Diabetes And Mood Swings: Effects On Relationships
Diabetes is a condition that impacts the way a person's body uses sugar for energy. However, diabetes affects much more than blood sugar. It can impact nearly every body system and have an effect on a person's mood. Stress associated with managing diabetes as well as concerns about potential side effects can all contribute to changes in mood. In addition, the actual highs and lows of blood sugar levels may also cause nervousness, anxiety, and confusion. It is important for people to recognize their own individual symptoms of high or low blood sugar. They must also ensure they seek support for any concerning mental health symptoms they might experience. Watching these mood swings can often be difficult for friends and family to understand. However, learning why a person may experience mood changes related to diabetes and being supportive can help to promote a stronger, healthier relationship. Contents of this article: How do diabetes and mood swings go together? Diabetes can have many effects on a person's mood. For example, managing diabetes can be stressful. A person may be constantly worried about their blood sugar and whether it is too high or too low. Adjustments to their diet and constantly checking their blood sugar can also add to a person's stress and enjoyment of life. As a result, they are more likely to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. Blood sugar swings can cause rapid changes in a person's mood, such as making them sad and irritable. This is especially true during hypoglycemic episodes, where blood sugar levels dip lower than 70 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Hyperglycemic episodes where levels spike higher than 250 mg/dL may cause confusion in people with type 1 diabetes, but are much less likely to in those with type 2 diabetes. When a pe Continue reading >>
Eliminating Functional Hypoglycemia To Stabilize Mood
Eliminating Functional Hypoglycemia to Stabilize Mood Many mood disorders are related to hypoglycemia and carbohydrate addiction. Source: Salish Country Cookbook, used with permission Without reducing the intake of refined carbohydrates such as sugar, balancing mood will remain out of reach for the mood-disordered, and one may never know why. Hypoglycemia refers to low blood glucose, which is often associated with poor adrenal function. People under stress are vulnerable to functional or reactive hypoglycemia because stress negatively affects the regulation of blood glucose. Most patients who do not eat a healthy diet and binge on carbohydrates have hypoglycemia and do not know it. Many vegetarians experience it, since they often do not consume enough proteins to stabilize their blood sugar. This syndrome causes mood lability and inattention, which is often misidentified as the rapid cycling of bipolar disorder or ADHD . Recently, bipolar disease has become the diagnosis du jour, but without eliminating hypoglycemia as a cause of mood cycling, an accurate diagnosis cannot be made. I have treated many children and adults with severe mood swings and irritability, which is diminished or eliminated when the hypoglycemia and carbohydrate addiction are addressed. Other symptoms include irritability (due to hunger ) and orthostatic hypotension, which occurs when one rises from a supine position to standing and becomes light-headed. This reflects adrenal fatigue, hypoglycemia, and often, low blood sugar, which can be addressed by adding a thiamine-rich B-vitamin complex. Sugar derives from the sugar cane plant, a grass indigenous to the western hemisphere. Like many foods, the original whole food form is healthy, tasty, and rich in vitamins and minerals. It does not significan Continue reading >>
Dealing With Emotions: How Diabetes Can Affect Your Mood
Having type 2 diabetes can affect not only your physical health but also your emotional health. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes adds an emotional weight onto your shoulders which can be challenging to carry day in and day out. Sometimes this weight can come out as other conditions such as anxiety or depression. There are multiple studies that have shown that external stressors, such as feelings of anxiety or depression, can lead to difficulties in managing self-care. Decreased physical activity, bad food choices, not regularly taking medication are some examples of poor self-care management. Anxiety and stress can lead one to taking up bad habits such as smoking or drinking excessively, which can put a person with diabetes at more risk for developing diabetes related complications. The Grief of Diagnosis When you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, you may notice that you start to experience a grieving process. Many people experience the same emotions associated with the loss of a loved one. When you consider the diagnosis of diabetes, it changes your life, you have lost something and you’ve lost your normal carefree life that you had before. These common emotions are explained in more detail below as well as various the ways you can learn to control these emotions or even overcome them. Common Emotions of Diabetes Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires diligent almost 24/7 management. Sometimes this type of schedule can seem like a burden. When this happens, other common emotions or conditions may manifest, causing even more difficulty in managing your blood sugar levels. Stress Stress is one of the most common emotions associated with having type 2 diabetes. Just the constant daily regimen of testing, ensuring you’re taking your medications and monitoring y Continue reading >>
