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Home > Living well with diabetes > Diabetes & Lifestyle...

Stay on track mentally

People with chronic illnesses such as diabetes can be at risk of developing depression.

Clinical Psychologist Dr Cindy Nour talks about strategies to prevent depression.

Tips for Preventing Depression

Depression is not simply normal sadness or general unhappiness. Rather, it is a disorder that affects thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, leaving an individual feeling low most of the time, more days than not.

Some typical thoughts associated with depression: “I am a failure… It’s all my fault… Life is pointless”.
Typical feelings include being unhappy, guilty, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

Typical behaviours can include withdrawing from friends and family, reduced interest in previously enjoyed activities, difficulty completing tasks, and relying on drugs and alcohol.

Typical physical symptoms can include sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night, appetite loss or appetite gain.

These are not the only symptoms associated with depression, but just a few. Unfortunately, many people do not seek help to address these symptoms, due to the stigma attached to depression. However, there is nothing wrong with seeking help to get your life back on track and treatment delivered by a professional can be very effective.

Preventing Depression

Try the following tips to help prevent feeling low and see what works best for you. Some strategies may work better than others at different times, so try a variety of approaches.

1. Keep active: Plan everyday to do at least one activity that you would normally find enjoyable, interesting, relaxing or satisfying (for example: reading, listening to music, watching movies, going to the beach, gardening, taking part in sports, or seeing friends). At first, you might not find them as enjoyable as you normally would, but if you persist, the enjoyment will eventually return.

2. Deal with the stress in your life: If you are feeling stressed about something get some distance from it. Do something relaxing, go for a walk, play a sport, and let off some steam. Research has found that finding ways to manage stress can reduce the incidence of depression.

3. Keeping your thinking in check: Thinking this is all too hard? Challenge some of those negative thoughts and asking yourself “Are these thoughts realistic or 100 per cent true?” and “How are these thoughts helping me?”. Challenging negative thinking and changing faulty beliefs takes time and practice and may be even some professional help.

4. Maintain a healthy diet and exercise: Your doctor has probably already discussed the importance of avoiding foods that are high in fat and lack nutritional value. When you make the switch to a healthier lifestyle, you are likely to feel more in control of your diabetes, experience significant health benefits, and see improvements in your mood. One way of staying motivated to exercise is to enlist the support of a friend to exercise with, and set goals you would like to achieve. For example, a good starting point could be: I will walk for 25 minutes once a week. Over time, you could increase the duration and frequency, and even try another form of exercise, so you don’t get bored. There is a lot of scientific evidence that suggests that exercise is not only great for physical health, but is a great strategies to improve your mood. Rate your mood out of ten before you go for a walk and then rate it when you get home, and notice an improvement, even if it is a slight one. Try not to compare yourself to others exercising around you, remember fitness is a gradual process. Keep encouraging yourself and focus on your gains!

5. Develop healthy relationships: Loneliness and isolation are often associated with depression. Even though you may not feel like socialising, it is important that you continue to talk to your family and friends. If you remain isolated, there is a greater risk of developing depression. Just because you have diabetes, does not mean you are alone, or have to be alone, there are support groups you can join and professionals that you can talk to.

Seeking help

Don’t leave things too late, there are very effective treatments for preventing and overcoming depression, but be sure to meet with a professional.

Dr Cindy Nour is a practising Clinical Psychologist in Parramatta and Sydney CBD, NSW. For more information about psychological treatment, contact (02) 8896 2152.

Source:
C. Nour, ‘Stay on track mentally’, Diabetes Australia-NSW Website 2008, Copyright. Not to be reprinted without Author’s permission.