Diabetes Care Community

Tag: family support

  • Depression in teens with type 1 diabetes

    Depression in teens with type 1 diabetes

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There have been a number of news broadcasts about depression and young adults attending university and college, and the rise of suicide within this population. Some of these individuals may have also suffered from depression in high school. Additionally, some may be living with a chronic illness such as type 1 diabetes. Depression in teens with type 1 diabetes has been associated with poorer blood glucose control.

    Studies have shown that the level of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes is nearly double that of the highest estimate of depression in youth in general.

    Why would this be? This blog will outline some of the depressive symptoms, some of the reasons for the development of depression in teens living with type 1 diabetes, and reasons why this mood can result in poor diabetes management, as well as treatment suggestions for young people.

    Depressive symptoms:  

    For diagnosis, the first 2 symptoms must have been present most of the day, nearly daily, for at least the past two weeks. If the 2 main symptoms have been present, please consult with your family doctor or diabetes team.

    • Depressed mood
    • Feeling of sadness
    • Lack of pleasure in almost all activities
    • Significant weight loss/gain
    • Sleeping longer than normal
    • Loss of energy
    • Agitation
    • Impaired concentration, decisiveness
    • Giving away personal possessions
    • Bullying in school
    • Suicide among other teens in the community
    • Recurring thoughts of death or suicide (if this is stated please go to your nearest hospital emergency department)

    [/vc_column_text][read-also-article article-slug=”supporting-the-psychosocial-needs-of-youth-living-with-diabetes/”][vc_column_text]

    Some reasons for the development of depression:

    • It seems girls have more tendency to suffer from depression than boys
    • Diabetes-specific family conflict over the management of the teen’s diabetes
    • Daily management of diabetes: being overwhelmed, angry, not being able to be like other “normal” teens
    • Family history of depression
    • Family history of suicide
    • Poor diabetes management: poor glycemic control, higher levels of A1C, and recurrent diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)

    Treatment:

    • Obtain an assessment from the family doctor and/or endocrinologist
    • Be referred ideally to a psychiatrist, who understands the relationship with type 1 diabetes and depression (this can be very rare to find). The teen may need anti-depressant medication plus therapy to help. This needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist/family doctor or endocrinologist
    • Family counselling to try to resolve the family conflict
    • Attendance at a cognitive behavioural therapy group
    • If suicidal thoughts are present, please take your teen to the nearest hospital emergency department
    • Try to develop open communication between the teen and parent. A psychotherapist, such as a social worker or psychologist, can provide counselling in this area
    • Contact the Canadian Mental Health Association office near you to assist with obtaining mental health resources

    Seeing your daughter and/or son experience depression and not able to manage her/his diabetes can be very difficult to say the least. Obtaining support from family, friends and support groups is very important to maintain your own mental state.[/vc_column_text][read-also-article article-slug=”supporting-a-family-member-with-diabetes/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Finding diabetes support in Canada

    Finding diabetes support in Canada

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]People who have diabetes can benefit from a number of support systems, both in person and online, as well as individual and group support. Read on to learn more about finding diabetes support in Canada.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][ad-slot slotcode=’div-gpt-ad-lb-resp-cont1′][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Diabetes healthcare team

    Your first line of support is your diabetes healthcare team. Your team plays a number of important and diverse roles, all of which can help meet your physical and emotional needs with respect to your diabetes management. Team members typically include:

    • Your doctor, who organizes and manages communication with other team members
    • A nurse, who helps you with your overall care plan
    • A registered dietitian, who can help with nutrition and meal planning
    • A pharmacist, who can help you manage your medication regimen
    • A social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist, who can help you meet the emotional and psychological challenges of living with diabetes

    [/vc_column_text][read-also-article article-slug=”how-to-take-advantage-of-the-diabetes-healthcare-team/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Your healthcare team can also help connect you with people with diabetes who have the same issues and concerns as you do. Across Canada, there are numerous in-person and online support groups for people with diabetes. These are often organized by a healthcare clinic, a hospital or a community centre. Ask your healthcare team about online and in-person support groups in your area.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Diabetes Education Centres and Diabetes Education Programs