Managing Low Moods And Depression
Tweet Struggling to manage difficult emotions and lows connected to diabetes is very common for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, those who are newly diagnosed and those who have been living with the condition for many years. Many of the challenges of daily life with diabetes or diabetes diagnosis can cause a whole range of emotional reactions including anger, hopelessness, fear, worry, bitterness, frustration irritability, guilt and shame. It's natural to feel low sometimes! These are strong emotions and are usually experienced as negative, and it is natural to feel ‘low’ when having to deal with these alongside diabetes. Feeling ‘low’ or ‘a bit down’ is different from feeling ‘depressed’, however depression is very common among people with diabetes and is unfortunately, often overlooked or not easily spotted by healthcare teams. Individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to experience depression as the general population. Coupled with this, it has been demonstrated that people with both diabetes and depression are far more likely to have poorer blood glucose management. So why do people with diabetes become depressed? The daily tasks of managing diabetes can be a huge challenge - juggling medication, injections, blood glucose monitoring, regular clinic visits along with all the usual stresses of life can put people with diabetes at real risk of developing difficulties with low mood. Not everyone with diabetes develops depression - why is this? Depression is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. This means that some people are more prone to developing difficulties managing low mood due to their family background; for example a family member with depression; and early experiences, for example bullying or l Continue reading >>
Stable Blood Sugar Is The Key To Stable Moods
Stable blood sugar is the key to stable moods Youve probably heard that depression and other mental health issues are based on a lack of brain chemicals such as serotonin and GABA. Conventional treatment is to give medications that trick the brain into thinking it has enough chemicals. But new research shows in many cases mental health issues are related to chronic inflammation, not necessarily a lack of chemicals, and unstable blood sugar is often at the root of inflammation. When the body is chronically inflamed, it sends chemical messengers to the brain, where they activate the brains immune cells, called glial cells. Chronic inflammation permanently activates the glial cells, setting off a cascade of destruction: Reduced production of brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA. Brain cells cant produce vital energy to thrive. Cells degrade and die, releasing toxins into the brain, causing even more damage. The result? Depression, anxiety, and even Alzheimers. The fix for these issues is managing the destructive inflammatory cascade At the core of systemic inflammation for many people is blood sugar balance. When we eat too many sugars or carbs, the body over-produces insulin, a hormone that helps escort glucose (sugar) into cells for energy. Too much insulin in the blood exhausts the cells, resulting in them becoming resistant to it (insulin resistance). This leads to excess glucose in the bloodstream, which is severely damaging to tissues in the blood vessels and brain. It is also a precursor to diabetes. By keeping blood sugar balanced, we can help reduce the inflammatory cascade that creates brain inflammation. Below are dietary and lifestyle habits that help keep blood sugar stable. By practicing them, you may notice positive shifts in your mood, ener Continue reading >>
10 Warning Signs Of Low Blood Sugar
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is common among people with diabetes and can occur even when you're carefully managing the condition. "Hypoglycemia happens when the amount of blood glucose (sugar in the blood) drops to a level that's too low to sustain normal functioning," says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, author of 2 Day Diabetes Diet. "In most people, this is defined as a blood-sugar level below 70 milligrams per deciliter." A review published in June 2015 in the journal PLoS One found that among people with type 2 diabetes, this is a far too common occurrence. Individuals with the condition had an average of 19 mild episodes of hypoglycemia per year, and nearly one severe episode per year on average. Low blood sugar was particularly common among those taking insulin. This decrease in blood sugar levels can cause both short-term complications, like confusion and dizziness, as well as more serious, long-term complications. Left untreated, it can lead to a coma and even death. To prevent hypoglycemia and its dangerous side effects, it's crucial to monitor your glucose levels and treat low blood sugar as soon as you become aware of it. Pay attention to these telltale signs of dipping blood sugar levels to make sure yours stays under control: 1. Ravenous Hunger If you've already eaten but still aren't satisfied, or if you suddenly, inexplicably feel as if you're starving, your body is signaling that it needs more glucose. Work with your healthcare team to determine the exact amount of sugar your body needs. A good starting point is the American Diabetes Association's recommendation to eat between 15 and 20 grams (g) of sugar or carbohydrates with each snack, and between 40 and 65 g at each meal. Some good options include 2 tablespoons of raisins, 4 ounces of fruit juice Continue reading >>
Food To Balance Your Mood
