A diabetes diagnosis can impact a person’s mental health and emotional wellbeing in different ways. Unlike other illnesses that can be resolved with the right treatment, diabetes is a condition which requires ongoing management for the rest of the person’s life. This aspect of the diagnosis can be particularly difficult to come to terms with. Parents/carers and children and young people diagnosed with diabetes have described feeling shocked, guilty, confused, and angry, amongst other feelings. Some common thoughts reported include, “this isn’t fair”, “what if I can’t manage”, amongst other thoughts. There have, however, also been some who described a sense of relief at finally knowing what was causing their symptoms and, helpfully, what to do about it.
The time after the diagnosis can be challenging too as everyone learns to adjust to new routines, trying to remember a multitude of new information, while sometimes being very anxious about getting it wrong. There is no doubt that this can be a challenging time for the child or young person diagnosed as well as for parents/carers. It is not uncommon for children and young people to report feelings of low mood, anxiety, being fed-up with constantly trying to manage their diabetes (also known as diabetes burnout) or developing an unhealthy relationship with food/eating as a result.
Fortunately, you are not alone, and your diabetes team is available to help you through the ups and downs of learning to live with diabetes.
For support related to your diabetes, Diabetes UK’s website has additional information and a helpline for parents/carers of children and young people with diabetes. You can find information here: Children and diabetes | Diabetes UK. There is more information available on DigiBete’s website, Home - DigiBete. DigiBete’s newly diagnosed webpage has an informative video of young people and their experiences of type 1 diabetes, which is available here Newly Diagnosed - DigiBete.
For support for your emotional wellbeing, there are many great self-help resources available on the Healthy Minds website and you can self-refer to the team: Healthy Minds Lincolnshire :: Lincolnshire Young Minds. If you feel you need additional support for your mental health you can speak to your GP for a referral to Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services or you can self-refer by calling the Here4You line on 0800 234 6342. If you don’t feel comfortable talking on the phone you can self-refer through the website Parent/Carer online referral form :: Lincolnshire Young Minds
Additionally, young people in Lincolnshire can access support from Kooth, Home - Kooth, for free emotional well-being support. Young people may also benefit from receiving text support from Shout, Shout: the UK's free, confidential and 24/7 mental health text service for crisis support | Shout 85258 , by texting 85258. In a medical emergency, please contact the relevant emergency services.
