How to deal with ‘diabetes burnout’

In a new study, researchers found that living with diabetes can be a never-ending job that can be life-threatening if done wrong.

The constant daily stress can lead to “diabetes burnout” and harm patients’ mental and physical health.

Diabetics experiencing burnout are mentally and physically exhausted, feeling detached from their condition and apathetic about their need for self-care.

Diabetes burnout can last hours or days, and sometimes weeks, months or even years.

The research was conducted by a team at

Diabetes is unique as a disease because the self-management requires constant activity, mental energy, and physical energy.

Patients need to take medication, check blood sugar, cook healthy, eat healthily, make sure they are getting enough physical activity, and be sure to balance all those things.

In the study, the team interviewed 11 women and seven men (average age: 38) with type 1 diabetes.

Seven people said they were currently experiencing diabetes burnout. All said they had gone through it during the past year.

Besides exhaustion, the team found the patients experienced detachment: Patients described feeling detached from their identity as a person with diabetes, from their self-care, and from their support systems.

The researchers pointed to factors such as the constant burden of self-care and failure to achieve goals such as target blood sugar levels.

They also found several strategies for recovery. Participants reported strategies to prevent or overcome diabetes burnout, including getting support from friends, family or health care providers, and trying to maintain a positive attitude.

The team says people could try to recognize the distress that precedes burnout and work with their health care provider before burnout occurs.

The lead author of the study is researcher Samereh Abdoli from the University of Tennessee.

The study is published in the American Journal of Nursing.

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