By Adam Garcia
Today in Diabetic Lifestyle I am going to continue my discussion on the video I did last week on diabetes and depression.
Depression happens to anyone. We can become depressed because of a number of factors, however when we complicate this with a chronic disease that can affect the mind, it changes things. Think of how depression starts chemically.
Depression affects the mind, but this doesn’t mean “it’s all in your head.” Depression is a medical illness linked to changes in the biochemistry of the brain. Depression is not a weakness of character. Being depressed does not mean that a person is inadequate. It means the person has a medical illness that is just as real as diabetes or ulcers. Like other medical disorders, clinical depression should not be ignored or dismissed. A clinically depressed person cannot simply “snap out of it” any more than a person with an ulcer could simply will it away.
It all comes down to our chemistry. Fidgeting, concentration, sleep, energy levels, mood swings, even the ability to sweat are controlled by the chemicals lurking about our bodies. Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, melatonin, insulin, and prostaglandins are some of the more important ones…and these in turn are influenced strongly by stress, diet, exercise, sunlight, sleep and other life style factors. Our brains have a certain balance of these chemicals and when one is affected the others try to replace that one chemical, so then we have an imbalance. The neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are just a few of the chemical messengers believed to be responsible for moods and emotions. A disturbance in these chemical systems has a profound negative effect on mood and emotions, depression.
As diabetics our mood and emotions change how we feel. When we have high blood glucose we may become depressed. The only way to change that depression is to use psychotherapy and possibly medication. With that in mind, I cannot stress enough to please seek out professional medical help for depression if it has gone on for a long time.
Next week in Diabetic Lifestyle, we will be discussing diabetes and depression further with how depression actually feels. If you have a question or comment about diabetes and depression you may leave it below or email us for further discussion.