Think of your body as an insanely complex, gooey car. Put in gas and oil (a balanced diet), and you're good to go. Put in nicotine; alcohol; caffeine; weird, manufactured fats; gummy, washed-out flour; and sugar, and it's like pouring sugar into the gas tank. You'll sputter, run on, stop and start, or stall. Senior New York University clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD, would probably prefer an analogy to a chemistry set. "If you are chemically balanced," Heller contends, "your moods will be balanced." A lot of factors can throw the body out of balance. "A lot of women are anemic," she says. "This leads to depression and fatigue. Older people are often deficient in the B vitamins. People who don't eat regularly often have big shifts in blood sugar." People also have chemical sensitivities to certain foods that can govern mood. In a study of 200 people done in England for the mental health group known as Mind, participants were told to cut down on mood "stressors" they ate, while increasing the amount of mood "supporters." Stressors included sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and chocolate (more of that coming up). Supporters were water, vegetables, fruit, and oil-rich fish. Eighty-eight percent of the people who tried this reported improved mental health. Specifically, 26% said they had fewer mood swings, 26% had fewer panic attacks and anxiety, and 24% said they experienced less depression. One big set of chemicals that control mood are the neurotransmitters in the brain led by the pleasure "drug" serotonin. These substances determine whether you feel good and energetic or tired, irritable, and spacey. They run on sugar, preferably the form that comes from low glycemic carbohydrates (not doughnut sprinkles), according to Molly Kimball, RD, sports and lifestyle nutrit Continue reading >>
Low Blood Sugar And Your Mind
One danger of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is that you might not know you’re having it. Low glucose levels affect your brain and can leave you unable to recognize a problem or seek a solution. Low blood sugar is not a symptom of diabetes. It’s a side effect of diabetes treatment. It happens when you have too much insulin for the amount of food you have eaten. You can get hypoglycemia (high-po-glye-SEEM-e-uh) if you take insulin or if you take pills that stimulate your body to release insulin from the pancreas. These pills include sulfonylureas, such as chlorpropamide (brand name Diabinese), tolbutamide (Orinase), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase), glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL), tolazamide (Tolinase), and tolbutamide (Orinase). Other drugs that raise insulin and can lead to hypoglycemia include the meglitinides, such as repaglinide (Prandin) and nateglinide (Starlix). Combination drugs that contain sulfonylureas or meglitinides can also potentially cause lows. You can see a more complete list of drugs that cause hypoglycemia here. If you have too much insulin and don’t eat enough, or you exercise too much, you will likely develop low blood sugar. The symptoms can range from annoying, like excessive sweating, to life-threatening, like passing out while driving or having seizures. Celia Kirkman, RN, CDE, wrote that “Hypoglycemia is a condition in which the brain does not have enough glucose to carry out its many functions.” You can’t pay attention to things, you’re less aware of your environment; you have less control of your emotions. This is what makes low blood sugar hard to treat and prevent. Your brain is supposed to pick up warning signs and address problems, but your brain is impaired by low glucose. Symptoms of low Continue reading >>
10 Surprising Causes Of Blood Sugar Swings You Probably Didn’t Know
1 / 11 What Causes Blood Sugar to Rise and Fall? Whether you were recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or have been living with the disease for several years, you know how fickle blood sugar levels can be, and how important it is that they stay controlled. Proper blood sugar control is key for helping ward off potential diabetes complications, such as kidney disease, nerve damage, vision problems, stroke, and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If you keep your levels in check on a daily basis, it will help you stay energized, focused, and in a good mood. You’ll know if your diabetes is poorly controlled if you experience symptoms such as frequent urination, sores that won’t heal, blurred vision, and unexplained weight loss. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), proper medication, effective meal planning, regular exercise, and use of a blood glucose meter to track your numbers routinely can all help you keep your levels within a healthy range. The ADA recommends blood glucose be 80 to 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) before meals, and below 180 mg/dL two hours after the start of a meal. Furthermore, the organization recommends getting an A1C test, which measures your average blood glucose over the past two to three months, at least twice per year if your levels are stable and you are meeting treatment goals. Learning how different habits can cause your blood sugar to fluctuate can help you better predict how your levels will swing. You may be more likely to experience hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar if you have advanced-stage diabetes, according to the ADA. Meanwhile, high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, may be caused by factors such as not using enough insulin or other diabetes medication, not following a prop Continue reading >>
Can Diabetes Affect My Mood?
