What is diabetes burnout and how is it different from diabetes distress?
In this article, we will discuss the difference between diabetes burnout and diabetes distress. We’ll also cover the most common ways to evaluate diabetes distress and how to address it.
What is diabetes burnout?
Diabetes burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by the constant demands of managing diabetes. It presents as feelings of frustration and resentment, and may cause someone to neglect their day to day diabetes management routines like monitoring blood sugar, taking medications, or making smart food choices.
Most people with diabetes will experience diabetes burnout at some point in their diabetes journey. People with all types of diabetes can experience it.
I’ve been living with type 1 diabetes since I was five years old. I’ve experienced several periods of diabetes burnout over the years.
Diabetes burnout symptoms
Diabetes burnout symptoms include:
- Negative emotions like overwhelm, frustration, and hopelessness
- Neglecting diabetes care tasks and medical advice
- Increased risk of diabetes complications
- Stress and anxiety
Causes of diabetes burnout
A number of different factors may lead to diabetes burnout. Some of these include:
- Chronic stress from years of managing diabetes
- Feelings of guilt or shame resulting from unrealistic blood sugar and diabetes management goals
- Frequent episodes of hypoglycemia
- Diabetes complications like retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney disease, and others
- Lack of physical and emotional support from family, friends, and healthcare providers
What it feels like dealing with diabetes burnout
I’ve experienced diabetes burnout several times throughout my life with diabetes. It’s a very discouraging thing to go through. On the one hand, you know what you’re supposed to be doing to care for yourself. But on the other, you feel so exhausted and discouraged that you simply can’t get yourself to do the things you normally would: checking blood sugars regularly, taking medications as directed, choosing fiber and protein rich foods over simple carbohydrates, etc.
Diabetes burnout treatment
Whether you’re experiencing type 1 diabetes burnout, type 2 diabetes burnout, or burnout from another type of diabetes, the treatments are all relatively similar. Treatments seek ways to lessen the mental burden of managing diabetes for a time to allow these feelings of discouragement and hopelessness to pass… so you can get back to managing your diabetes to the best of your ability.
Some ways you can work with your healthcare team to lessen the mental burden of diabetes care include:
- Setting temporary (less stringent) realistic blood sugar goals
- Utilizing technology (CGMs, insulin pumps, etc.)
- Identifying easy meals to prep or pickup with pre-counted carbohydrate amounts
- Consolidating medication or insulin doses
- Speak with a mental health professional who specializes in diabetes
How to support someone with diabetes burnout
If you feel like a friend or family member may be experiencing diabetes burnout, there are ways you can help.
- Talk to your loved one about what they’re experiencing and actually listen.
- Offer to help them remember to take their medications.
- Help with food prep and cooking.
- Carry low blood sugar supplies with you when you’re with them.
What is diabetes distress?
Diabetes distress refers to the negative emotions and feelings that can come along with managing diabetes for some people.
Any person with any type of diabetes is at risk of experiencing feelings of diabetes distress. People with type 1 diabetes are most likely to experience diabetes distress compared to other types of diabetes though.
Diabetes distress symptoms
Diabetes distress symptoms include:
- Feeling angry about having diabetes
- Feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks related to diabetes management
- Frustration with blood sugar levels
- And others
Diabetes distress scale
If you or your healthcare team suspect you might be experiencing higher levels of diabetes distress they may use a diabetes distress scale to evaluate your symptoms. Two commonly used scales/assessments are:
The PAID questionnaire is widely used in people with diabetes and assigns a diabetes distress score from 0-100. Scores higher than 40 indicate higher levels of diabetes distress.
The DDS questionnaire is used only in people with type 1 diabetes. While newer versions of this scale have been developed, the most commonly used and widely studied version is the original 17-question scale.
Differences between diabetes burnout and diabetes distress
Diabetes distress and diabetes burnout are two separate things. Diabetes distress refers to the negative emotions that some people experience about managing and living with diabetes. Intense feelings of diabetes distress can lead to periods of diabetes burnout.
Diabetes burnout and distress: How to regain control
The first step to regaining control if you feel like you’re experiencing higher than healthy levels of diabetes distress, or are in a period of diabetes burnout, is asking for help. Speak to both your loved ones and your healthcare team about how you’re feeling.
For many of us living with diabetes, receiving help from both our healthcare team and loved ones is necessary to lessen the menta burden of managing diabetes.
Sources
- Burnout Related to Diabetes Mellitus: A Critical Analysis
- Mental Health: Understanding Diabetes and Mental Health
- Diabetes Distress
- Unraveling the concepts of distress, burnout, and depression in type 1 diabetes: A scoping review
- What is diabetes distress and burnout?
- What to know about diabetes burnout
- New insights into diabetes burnout and its distinction from diabetes distress and depressive symptoms: A qualitative study
- Diabetes and emotional health – a practical guide for healthcare professionals supporting adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- PAID Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale
- Diabetes Distress Scale. DDS-17 (English)