    Many cities across Canada have dedicated Diabetes Education Centres or Diabetes Education Programs that you can reach out to, via your healthcare team, for assistance. These centres and programs are available for people who are newly diagnosed and those who have had diabetes for many years. Diabetes education sessions cover important topics, such as:

    Talk with your healthcare team to see if there is a Diabetes Education Centre or Diabetes Education Program in your area and how you can be referred to one.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][ad-slot slotcode=’div-gpt-ad-lb-resp-cont2′][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Diabetes Canada

    Diabetes Canada offers a number of online learning and support programs, including:

    • The Peer Connect Program, which operates like a traditional support group. However, instead of in-person meetings, interactive online meetings are held via Zoom. Each session offers breakout rooms, healthcare professionals speaking on hot topics and a question-and-answer period. Click here to learn more about the Peer Connect Program.
    • The Diabetes Education Line, which connects people with diabetes to a volunteer Certified Diabetes Educator for support and health advice. This program can be accessed via Diabetes Canada’s toll-free support line (1-800 BANTING). Within 24 to 48 hours of seeking help, a diabetes educator will respond to provide individualized answers and support. The educators are registered nurses, dietitians, social workers and pharmacists. The service is free and confidential, and is provided in both English and French.

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    Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

    The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation offers a number of supports for people with type 1 diabetes looking for help to manage their diabetes, including:

    • The Online Diabetes Support Team, a group of volunteers who are knowledgeable about type 1 diabetes and can help answer your questions or address concerns.
    • One-on-One Support, a program that can connect you with others in your local type 1 diabetes community who have been through similar experiences and can provide you with resources, advice and support.
    • Online Community Forums, where you can share your experiences and concerns with people in similar situations.

    Visit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for more information.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][ad-slot slotcode=’div-gpt-ad-lb-resp-cont3′][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Diabetes Hope Foundation

    People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in childhood can sometimes benefit from additional support as they transition to adulthood. The Diabetes Hope Foundation partners with corporations and community organizations to support families across Canada affected by diabetes. Through these partnerships, the foundation prepares youth for transition to young adulthood by:

    • Providing financial support to help young adults with diabetes reach their full potential
    • Creating a network of peer support to promote greater social and emotional well-being
    • Empowering youth with the resources to help them transition to adulthood more successfully

    Visit the Diabetes Hope Foundation for more information.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, support is available to help you manage the condition. Online and in-person programs and services can be immensely helpful for both your physical and mental health. Reach out to any of the above organizations and programs to help you navigate your personal diabetes journey.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Get motivated to lose weight!

    Get motivated to lose weight!

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]If you have prediabetes, maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent you from getting diabetes. And, if you have diabetes, the good news is that studies have shown that losing even a little weight – between 5% and 10% of initial body weight – can improve your diabetes control and reduce the risk of complications. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 10 or 20 pounds can improve your blood sugar levels, and prevent or delay complications (for example, heart, kidney or eye disease).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][ad-slot slotcode=’div-gpt-ad-lb-resp-cont1′][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So, if you want to get motivated to shed those extra pounds, take charge with nutrition and lifestyle changes. Here’s how!

    Start with the three C’s:

    • Commitment to planning a healthy lifestyle to lose weight.
    • Consistency in maintaining healthy habits to control your weight, and keep those excess pounds from returning.
    • Communication, to ensure you get ongoing weight loss support and information from trustworthy sources.

