Technology burnout

It is very common for people to experience difficult thoughts and feelings related to their diabetes because living with an unpredictable health condition can be extremely challenging (see here for more information on this). These thoughts and feelings might be a sign of something called (diabetes distress) which happens when someone feels overwhelmed by how relentless diabetes can feel at times; these feelings can last from a few seconds through to minutes, hours, or even days and weeks at a time. 

A build-up of diabetes distress can tip into periods of “diabetes burnout” where a person with diabetes feels so overwhelmed that they might start to avoid self-management tasks for more significant periods; this then has the potential to impact upon their physical health.

You can click here to find lots of different approaches to managing diabetes distress and burnout.

Where to go for support 

For so many people, diabetes technology can reduce stress and burnout and offer a more positive, flexible way of managing diabetes with a greater sense of freedom. But for others, or at a certain point, it can make things more difficult, increasing the risk of diabetes distress and burnout, especially if they are dealing with these difficult feelings alone.

If you are worried about the impact technology has on your life or would like to discuss any aspect of technology further, you can talk to a healthcare professional in your diabetes team – your consultant, diabetes specialist nurse, or diabetes specialist dietician, for example. We also have a list of other helpful contacts here.  


Go to ‘Diabetes technology and emotional wellbeing’ to return to the main topic page, or choose another section.

16 thoughts on “Technology burnout”

  1. Having been a T1 Diabetic for thirty nine years , living stoically by the principles of testing, insulin, nutrition, and exercise, to manage my health . I feel inspired and ready to investigate the most innovative advancements , to balance my blood glucose.
    I have some envy of the latest Islet pancreas dna analysis, only offering cell reproduction therapy to younger type one patients .
    I would advise all T1’s to find the very best technological solution for their health.

  2. i have put off getting pump for all the above reasons, but HbA1c simmering at a higher level and complications associated with diabetes since having my last child have turned my head, im hoping for a better management of my diabetes.

  3. I don’t mind injecting in front of people but back in the 90s many people gave me dirty and weird looks. Getting my own taken off me at a gig set me back for a long time. I’m looking forward to getting a system that communicates with my CGM and administers correction doses. I wish that non T1s could do some learning and understand that a/ it’s not easy to deal with T1 and b/ smart comments about food choices and lifestyle are not always that helpful!

  4. liz19573mcclymont

    I don’t want a pump but I think I could go with a sensor for blood monitoring, although I got very different reading from that to my finger prick tests the last time I had a trial one. I am not sure I would trust a pump to be honest.

  5. I am so thankful for my CGM, trying not to check it so frequently, currently checking it around 70-90 times a day. But it’s helped massively woth my anxiety around diabetes

  6. temduarte@gmail.com

    I’m nervous about going onto the pump, but it’s got to be a better way of managing my diabetes and giving me a better quality of life.

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