Psychological Impact of Type I Diabetes

Facts

Your body uses insulin to absorb sugar for energy. When your body does not produce enough insulin, there is a sugar buildup in your blood and urine. This causes frequent urination, digestive problems and ruins cellular function. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the person's immune system seeks out and eliminates the cells that produce insulin. The symptoms of type 1 diabetes are constant urination, hunger, drowsiness, unexpected weight loss, numbness in extremities, fuzzy vision and slow-healing wounds.

Type 1 diabetes will affect how the person interacts with family members. Often, they will become emotional, with intense mood swings. Often the diabetic will be unaware of his mood swings and the effect on those around him. In turn, diabetics can ostracize family members by criticizing them or making erratic decisions that negatively affect family members.

Guilt, anger, anxiety and sadness often affect diabetic individuals. These emotions can be very strong and will affect mental stability and hormone levels. Guilt is a response the diabetic will feel after hurting a family member or friend emotionally. Anger will occur if the diabetic has violated some personally held values. Often diabetics become overly anxious because they do not have control over future events and the disease itself. Diabetics often feel extreme sadness that they have a disorder that cannot be fixed.

Understandably, diabetics are more likely than normal individuals to experience depression. Depression suppresses motivations and might cause a diabetic to stop taking her required insulin shots. This activity should be closely monitored. Also, depression can increase insulin production in the body, which exacerbates a person's diabetes.

Having an ongoing disorder can be particularly stressful for the diabetic. Stress can be a strong physiological reaction, and it causes the secretion of specific hormones. These hormones might counteract the normal functioning of insulin and disrupt correct metabolic functioning. Stress can cause emotions that alter a diabetic's schedule for eating habits and exercise. This might lead to hyperglycemia (excessive sugar in the blood system), which affects insulin dosage and diabetes management.