I am getting very worried about my daughter. I think it’s part burn out part 15 year old hormones but she is having a very hard time emotionally her eating habits are getting worse she comes home from school and sleeps till 7 or 8 then is up half the night snacking then a few hours sleep till school. She hates the endo team and doesn’t think she needs them . She isn’t recording her bgs and insulin intake enough so the drs can make adjustments if needed. She posted an Instagram photo playing off the live beyond app it was of her crying how do i live beyond… I don’t. She has been seeing a therapist but lately she seems more and more depressed. I’m trying not to be her warden but the more I step back it seems the more she takes steps backwards.
Try to add an activity not related to anything else.
Do you have pets? If not, would you be able to get one?
Exercise is a huge plus. Do you have a gym membership? Can you get one and go there a handful of times per week?
Are her mood cycles worse on a monthly cycle? If so and if she is not on BC, would you consider that?
Sorry to hear about this. I really hope you are able to find something to break her out of it.
EDIT: And have you considered meds to help with depression?
All adolescents go through a period of rebelliousness and emotional instability as a result of hormonal changes, and that includes diabetics, so the problem should subside on its own after a few years.
Interestingly, because the complications rarely appear in patients within the first decade of onset, there is some theory that the physiological surplus of the body during the early years protects against the complications. Others argue that this fades with the onset of puberty, so there may be some protection just thanks to the body being in its pre-pubescent state.
The complications are complicated, and it is not all just a matter of blood sugar levels, but also of the disposition of the body to develop complications or not in the presence of hyperglycemia. Hummingbirds, for example, have an average blood sugar of 600 mg/% yet never show a trace of diabetic complications, so perhaps youth confers a similar resistance to that found in such birds.
Hey Eric - I have a fifteen year old daughter too. She is fiercely independent, but I have realized that stepping back really isn’t the answer. She - and most teenagers- need the security of constant parenting, even though she fights against it. I am glad your daughter is seeing a therapist - depression can be crippling at any age, and can be helped by medication. If you can find a common interest (painting, hiking, cooking - anything non techno related…) it may help her relate to you and form an environment where she opens up a bit. Take care, and all the best to you both.