Diabetes Sufferers have increased risk for Depression

Diabetics have an increased risk for depression

Diabetics need to take life-long medication or Insulin syringes, blood glucose, and your diet. The disease requires daily attention and planning, a “vacation from Diabetes”. Many Sufferers feel that the disease often also as a your quality of life-limiting load. They are therefore particularly at risk to develop depression.

Life-long attention required

About 7.6 million Germans diabetic. While it can be controlled at a large portion of Diabetes patients, the disease even without medications, but many need to take medicines or Insulin syringes, blood glucose, and your diet. Due to the life-long attention, which requires the chronic disease of the Affected, it is often perceived as a burden, which restricts the quality of life. Therefore, diabetics are particularly at risk of developing depression. Concerned are therefore advised to seek medical advice.

In diabetic patients, depression occur twice as often as in people without diabetes. Affected person should seek early medical advice. (Image: Robert Kneschke/fotolia.com)

In diabetic patients, depression occur twice as frequently

According to a communication from the non-profit Organisation diabetesDE – Deutsche Diabetes-Hilfe, leiden, approximately 14 percent of all people with Diabetes in a clinical Depression.

A further 18 per cent are charged on the basis of depressive moods, for example, dejection, listlessness or sadness.

“In people with Diabetes and depression occur twice as frequently as in the case of metabolism, healthy people,” explains psychologist Dr. phil. Berthold Maier from the Diabetes centre Mergentheim in Bad Mergentheim.

“The necessary daily expenses, the diabetes patients to a life-long need to operate in order to ensure a good Metabolic control, requires great discipline and Motivation. This pressure can be very stressful,“ says the expert.

Also Stress in other areas of life and the social environment affect how much the disease as stressful is perceived to be.

As a result of can develop depression.

Seek medical advice

Depression comment the psychologist in a very different way.

“In addition to deep despondency, courage and hopelessness, Sufferers often also suffer from anxiety as well as insomnia, or physical pain.”

Therefore, it is important to recognize both increased Depression as well as Depression early and treat.

In time found to be the mental illness is treatable, stresses Maier: “antidepressants, behavioral therapy or a combination of both.”

Psychotherapy can help patients to accept their illness better and to improve the quality of life as well as the prognosis of the diabetes disease.

Many of those Affected find it difficult but, to openly deal with this issue. Maier advises diabetes patients, symptoms of a Depression is not the taboo dimension, but to talk with your family doctor or diabetologist. (ad)