DEPRESSION AND DIABETES 

Is there any connection between depression and diabetes?  

What is depression? 

All of you know what it is. Somebody is feeling unusually sad. We all feel sad at sometimes. Don’t we? 

We all feel sad when we don’t get something we want or miss an award, miss a flight, fail in an interview and in so many similar situations. But that’s not depression.  

Depression is something which you are unable to control.  

You feel perpetually sad. It goes on and on into great depths. Sometimes even suicidal tendencies come. 

You see the darker side of everything. You think whatever bad happens around you is because of you. You feel worthless. You start self-humiliating. You ask yourself why am I living. Nothing is going right. That’s depression.  

Depression is very common. People think that only a few people get depressed. In fact a lot of people undergo depression. 

What is that having to do with Diabetes? 

First of all, due to depression you can get diabetes. But how does that occur? 

What happens is, when you have deep depression many of the hormones in the body are increased. 

 These are anti-insulin hormones. They are also called Counter Regulatory Hormones. 

They are Glucagon, Growth Hormone, Cortisol and Epinephrine.  

These hormones have a tendency to increase the blood sugar level. But some hormones in our body decreases blood sugar. Insulin is one of them.  

Cortisol is a hormone that is naturally produced in our body. It is a steroid. This hormone decreases serotonin level in our blood which also causes depression.  

Whenever you are frightened, stressed, anxious or depressed, these counter regulatory hormones increase in our body.  

All these hormones attack insulin and won’t allow insulin to work. They counter the action of insulin. When insulin is not working, the sugar level will go up.  

When you have depression, your sugar level will increase. It can actually lead to diabetes.  

If the depression is corrected, will the diabetes go away? 

Yes, it may go away if you correct it by counselling, healing, pranayama, meditation, positive thinking and exercise. When you do these things under an expert guidance the depression may subside, and diabetes may go away.  

Can Diabetes produce Depression? 

The moment somebody is diagnosed with diabetes, you can see their face becoming dull, very sad.  

The first thing they ask is … so no more ice cream in my life? No more chocolates? No more halwa, No more meat ? 

In my life I can never enjoy my favourite foods? 

Ohh.. I have to take insulin every day. What will happen to my eyes? What will happen to my heart? What will happen to my liver? Will I go blind? Will my legs be chopped off? Will I have to undergo dialysis or organ Transplantation? 

All these questions will fill their minds day and night. Such people may slowly tend to become depressed.  

Sometimes diabetic patients suffer from severe neuropathic pains. Your nerves get affected, inflamed. You are getting pricking sensations in the feet, burning in the feet like fire, cannot sleep at night. Such long severe sufferings may also lead to depression. 

Some people develop impotence due to damaged nerves and blood vessels. They feel helpless and frustrated. They may also undergo depression after some time. But this is also reversible to some extent.  

But when they come to us, they will slowly realise, they will learn all about it. We teach them, educate them and tell them that, if you reverse your diabetes, your insulin resistance, if you discipline yourself for a few months, there’s is nothing to worry.  

They will feel better eventually, and the depression will go away. 

What we see among our patients is that when their diabetes and insulin resistance is controlled and become free from medications and insulin, their quality of life is brilliant. They are all happy. They don’t have depression. In fact, they do better than people without diabetes.  

Once reversed, they don’t have eye complications, kidney complications, liver complications or heart complications. They are feeling on the top of the world. They are in control of themselves. There’s nothing to get depressed about.  

Therefore, my advice to you all is 

1. Diagnose your diabetes well. 
2. Take the initiative and first step towards diabetes remission 
3. Keep positive 
4. Be regular in the reversal clinic. 
5. Bring Discipline in diet, exercise. No smoking/tobacco/alcohol 

by,

Dr Arun Vasudevan 

(Founder Of IDRP)

BHMS, MBS(UK), D.Acu

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