    [/vc_column_text][read-also-article article-slug=”get-motivated-to-prevent-diabetes/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][ad-slot slotcode=’div-gpt-ad-lb-resp-cont2′][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    Commitment: Make the decision

    Meal planning and weight management ideas to help you get started

    • Decrease your food intake. Although many people eat healthy food, they simply eat too much of it. Eating three meals a day – spaced about six hours apart – reduces overeating. Use Canada’s Food Guide the plate method or the handy portion guide to help with portion control.
    • Get in touch with your appetite. Ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Avoid eating out of habit, boredom or for emotional reasons. Eat slowly. It takes your brain about 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full.
    • Create a healthy eating environment. Plate your food in the kitchen and bring your plate to the table. Keep extra servings away from the table to reduce the temptation to overeat. Eat at the table rather than in front of the television or computer screen.
    • Add physical activity. While it’s possible to lose weight through diet alone, it is definitely more difficult if you don’t increase your activity levels. Exercising will help you burn off calories. For more information about exercise and physical activity, click here.
    • Drink alcohol in moderation. While moderate amounts of alcohol may cause blood sugar to rise, excess alcohol intake can actually lower your blood sugar level – sometimes causing it to drop to dangerous levels. Beer and sweet wine also contain carbohydrates, which can raise blood sugar.

    Consistency: Maintain it!

    Tips to keep you motivated on your weight loss journey

    • Make a weekly meal plan accompanied by a grocery list for all the ingredients you’ll need. Having everything at hand when you’re ready to cook will help motivate you to make the effort, and it will make the process of meal prep more straightforward.
    • Involve family members and friends in your meal planning: let the kids pitch in, or spend quality time with your partner in the kitchen. Together, you’ll prepare healthy meals and have fun while you’re at it!
    • Find a weight loss and exercise buddy whether it’s a family member or friend. You’ll motivate each other to complete your scheduled workouts and meet your weight loss goals.
    • Set weekly or monthly weight loss goals, and reward yourself when you reach them. With an end outcome in sight, chances are you will stick to your plan and see it through.
    • Book an appointment with a dietitian. Taking your food and eating preferences into account, they can help you design a long-term eating plan that is nutritious and delicious.

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    Communication: Get support

    Stay connected and communicate with your support group!

    Many people find it helpful to meet with people who are also trying to lose weight – either online or in person. Think about joining a group for weight loss, exercise or general support. Or create your own support network by talking with friends and family about your successes and your struggles. You may be surprised at how supportive they will be.

    In person or online, you can stay in touch with ones that you trust to help keep you motivated. Where motivation is concerned, it’s important to take the “long view” with respect to your weight loss. You won’t reach your goal overnight; rather, your journey toward healthy eating and weight loss will last a lifetime. Getting help from coaches and counsellors, as well as using technology (websites and apps), can help you maintain your motivation and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Here are some useful ways to navigate long-term motivational issues.

    Healthcare coaching

    Your healthcare team members may include your doctor, a nurse, a dietitian, a pharmacist, a social worker and an exercise specialist. Every member of your healthcare team can act as a coach to help you navigate a myriad of health and motivational issues, including:

    • Educating you about healthy weight
    • Developing a healthy eating and weight loss plan
    • Developing a physical activity regimen to help you lose weight and keep it off
    • Providing emotional and psychological support

    A recent study in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes demonstrated that patients who used health coaches had lower body weight, as well as significant improvements in their A1C levels and enhanced physical activity levels.

    Technology coaching

    Technology is such a big part of everyone’s lives today, and it can actually motivate you in your weight loss management. Many websites and apps are available to help inspire you and keep you on track. They can assist with meal planning, charting your calorie and/or food intake, recording your physical activity and weight loss, and tracking your blood sugar levels.

    A 2018 study explored the use of a mobile app to promote adherence to weight reduction and physical activity in people with prediabetes. The researchers found that participants found the app convenient and beneficial. Participants experienced an average weight loss of about 1.5 kilograms over the three-month study period; physical activity among participants also increased and A1C levels decreased.

