I have been diabetic for 12 years. I have learned a lot over the years, but I have recently felt so burned out and confused.
Anyone ever just get tired of it?
I know this is a temporary feeling but I am just feeling defeated.
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Thanks MM1.
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Or try Ginger’s book:
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Yes, I have been anxious and depressed about my blood sugars and other health problems. It’s a lot for me. I might try one of my hobbies to see if that can get my mind off things. Some positive self talk and meditation might also help along with some nice music. We haven’t seen the sun in weeks here and that’s not helping things either. Always a bad time of year for me.
I just posted this on another website. Terrible burnout right now. Have had diabetes 18 years now. I’m currently on Lantus and Januvia and my last A1c was 7.3, up from 6.8. I was following a low carb diet but got off track with the holidays, then surgery and now I can’t find my way back.
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yeah, I had burnout. Even stopped monitoring my BG for four years. It got stressful constantly monitoring my BG. Plus I was misdiagnosed with Type 2 when in fact I have LADA. That really stressed me because initially I couldn’t understand why my BG was hard to control. I learned to accept that I can’t control everything and as long as I eat clean, exercise and take my medication I know I am doing my part.
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I do. There are times I just don’t feel like testing my blood sugar, injecting insulin, watching everything I eat, worrying about complications (irrational or not). Diabetes feels like a chore to me sometimes and I do get sick of it.
But at the end of the day, I focus on the positive outcomes of caring for my health and how I’m lucky to have my eyes to see my favorite band perform or watch my shows, my feet to run to relieve stress and play with my dog, my heart which beats for the ones I love, and more. That usually gets me through burnout.
When I feel low, as in depressed, I talk to the people who make me feel emotionally/mentally safe. 
Yeaaah, same here! The holidays I overate and all that. I got off track and was still prediabetic then.
I am not sure if I have burnout or not. I just came off a month or three where I didn’t check my blood sugar and I ate whatever I darn well pleased. After a bout of migraines because my blood sugar was in the serious two-hundreds at three in the morning, I got back on the wagon. Now I am so hesitant when it comes to eating. I’m eating low carb, but frankly, I’m stymied when it comes to what to eat. I’m reading and will no doubt learn what to eat that doesn’t guilt me out, but geez already.
Diabetes burn out, NO. Going on my 10 year anniversary. Of dx.
Ignoring or not dealing with my T2 would just cause me more issues to deal with, I try not to be self destructive.
Yes. I there are times, especially when we are fighting to get/keep control, that it overwhelms us. As you noted, this will pass. As a T2 for almost 30 years, I learned the best way to avoid the burn out was to incorporate T2 into my life.
As an example, I don’t think about brushing my teeth morning and night, I just do it because that is my habit. Ditto managing my diabetes, I test 7-8 times a day because it is habit. I don’t stress over low/high individual meter readings but take in the overall average.
It helps that I’m not a big foodie and not a big fan of sweets but I love pizza, bagels, etc. that don’t serve diabetics well. I rarely indulge in these foods but every great once in a while I do. Knowing I can makes a huge difference for me and making testing/med taking a habit has been life saving.
I hope this bump in your road has already passed.
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In my teens and in college, I ignored it all together. Got somewhat better in my early 20s. Straightened up when I got married and pregnant.
But honestly, my best control has come in the last 6 years once I finally started using bolus wizard!
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Thanks to all that have responded.
I may have not stated things properly in my initial post. I have not slacked off on doing all the things we need to do. Still testing several times every day, taking meds and injecting insulin every day, keeping track of everything, including carbs, etc. I have continued to do all but I guess the biggest thing that has me burned out is the “WHAT TO EAT” I face every day. That has me down in the dumps which led to me telling a friend that having diabetes is a full time job. Thankfully I was not diagnosed with diabetes until after I retired due to other medical issues. I can’t imagine dealing with diabetes and another full time job at the same time, like many of you here are doing each day.
I have a lot of other health issues and now can no longer cook. This has exacerbated the “what to eat” issues. Last week I consulted with a registered nutritionist/dietitian and hope that proves beneficial.
When I posted, I was tired, . . . . tired of all of it. I mean that in a literal sense, too. I was physically too tired and every thing we do each day to control our diabetes was a major challenge. It took everything I could muster to go through our daily routine but I did it. I just wished I could take a day off from it.
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Too right. What to eat? That is the ever present question. I am never sure.
It is my opinion that the dieticians have two essential diets they recommend:
- Vegan;
- Low Carb, very little meat, sort of like the South Beach Diet with adjustments.
I’d prefer something simpler. Eat this, not that. South Beach is something of a fussy spa diet, lots of ingredients. I’m a farm boy. I eat veg and meat, I love soup. Salt and pepper is about all the spice I can handle.
I know in time I’ll sort out what I can eat and all that, but for now, I find the question of what to eat ever present in my mind, and frankly, the only wearisome thing about being T2.
Eric
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I feel you, Babs. I really do. It feels like a chore sometimes – a lot of the time, too. Of course we all want to be healthy and keep diabetes from making our health/lives worse. But it does get tiring and it’s normal to want a break from it. I feel that way at times, too. Some days I just want it to stop – even if it’s just for 24 hours so I can focus on other things.
We had a CDE and psychologist write about Diabetes Burnout for us – check it out, it may help. 
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You can’t take a vacation from diabetes but there are things you can do – this book looks great. Thank you for the suggestion.
How about go to https://www.ditchthecarbs.com and pick a few delicious easy to make items. The cheesecake for example takes less than 1/2 hour and you can make 10 pieces which at 1 a day will last 1 1/2 weeks. Same with the Avocado chocolate mousse. Then can expand into zoodles and lots of other great tasting quickly made foods. A few samples:
This is just 1 of many low carb websites that have quick and easy to make great variety of foods.
70 year old, 29 year insulin dependent diabetic and no way I am going to ever let this scourge burn me out. Bring it on, give it your best shot, I pick my battles and diabetes is not one I am going to let get the better of me!!!
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Here’s another Low Carb Meal website (236,771 recipes)
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And some more. Should we encourage moderators to add a website food section?
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/category/keto-meal-plans/
And lot more if anybody cares - There are always a few awesome favorites on each website and so much to choose from that anybody that says it is too hard to figure out what to make and eat is either not looking or overwhelmed by all the available choices.
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