Ms. Mary George Ittoop

According to most experts, depression and diabetes have been intricately connected in a vicious cycle. While the prolonged and sustaining nature of diabetes directly makes one vulnerable to the bouts of depression, doctors tend to locate traces of depression in the family history of an individual in order to diagnose the roots of diabetes. It won't be too far-fetched to state that both causes as well as affects the other.

If you have diabetes, either type 1 or type 2, you have an increased risk of developing depression. And if you're depressed, you may have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes. The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.

How Diabetes and Depression Correlated?                    
There are myriad ways in which diabetes affects depression and vice versa.

Firstly, tackling such a long drawn disease and its various pitfalls might cause a lot of anxiety to one and lead to depression. Whereas on the other hand, depression reduces the zeal to live and thus results in poor lifestyle choices which in turn causes weight gain, unhealthy food habits, physical inactivity. As we are well aware, all these have the potential to wreak havoc for any patient of diabetes. 

Similarly, diabetes ushers in various other health complications, adversely impacting one's productivity. This may cause depression in a lot of people. 

On the flipside, depression impedes one's ability and enthusiasm to work or communicate, this in turn intervenes with one's monitoring of diabetes. Since these two extremely malevolent diseases have such close connections, medical science recommends ways to grapple with both. The rigors of managing diabetes can be stressful and lead to symptoms of depression.

Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression.

Depression affects your ability to perform tasks, communicate and think clearly. This can interfere with your ability to successfully manage diabetes.

Treatment: Depression is just like any other illness, it can be treated. Treatment can lift the depression and improve diabetes control.

Looking after your diabetes will help decrease the risk of getting depression. If you already have depression, good diabetes management will help lessen the negative impacts it can have. Depression is no different to any of the other complication of diabetes. It is a genuine illness for which you need to seek help and support from health professionals.

The treatment for depression and diabetes involves a coordinated approach that monitors both diabetes control and the symptoms of depression. It is about finding the treatment that works best for each person. For example, people with diabetes and mild depression may find that regular physical activity improves depressed moods and also helps control blood glucose levels.

Helping Yourself.

If you suspect you might have depression, take control of your health by:

• Going to a doctor or other health professional
• Getting involved in social activities
• Engaging in regular moderate physical activity
• Learning about depression and diabetes
• Very particular about medicines prescribed for Diabetes
• Eating healthily and including a wide variety of nutritious foods
• Achieving and maintaining healthy weight
• Limiting your alcohol intake
• Getting help, support and encouragement from family and friends
• Asking your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels

The institution of marriage is a herculean task; little does it rest on the sanctified rituals and other vows of commitment. Tying of the knot is perhaps symbolic of the several ups and downs a couple faces together. Marriage is challenging precisely because of the myriad problems it entails. What makes a marriage successful is how two loving individuals face and combat each of these issues.

Let us take a look at the common marital issues:

1. Money could grab a place between partners: Monetary problems can come in the way of happy living. Monetary constraints can make partners bicker as they lead to severe tension. If making both ends meet is a constant worry or if one individual earns way less than the other, friction in the marriage is but expected.
2. Relatives and in- laws could irk your bond: Officious relatives, in- laws and other apparent well- wishers can do loads to spoil your marriage. They tend to create differences between husband and wife. There are times when they convey lies between the couple. Their unnecessary curiosity can also dampen your bond.
3. Domestic responsibilities could also be the issue: Husbands and wives may have arguments and serious fights over issues related to the household; cleaning, washing, buying grocery can trigger disputes within the family. Housework should, therefore, be shared and done by both the partners.
4. Decisions with regard to rear up children are often problematic: Married couples can behave in bizarre ways when it comes to taking decisions on behalf of their children. A difference in opinion in decision- making can make partners review their choice of one another. They may even doubt their child's secure future in the hands of their partner.
5. Irregular sex can be a threat to emotional intimacy: Marriage endows a couple with so many duties that they may fail to make love that frequently. Lack of sexual intercourse can create marital problems.

How Mental illness affects Your Physical Health?

Myself Dr. Milind Barhate, psychiatrist practicing in Mumbai since last 10yrs. Mental illness is the most common illness in the world.

Stress is one of the most important factor for causing psychological illnesses. People believe that stress is not a psychiatric problem and it is a part of life. That's why most person donot come for treatment. Some misbelieves about stress are there. Stress effects everything, it effects your mind, your body from head to toe, it effects everywhere. When it effects your mind it causes migraine, headache, vomiting, nausea, paralytic attack, heart diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, acidity, stomach problems, restlessness, muscle cramps, sexual dysfunctions and a lot of illnesses like constipation, diarrhoea, anxiety problems. It effects every part of your body, and not only the body but it also effects your mind, it effects your emotions.

When the emotions are effected the person becomes irritable, he remains in a sad mood, and gradually other faculties of mind get effected and the person goes in depression or other problems like anxiety, sleep problems, psychosis, mood disorders and addictions. People believe that stress is not a problem, and when it becomes a big problem they come to us for treatment with a disease like depression, anxiety, mood disorder, psychosis or with suicide attempts. At that time the treatment becomes dfficult and the person has to take treatment for a longer period.

There are a lot of factors causing stress. Most of the people, they blame others for their own problems like inflation and job problems. Most of the time the person himself is responsible like his character depicts irresponsible behaviour, suspiciousness , not taking responsibility of family, child or at work place, unmanagebility, procastination, there are a lot of character defects that lead to problem either at home or work place or in society that leads to stress. So when it comes to stress management most of the people either go for changing their lifestyle, starting exercises, pranayam, moving around or reading some books, listening to music or going outside.

It relieves your stress but only for a couple of days or couple of weeks and again after those couple or days or weeks it becomes as it was before because the reason for your stress was character defects. Until and unless you change yourself the problem is not going to reduce. So when the management of stress comes, initially the most important character defect that leads to stress has to be managed.

It needs a long and tough behavioural therapy, counsellings, and if the problem arises again then you may need psychiatrist help. For more details you can contact me on Lybrate.com. Thank you.