Diabetes and Mood Swings

[Scarlet_SC]

My daughter has had diabetes for 25 years (type 1) and is having a battle with anxiety, depression and terrible mood swings.  Is this normal?

[krushing]

My husband is a Type 1 for 20 years now.  Mood swings are VERY common when the blood glucose is not right.  When his is high he is very irritable, cranky and short tempered.  We go check it and sure enough, it's high.  After he takes some insulin, he's back to his happy go lucky self.

[JDRF Team SGG]

I agree with the answer given above, and just want to add that if glucose levels are either higher OR lower than normal, this physical problem can affect moods. Many people comment that their type 1 children become irritable or cranky when glucose levels are out of whack, and so a very physical reason may be behind some of her problems if her glucose levels are not in good control. So even if the problem is mostly rooted in her emotional inability to cope with stresses in life (and maybe with having a disease like type 1 diabetes), maintaining very good glucose control will certainly help remove any possible physical reasons for irritability or depression. It can only help to look closely at how tightly her sugars are controlled.

But that being said, many people with chronic illnesses do require professional help, for the emotional toll is great when dealing with a daily tightrope walk that we can never get a break from walking. Some doctors actually believe that ALL type 1 diabetics should be under the care of a therapist to help us deal with this stress in a healthy manner. Feelings of anger, depression, and denial are really very common.

[JDRF-Team-gg]

Hi Scarlet.  The information you obtain on this website does not come from medical professionals, so any information should be reviewed with your daughter's healthcare team.  We consist of people who are either living with diabetes themselves or are directly related to someone who has diabetes.

Anyone living with a chronic disease such as diabetes, can be prone to anxiety, depression and mood swings.  You ask if it's normal, and I would think that we all deal with one or more of these at some time in our lives.  It's how we deal with it that's important.  If your daughter has good blood glucose control and manages her diabetes well, she may not have as much of a problem handling such distresses.  If she is not in good control, then what may typically be a part of life for most of us may become a major issue for her and may require professional help.  Whatever her circumstance is, she will need your love and support to help her through it.  I am glad that you've taken a step toward helping your daughter by trying to educate yourself through out website.  I hope that others who may have dealt with anxiety, depression or mood swings will share their experiences with us to help you more.