Can Stress and Depression Cause Type 2 Diabetes?
Can stress trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes in someone who is not obese? I have been active most of my life, but slowed down in my desk job over the past few years. I was diagnosed with type 2 in 2006, and the only link that seems plausible to me is that at that time I was suffering from deep depression, which was later diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Name Withheld
Mary de Groot, PhD, responds: Over the past 20 years, we have learned that people with diabetes are twice as likely to experience depression as people without diabetes. When people with diabetes have depression, it is more difficult to manage blood glucose and to stick to treatment plans like medication and regular exercise. Studies have shown depression to be associated with diabetes complications and even early death. Most recently, a series of studies in which individuals were followed over a period of 10 to 20 years found that people who have a history of major depression have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
We do not yet know definitively how depression, stress, and diabetes are related. But here's the good news: Depression can be successfully treated in people with diabetes. There are a number of antidepressant medications that have been found to be effective. It is important to talk with your doctor about these medications and which one or ones may be the best for you. It is also important to keep in mind that antidepressant medications need time to take effect (typically two to six weeks), should be taken as prescribed (daily), and should be changed or stopped only on the advice of your health care provider. It is not uncommon for patients to be prescribed more than one medication before finding the right fit to treat their depression.
Another effective form of treatment for depression in people with type 2 diabetes is "talk therapy," or cognitive behavioral therapy. Studies have shown that people who meet with a therapist weekly for eight to 16 weeks learn to manage depressive symptoms more effectively by using tools that address common thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that come with depression. Exercise has also been found to be an effective treatment when combined with talk therapy.
It is important to tell your health care providers about changes in your mood so that you may talk together about the treatment options that are best suited for you. With help from your provider, it is possible to feel better with diabetes.
Comments
Comments are subject to review and will not be posted immediately. If you have an urgent medical question, please consult a health care professional. If you have a question for the staff of Diabetes Forecast, please send it to replyall@diabetes.org.Diagnosed with Diabetes, im a healthy person!
Hi,
I have just been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes, im a very active person, have a good weight and eat healthly, but i have been under alot of stress this year, had a family break-up 11 months ago, lost the woman i love, not allowed to see my daughter for the same period!, lost my job 3 months ago and have had several court apperances over an alledged allegation...the incredable stress i've been under has in my mind, triggered my Diabetes!, i eat very well, very active, seldom sit at home, i have discussed the cause to my doctor in the uk, but there saying it's my age?!?, im 39yrs old, but im convinced Extream stress caused my condition.
if you have any other info plz mail me: duane@2012.eclipse.co.uk
Thanks,
Duane Sharpe (Dorset, UK)
Stress
I too am convinced that stress actually caused my Type 2 diabetes. I was in a highly stressful office situation. About 6 months ago I left that situation, and my blood sugar levels have dropped to normal levels.
Are there any studies on this?
your question
It is stress, guaranteed! I don't care what the so called professionals say. I got the same thing and it was after I started to work at this stressful job with a moron stupid manager whom I hope he has a very bad case of some disease. It took me about 3 years to get it. It is stress.
Depression
Hey I'm Mayank,It's been about a year and a half since I've started medication and going to therapy. However, I've been depressed for like 3 or 4 years total. I just feel like it will never go away. Just when I'm back on my feet, something else ruins my life. Part of it's just me, I'm never happy even though I can put on a happy face. My mom thinks I'm doing fine, but I'm not.For me, I don't think it will ever end. I get by, but that's about it. I wonder sometimes if it's worth it. Do we live our lives or do we sit in the bleachers and watch our lives as if in a stadium.
It sounds like you are doing well right now and I'm happy for you. Share your secrets with some of the rest of us.
Depression and Diabetes
Kind of a question of which came first? the diabetes or the depression? There is no question in my mind that depression has a great influence on our physical health, whether its because we don't have the motivation to take care of ourselves and our health suffers or that the stress of dealing with depression itself affects our health. Medical practitioners need to become more aware of the interconnectedness of our mental and physical health
For more resources on dealing with depression and how to overcome it stop by http://howtoovercomedepressionsite.org and check out the information available
Hmmm. Interesting. As
Hmmm. Interesting. As someone who belongs to a family with quite a few cases of diabetes, it kinda makes sense that there'd be more causes like this. thanks for sharing!
Depression
Oh yes. Mi have been depressed off and on for half of my life and under huge stress and anxiety at the same time. I tried to keep active, was thin and then it all fell apart and I could not find relief. Then the diabetes diagnosis. Wher in hell is the research money going? People need help! I cannot take the anti depressant drugs because of awful side effects. There must be something else to help. Wow, and now the Supremes are going to see if health help is constitutional? Cheney gets a heart at 71 with our tax money and people have to suffer!!!!!
Yes - I think it must do
I am a type 2 controlled diabetic. My normal level is within range 5.1 in the UK.
And I am on slow release Metformin.. that means the tablet takes me round the clock. My normal level will take me up to around 8/9 after eating a big meal.
The morning of my hospital operation ( no food for 12 hours before) it went up to 13. It has never done so in any other circumstance.
So it convinced me that stress is one of the main factors that causes diabetes.
I only wish the medical profession would consider this instead of saying that only weight and exercise counts.
Can depression cause diabetes?
Although there is not yet any direct evidence of a causal link between depression and the onset of diabetes, such a connection is more than likely. This is because there is already ample evidence that people who suffer from depression make life choices with regard to factors such as diet, smoking and drinking that have been shown to be important contributors to diabetes risk. In addition,there are several studies demonstrating a link between psycho-social stress and a deterioration of glucose control in diabetics.
At least 89% of type II (adult onset) diabetes may be attributed to five lifestyle risk factors (Archives of Internal Medicine 2009 Apr 27;169(8):798-807).
In light of these studies, and until there is further evidence directly associating diabetes with depression, it seems reasonable to assume that there is a causal link. For this, and many other more obvious reasons, people who are depressed should seek out appropriate medical help and also the assistance of a therapy based on person-centered principles which acknowledge as part of their basic principles that interventions that lead to improved mental health may prevent disease.
Your post on diabetes/stress/lifestyle
I can totally agree with your comments. My mother, Grandmother, uncle and ex-husband all had type 2 diabetes which I believe was mainly caused by being overweight and lifestyle but I do believe that stress is an indirect cause as it can dictate your lifestyle if you allow it to, alcohol and smoking particularly and of course, comfort eating.
Post new comment