The link between diabetes and depression goes a bit deeper than being upset
because you have been dxed with a chronic illness. The medics seem to be
working towards the idea that depression results from the effects of the
metabolic changes in the brain resulting from diabetes. Which if correct
would make depression as much a recognised complication of diabetes as the
opathies. Let's hope they don't want all T2s on a precautionary valium along
with the statin and ace inhibitor and aspirin.
Perhaps the more baffling connection is why people suffering form depression
are more likely to be dxed with diabetes.

It depends what age the T1 is diagnosed. Those that are diagnosed late,
often in the same age group as T2s may be prone.
Most T1s are diagnosed young and I am afraid it is the parents of those kids
that do the worrying the children just accept it like they accept every
other new thing that happens to them. Some parts they will like others they
won't. In the end it just becomes part of life to them and they just get on
with it like the many other kids who get other diseases far worse than
diabetes.
Now if I had lived half my life normal, then out of the blue I got some
disease I new little about that made me worry about certain foods, made me
watch my exercise my weight, in fact turned my life upside down I can
understand why they are prone to depression . I do not have to worry about
food as strictly as them. I have always restricted my diet because it had to
match my insulin so it is just second nature. In fact diabetes has never
stopped me doing anything I wanted. Why because my limitations are part of
me, to change them would change me and I would not like that in the same way
as nearly every T2 has had to change and that is why they are more prone to
depression. We have it easy compared to them.
--
DaveT
T1 diagnosed 11/12/1955
BeefL & Lispro
DAFNE

Hi Jules,

Maybe you don't know but in medicine the term 'chronic' means 'lingering' or 'constant' (SOED).
It's a fair description of diabetes.

As regards depression - I don't really understand depression.
It certainly isn't the flip side of happy.
I'm not happy to be an insulin-resistant diabetic but I'm not depressed about it.

I'm not denying its existence, I know a couple of depressives and I have known many others.
I don't believe in the 'jolly yourself out of it' philosophy.
That's usually born of ignorance.
I think it's better for lay folk to accept that others *will* be depressed and to offer gentle support and never force any help.

Professionals can help much more.

It is far too common for people to assume that depression is simply deep unhappiness.
It isn't, it's an illness I don't understand, an illness sometimes fatal.

It doesn't surprise me that it's often associated with chronic conditions, (and diabetes is just one).
I think the illness is sometimes really a trigger for depression rather than depression just being a separate illness itself.
But depression seems to be a separate illness too so perhaps it's just coincidence that chronic conditions sometimes live alongside it.

I doubt it, though.