Depressed

This may be a case of PMS (sorry boys), but as I try to take control of my diabetes, I find myself to be depressed as of late. My mother and sister dont take care of themselves and eat all kinds of junk and candy. Last night I think I came down with the 24 hr flu and after having not eaten for 24 hrs, all I wanted was something sweet (again, PMS? lol) to eat. I dont keep sweets in the house, but all I could think about is how I'll never be able to enjoy food, or life again. I dont want to say that food is my life, but I enjoy the finer things in life, decadent desserts, sweets, and anything that is bad for me. I know that to prolong my life, without complications, I have to have my diabetes under control. My mom suffers from neuropathy so bad in her feet and legs, she cant stand on them for long. I definitely dont want a life like that.

I guess this is more of a rant, but I was just wondering if others ever feel bouts of depression?

Sarah

Hi Jiggy66,

I know how you feel - this makes me feel down sometimes too.  But my sister always tells me that if we didn't feel down sometimes we wouldn't appreciate the better times.  Yes, we have diabetes, but we can also enjoy the good things in moderation.  I'm sure that moderation is the key - don't rule anything out as this will make you feel awful and want to rebel against it!  Also, maybe look at other ways of treating yourself when you feel down other than food. 

Hope this helps a little, but we are all here if and when you need a rant!

Claire x

Dear Jiggy66,
glad that my heart-felt words could be of help to you.Enjoying the finer things in life is fine,but i think it need not be restricted to a good meal,buffet ,fine wine etc.

The concept i have developed to cope with this disorder is that "though iam in a bubble called DIABETES,i'm the one who'll decide the size of it and never to feel restricted.My choices are made joyfully and sticking to them gives me a high".
If iam not wrong ,you live in the USA,and the choice of sugar free sweets,snacks and drinks is amazing!So ,no need to deprive your sweet-tooth.Ask Warren,the forum modulator and he has many recipes up his sleeve!Take care as care thrives on care,and life is and will be rosy and not blue(s) any more!

sharer

Sugar Free sweets, primarily ones that contain sugar alcohols, wel.....let's just say they make my bowl movements   ahhahahhahhaha

I crack myself up somedays. >snicker<

Jiggy,

Part of the decadence you crave may be involved with fats. Let's face it... nobody craves hard candy. When I want to make the cakes in my bakery taste moist I don't add more water, I add more oil. Shortening and oil give a rich mouth-feel to foods. Adding some good fats to your daily meals might just help with the cravings and lift the blues. When I make a sandwich with my super fiber bread that I make at home I use lean turkey or tuna or what ever and then to make it delicious I put olive oil on my bread. Olive oil is monounsaturated and a healthy fat that will curb your appetite, slow your stomach emptying time and help keep your skin glowing as well as help you absorb your fat soluable vitamins.

Being diabetic doesn't mean you will never have the foods you had before, you just can't have a healthy diet PLUS those foods everyday. When you put a rich, gooey dessert into your food plan you have to take out some bread, potatoes, maybe milk, and make the numbers come out right for the meal. Obviously if you choose to have that dessert instead of milk, whole wheat bread and baked potatoes every day you are going to lose out on the thiamin and calcium and potassium and a lot of other good stuff in those foods and eventually your body will feel the lack of them. That's why those desserts are called empty calories. They don't bring anything valuable to the table.

Save your decadent desserts for once in a while. Only buy them one at a time from a local bakery or store. That way you can't go bonkers. If you only take one home you can only eat one, right? They aren't going to quit making them and you can buy another one next week... Eventually as you start eating healthier your cravings for those foods will diminish and you won't have so much trouble resisting them.

You may want to talk to your doc about the depression. Many depressed people crave carbohydrates because they help raise seratonin levels in the brain. A SSRI (seratonin reuptake inhibitor) like prozac or zoloft at a low level might help not only the blues but the cravings as well. Good luck!

You GO girl!