I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I am on two different types of insulin, NovoLog and Levemir (insulin detemir). Can diabetes have any bearing on mood swings or sudden “bad mood episodes”? Continue reading >>
Is Your Blood Sugar Affecting Your Mood?
Yes, your blood sugar can affect your mood. These affects can be short-term due to fluctuations in blood sugar itself, or long-term due to the strain of managing diabetes. Blood sugar swings can cause rapid changes in a person’s mood. These could include confusion, anxiety, irritability, and having the jitters. When a person’s blood sugar returns to more normal ranges, these symptoms often go away. In fact, mood changes can be one of the first signs that blood sugar is too high (or too low.) When someone is first diagnosed with diabetes, it is a life-changing event. It seems that everything you once did now has to be done differently. As a result, diabetics are more likely to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. Depression is a serious mental health condition that can cause a person to feel hopeless about life, have low bouts of energy, and lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. These feelings can be especially impactful for a person with diabetes. For example, individuals who struggle with depression often lack the motivation and energy to complete even the smallest task. These could include eating well, exercising, even taking medications. This may affect their ability to properly manage their blood sugar, and could have a dangerous effect on their health. Nearly 50% of people with diabetes are thought to experience “diabetes distress” at some point during the management of their disease. Diabetes distress encompasses symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. By establishing a routine of healthy habits, individuals with diabetes can reduce their distress and better manage their health. Eat regularly to make sure that your body is getting the fuel it needs. For some, this means 3 larger meals and 2 snacks, for others it may mean eating ever Continue reading >>
Mood Changes Associated With Blood Glucose Fluctuations In Insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus.
Abstract Individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and their healthcare practitioners believe that extreme blood glucose (BG) fluctuations are characterized by changes in subjective mood states and emotional behavior, as well as physical symptoms. This study examined relationships between BG levels and self-reported mood in a group of 34 IDDM adults. The method followed a within-subject, repeated-measures design employed in previous studies of physical symptoms associated with diabetic glucose. Four times each day, participants completed a mood/symptom checklist just prior to a self-measurement of BG until 40 checklists had been completed. Half the items on the checklist described physical symptoms and half described mood states. In addition, half the mood items described negative states and half described positive states. Within-subject correlations and regressions showed that moods were related to BG for the majority of participants and that, like physical symptoms, mood-BG relationships were highly idiosyncratic. Low BG levels tended to be associated with negative mood states, primarily self-reported "nervousness." Positive mood items were almost always associated with high BG. High BG levels also frequently correlated with negative mood states, although the negative mood items that tended to relate to high glucose (anger, sadness) differed from those that tended to relate to low BG. The implications of these findings for self-treatment and glucose perception in the IDDM individual are discussed. Continue reading >>
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Are People With Diabetes More Prone To Aggression?
