A diabetes diagnosis can be a life altering event. Whether it be type 1 diabetes where the body does not make any insulin at all or type 2 diabetes when the pancreas makes some insulin but not enough,it can mean changes to your lifestyle that you may not be ready for and can also be hard on relationships with friends orfamily.As you establish a new routine it is important to establish good habits in managing your mental health

Proper diabetes management requires awareness of your symptoms.Just as you take insulin to ensure your blood glucose levels are where they should be,it’s important to take measures to prevent mental health crises by being aware of how you are feeling mentally and emotionally.

Just like taking care of your body,taking care of your mind is equally as important to living a healthy life.When left untreated,mental health conditions like depression and anxiety can make diabetes worse.

# How Are Diabetes And Mental Health Connected?
Added responsibilities like tracking blood glucose and insulin can be hard to remember at first,doctors’appointments can cause time away from work,and the costs of appropriate care may be burdensome.These changes can be emotionally draining,and you might start to notice that you are feeling a bit off or have very little energy left to carry out important tasks to managing your condition.

Diabetes distress can also be affected by external factors like family and societal support and health care services.It is estimated that 33 to50 percent of people with diabetes will experience diabetes distress at some point.While diabetes distress cannot typically be treated with medication,experts say that improving diabetes management to reduce stress,talk therapy and support groups can be helpful.

# Identification: One of the biggest challenges to treatment of mental health conditions for people with diabetes is low rates of detection.Up to 45percent of mental health conditions and cases of severe psychological distress go undetected among patients being treated for diabetes.

Diabetes treatment teams need to be aware of the mind-body connection and ensure whole person care.One way of doing this is by conducting regular screenings for mental health conditions during office visits.