    Motivation over the long-term is essential to managing your weight. The key to staying motivated is to think about your successes rather than your disappointments … think “delight” rather than “damage control!” When you find the motivational strategies that work for you in all areas of your weight management, such as health coaching and technology aids – you’ll be developing habits that will help you live a long and healthy life.[/vc_column_text][read-also-article article-slug=”motivation-and-diabetes-a-delicate-balance/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Ashley: You got this!

    Ashley: You got this!

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Canadians with type 2 diabetes write back to their younger selves, to share personal insights and reflect on their experience of living with diabetes and starting on insulin therapy. In this post, Ashley reflects on living with diabetes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Though she is only 27, Ashley has been living with type 1 diabetes for a long time. She was diagnosed on her tenth birthday. Instead of a day filled with anticipation about celebrating with her family after her parents got home from work, Ashley woke up feeling very sick. Her older sister found her crying in the hallway and alerted their mother, and little Ashley was whisked off to the hospital.

    “I was so scared. I had never been to the hospital before. I was being pricked, tested and wrapped in blankets,” she remembers. “Suddenly the doctor came in to speak with my mom and told her that I have type 1 diabetes. My mom instantly started crying.”

    Ashley had no idea what type 1 diabetes meant, but she started crying too. Though her life changed dramatically on that day, she credits a very supportive family with helping her to adjust to her condition. As a keen soccer player, she continued to play in a league during most summers, but certainly had many “Why me?” and “It’s so unfair!” moments as she grew up with the disease. Now working in sales for an e-commerce company and living with her boyfriend in Toronto, Ashley recognizes that the emotional hurdle of accepting her diagnosis was among the biggest that she had to surmount.

    An even larger one, though, was physical – hypoglycemia. She has experienced a handful of frightening episodes, two of which required that she be rushed to the hospital. The first time it happened, she was 22 and still living at home in Oshawa. She had slept late and awoken in a dream-like state. Ashley, whose family nickname is “Bratley,” was so out of it that her sister, who was visiting home at the time, assumed that she had been out partying the night before and was still a little drunk.

    Then Ashley’s boss called, wondering why her normally punctual employee had not shown up for work. The ensuing conversation was so unintelligible that her boss, knowing Ashley has diabetes, figured that something was not right and called an ambulance.

    Ashley is writing to herself at this moment, when she is lying on an ambulance stretcher, racing toward a hospital.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dear Bratley,

    You have just been revived and the paramedics have told you what happened. Your blood sugar dropped very low. The last thing you remember is going to bed last night and now the implications of what happened are sinking in.

    I know what you are thinking. Could I have died? What would I have done if no one was home to help me? What would have happened if my boss hadn’t called?

    These thoughts will never leave your mind. Before going to bed you will always be wondering: what if it happens again?

    I am writing to prepare you for the struggles that lie ahead. You are going to learn about something called hypoglycemia. You will learn about it by experiencing extreme cases of it. This was the first, and I’m sorry to say there will be more. One time you will be taken to the hospital and told that your blood sugar dropped so low in your sleep that you were almost unconscious.

    Because of your fear of another hypoglycemic episode, you’ll decide from time to time to run your blood sugar high before going to bed. This seems like a good solution, especially once you move out to your own apartment. After all, who would help you if you were to have another episode? You always worry that maybe one night you won’t wake up.

    But, Ashley, please don’t do that. Running your blood sugar high is going to impact your health in the long run. Work with your doctor to monitor your glucose overnight and change your treatment to prevent the extreme lows you are experiencing at night.

    There will come a time when you are ready to start your own family. Naturally, you’ll be scared about how your diabetes will impact that process. If you start taking care of yourself now, that won’t be an issue.

    I will end this by saying that it is okay to be different. You won’t be shunned or judged. In fact, instead of hiding it, embrace your condition. It is not going anywhere.

    You got this!

    Ashley[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This story has been edited by Ellyn Spragins and shared with support from Novo Nordisk Canada. The views and opinions expressed are not representative of Novo Nordisk, and should not be considered treatment advice. Novo Nordisk has permission to share this letter and included personal details.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]