She may prefer to ignore a problem in the hope that it will go away or resolve itself without intervention. Unfortunately like many health conditions, diabetes may get worse if it is ignored. Ignoring diabetes may initially seem to be the easiest way to cope, but it is not the healthiest in the long run. However, if this feeling persists for many months or becomes more intense, you may be experiencing depression. People living with a chronic health condition tend to have a higher rate of depression than the general population.
Depression is also more common in women than in men and is often undiagnosed.
Talk to your doctor or other members of your health care team about how you are feeling. Depression can be successfully treated through medication or counselling, or a combination of both. Your doctor will be able to recommend a social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist with whom you can talk. A support group may also be helpful. For more information, see our Health Bytes series on Depression or visit the Depression Canada Web site For more on dealing with the feelings associated with diabetes, you may find our workbook, A Roadmap to living with Diabetes helpful.