Page 31 - Diabetes

HOW TO

Avoid Burning Out

There are simple ways to recover from diabetes burnout and embrace better self-management

By Paul Wynn

Do you feel sick and tired of doing everything and poor glucose control and quality of life, according to
you’re supposed to do and still feeling like your blood a study in Diabetes Care. There’s also an emotional impact.
glucose is out of control? Do you feel like you don’t care “If someone is feeling burned out, it’s going to be harder
anymore about managing diabetes and want to give up? If for them to take care of themselves and that’s when depres-
you answered “yes” to these questions, you may be feeling sion and fatigue can really set in,” said psychologist Mark
diabetes burnout. It’s something that happens to many people Heyman, PhD, CDE, director of the Center for Diabetes and
living with diabetes—at some point and to varying degrees. Mental Health in San Diego.
Psychologist William Polonsky, PhD, CDE, and author Heyman points out that there are differences with diabetes
of Diabetes Burnout, explained that diabetes burnout hap- burnout between people living with Type 1 and Type 2. “The
pens when someone feels overwhelmed and frustrated by experience is different because it’s two different diseases.
his or her condition. For Type 1 patients, they may be thinking about what they
“Most people who have burned out realize that good need to do to stay out of the hospital, while Type 2 patients
diabetes care is important for their health, but they just may have a harder time even understanding or recognizing
don’t have the motivation to do it anymore,” said Polonsky, what burnout looks like.”
president and founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute
and associate clinical professor at the University of Califor- Signs of burnout
nia San Diego. “Many people with diabetes feel at war with Burnout comes in all shapes and sizes, but increasingly nega-
their illness,” he explained. “They feel that they are in an tive feelings toward diabetes care-related tasks are major
ongoing battle to determine whether diabetes will control signals that something is wrong. Feelings can range from
them or whether they will control diabetes.” anger, depression, frustration and hopelessness.
One of the telltale signs of burnout is when someone
Common feeling stops checking blood sugar levels or does it less frequently
Unlike work, there are no vacations from diabetes. That than before. There are also individuals who routinely check
24/7 feeling is what can often contribute to the feeling of their numbers, count their carbs and take their medicines,
burnout. It’s nearly impossible to be “on” all the time when it but feel incredibly stressed out and tired. “I’ve seen patients
comes to managing your condition. It’s overwhelming when who give up and the patients who are just tired of manag-
you stop to think of all the things that you’re expected to ing their diabetes,” said Ginger Vieira, who lives with Type
do—from monitoring your blood sugar levels to watching 1 diabetes and has personally dealt with this issue, leading
your diet and weight and fitting exercise in to your sched- her to write the book Dealing with Diabetes Burnout. “Trust me,
ule—on top of all the other things happening in your life. there are many people living with diabetes who are feeling
Most people have faced diabetes burnout at some point, some version of the same frustrations.”
said Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDE, author of The Complete Certainly, your health-care provider will examine you
Diabetes Organizer: Your Guide to a Less Stressful and More Manage- for signs of frustration and burnout. He or she may rely on
able Diabetes Life. “I ask my patients not to worry about doing standardized tools to help determine your distress level.
diabetes perfectly,” she added. “Don’t dwell on past numbers There’s a two-question test called the Diabetes Distress Scale
that were out of target range. Instead, I ask them to make small (DDS2) that asks respondents to rate on a six-point scale
changes to improve the way they take care of themselves.”
the degree to which the following statements cause distress:
Shutterstock/Scott Richardson falling into hopelessness and despair. The downward spiral of diabetes? Are you feeling that you are often failing with your
But experts stress the importance of not giving up and Are you feeling overwhelmed by the demands of living with
poor diabetes self-management has obvious consequences. diabetes regimen?
“If there are any problems identified through these
High levels of distress have been linked to lack of self-care
DiabetesSelfManagement.com 29