to the doctor he has asked me if I am depressed as well.

People who have diabetes are more prone to depression then people who don't have it.

Diabetes and depression are often linked and many people are surprised by that.

Being diagnosed with diabetes is pretty life changing. You go from having a carefree life eating and drinking whatever you want to having to test your blood sugar.

You will have to give up or cut down on your favorite foods, cut back on drinking and you will have to be careful with your health. That can have a significant impact on how you feel about having diabetes.

Not many people realize the impact that diabetes can have on your mental health.

It can require huge changes to your lifestyle which will take a lot of getting used to. It is the fact that you have to make changes and that you might not be ready yet.

I know for me I have had to adjust to hospital visits for my checkups. At the moment I only need to go once a year to get my eyes checked. I last had my eyes checked eleven months ago and all is fine. However I have to make sure that my blood sugars are stable or I will run the risk of going blind.

That can be a huge weight on my shoulders. I also have to go to the doctors every six months to check that the nerves in my feet are still ok and that I won't need treatment for diabetic neuropathy.

I never liked going to hospital. I always thought that they were for sick people and I am not sick. I refuse to think of myself as a person with health problems.

I always carry on and intend to live life to the full. However I have accepted that if I want to stay well I will have to visit the hospital regularly.

Also when I was pregnant with S I was treated as a high risk pregnancy. I was monitored throughout and had a textbook pregnancy until 36 weeks along when my blood pressure was high. It was thought that I had pre-eclampsia and I was admitted into hospital and put on blood pressure and iron tablets.

I was very depressed and wanted to go home. I was allowed home on the condition that I came back to the Maternal Assessment Unit to check my blood pressure. I came back the next day and was admitted again. I had to stay until S was born.

Also I had lost my dad at 5 months pregnant which was very sad and also contributed to my reluctance to stay in hospital before S was born.

When I was expecting Hope I had to have frequent hospital visits as well. I also had lots of hypos, some were waking me up in the middle of the night and I was near to passing out. My placenta also started to fail at 36 weeks and Hope had to come out early. I had to have steroid injections and have my blood sugar tested every hour after that. It was even throughout the night so I had very little sleep.

They were going to break my waters but as Hopes head had not yet engaged there was a risk of cord prolapse. I had to have another c-section which went well.

Thankfully all was well and Hope was born safely.

So diabetes and depression can be linked.

Good nutrition can play a role in good mental health. Click here to find out more.

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