Relationship Between Blood Glucose Level and Self-Control Blood sugar can make people do crazy things. According to a recent scientific study on the link between low blood glucose level and relationship clashes (Bushman et al, 2014), being hungry makes an individual generally cranky and act more hostile to others. In the study, couples who are hungry tend to have a much higher tendency to exhibit aggression towards each other and become more impulsive in their reactions. This phenomenon is often referred to “hangry” (meaning feeling angry when you are hungry). If this irritable state can happen to any healthy person who experiences a change in their blood glucose level, imagine the ordeals individuals with diabetes frequently go through on a daily basis. However, do not jump to the conclusion that diabetes leads to aggression. In fact, scientists find a more direct correlation between blood glucose level and self-control. I recommend reading the following articles: In a way, you can visualize self-control as a muscle that requires a lot of energy to sustain so that it does not become ineffective quickly. This energy source comes from the glucose in the blood. So what kind of activities can wear out this “muscle”? Any daily activities that require self-discipline such as forcing yourself to get out of bed early to exercise, resisting from having a soda drink or another cookie with your meal, stopping yourself from smoking, dealing with stressful situations at work and at home, and abstaining yourself from road rage. As you can see, self-control plays a crucial part in restraining inappropriate and aggressive behaviors. So when people are low in glucose, the self-control mechanism cannot function properly to prevent these outbursts of hostile actions. In a researc Continue reading >>
Is There A Blood Sugar Monster Lurking Within You?
Is There a Blood Sugar Monster Lurking Within You? Do you get mean or low, and don't know why? Ever know someone who will get into the lousiest mood because they became hungry? And, if they dont get some food in soon, the brain shuts down and they can become just plain mean? Sometimes they don't know they are hungry until after they eatwhen they apologize for their behavior. Are you even one of those people? Hunger and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are primitive signals known to set off the stress response in a person. In people who are predisposed, anxiety and depression can be common segues to this stress response. Triggered by drops and fluctuations in blood sugar, anxiety, and depression can manifest in people who are very sensitive and can become chronic if food intake isnt consistent. Humans are built like all the other animalsand animals get very unhappy when blood sugar is low. It is an evolutionary mechanism that is designed to make finding food a priority. This priority is important, for it helps to avoid starvation. But in us humans, low blood sugar can have a very negative effect on mood. While the primitive animal goes into food-finding mode, sometimes our more complex human brain doesnt realize it is a food issue, and instead simply feels anxious, depressed, angry, or even all three. That primitive part of us starts to stress about other issues (work, relationships) and the real culpritlow blood sugaris not addressed. In a panic, sometimes a person who is hungry and stressed out might even go for more sugary foods (like sodas, cookies and cakes) which will cause even greater blood sugar fluctuations and keep the cycle going. If you know you are one of the people who are affected by drops in blood sugar, it is important to eat regularly throughout the day Continue reading >>
Do Blood Sugar Levels Affect Mood Swings?
Blood sugar levels that become too high or too low can cause a variety of health problems and can even be life-threatening. Mild, moderate and severe blood sugar fluctuations can also affect your mood and behavior. If your blood sugar levels tend to spike and drop and you notice changes, you need to speak with your physician to learn how to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Video of the Day After a meal, the food you eat is broken down into glucose and either used right away for energy or stored for use later on. Glucose is also made by the liver and pancreas. In order for the cells to use glucose, the hormone insulin must be present. If you have diabetes your body either does not produce insulin or cannot use it properly. Without enough insulin your blood sugar levels can get too high. Non-diabetics can also experience fluctuations in blood sugar levels when skipping meals as a side effect of medications or from various other illnesses. Blood sugar levels are considered high if they climb to greater than 100mg/dL, and diabetes is diagnosed when the level reaches 126 mg/dL or more, according to MedlinePlus. A blood sugar level below 70 mg/dL is considered low. Both high and low blood glucose levels can cause a variety of symptoms, including mood swings. Your brain, like all areas of the body, relies on a steady supply of glucose to function properly. If you take too much insulin, skip meals, take certain medications, are extremely physically active or drink too much alcohol, your blood sugar levels can drop too low. A low blood sugar level is called hypoglycemia. Mild cases of low blood sugar can cause you to feel nervous or anxious, while more severe cases can lead to feeling irritable or tired, notes the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. Along with moo Continue reading >>
