The relationship between mood and glucose levels
Changes in glucose levels can greatly impact how you feel physically and emotionally. The brain uses a lot of glucose to function, so it makes sense that glucose levels can affect how we feel mentally and emotionally.
Although everyone is different, low glucose (hypoglycaemia) can cause anxiety, irritability, and confusion, and high glucose (hyperglycaemia) can cause tiredness, low mood, and anger. Glucose levels that remain high over a long period of time can put the person at increased risk of depression, which can then make it harder for them to make changes to reduce glucose levels – so the cycle can continue.
We also know that emotions can impact how the body regulates glucose. Stress can lead to the production of hormones including epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol, which in turn can raise glucose levels. You might find it helpful to look here for tips to manage stress.
What if my thoughts and feelings about diabetes really start to affect my diabetes self-care?
Living with an unpredictable health condition like diabetes can be extremely challenging, so it is understandable for people to experience some difficult thoughts, feelings, and responses (behaviours) like those outlined above. However, sometimes people can feel very overwhelmed by living with diabetes and the burden of self-care, they may experience something called diabetes distress, which may lead to a period of “diabetes burnout”. Evidence from research shows that 1 in 4 people with Type 1 diabetes has a high level of diabetes distress at any one time, and this is likely to be having a negative impact on how they manage their diabetes.
You can find out more information about diabetes distress and burnout by clicking here.
What have you noticed about how high and low glucose levels have affected your emotions? How does stress affect your glucose levels?
Go to ‘Emotional wellbeing and diabetes: thoughts, feelings and behaviours’ or choose another section.
55 years it is just my life
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If continual stress over a prolonged amount of years can raise glucose levels could this be a cause of LAD type 1 diabetes?
Learnt to be kind to myself
1….25 years has taught me how to cope
2….Taught me how to be kind to myself
25 years has taught me how to cope
After 25 years I’ve learnt to deal with this