A question on our clinic survey asked patients if they were depressed about having diabetes. More than a few burst into tears and opened up about their feelings of helplessness and sadness. Meyer says she's found two groups of diabetics particularly prone to severe depression young people facing life transitions and middle-aged, Mexican American women who are accustomed to putting family first. She's seen more than a few patients depressed to the point of contemplating suicide, she adds. Focusing on present good health, keeping a positive outlook, staying active and joining support groups can help diabetics dodge depression or decrease its demoralizing effects, she adds.
Physicians agree that depression can be treated safely and effectively in diabetics.
Exercise can keep mild depression in check. Counseling and medication are successful, too. Persistent depression that does not go away should be evaluated, not accepted as an untreatable part of diabetes, Dr. Rhodes says. We all learn to live with diabetes, but no one should live with untreated depression. Treatment can make a real difference in someone's life.