Depression and anxiety are a real and immediate concern for people with diabetes. An awareness of the relationship between diabetes and mental health can safeguard a woman’s emotional health and prevent potential disease-related disasters.
Diabetes requires constant attention. Medical side effects and the stress of daily management can cause feelings of anxiety, anger, helplessness and fear. The American Diabetes Association reports that 26 million people in the U.S. have diabetes and another 79 million either have prediabetes or are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. This represents a significant portion of the population at risk for mental health issues relating to the disease.
Stress and anxiety increase blood glucose levels, presenting a potentially severe health concern for women with diabetes. Learning to manage potential emotional side effects is a critical part of managing diabetes.
Brookhaven Retreat believes that mental health treatment begins with appropriate self-care. Its residential treatment facility combines individually tailored medical, dietary and therapeutic approaches to treat women with diabetes. Adopting healthy nutrition habits, learning to manage medications and replacing negative thinking patterns with positive behaviors helps women reduce the negative effects of diabetes.
