How To Handle Diabetes Burnout in Teens?

In recent years, there has been a tremendous spike in type 2 diabetes among teens in India due to growing consumption of sugary drinks, fast foods, and a lack of physical activity. On the other hand, type 1 diabetes is also found in a certain percentage of teens due to genetic predisposition and other environmental factors. Siliguri is witnessing a spike in the number of diabetic cases among teens due to the changing lifestyle of the population.

Therefore, parents are looking for an experienced diabetes doctor in Siliguri to receive proper diabetes care and management for their teenage children. However, diabetes burnout among teens has emerged as a major cause of concern that is associated with strict care, management, and depression.

In this blog, you will learn the ways to handle diabetes burnout in children. Let us begin by understanding what diabetes burnout in teens actually is.

What is Diabetes Burnout in Teens?

Diabetes burnout in teens refers to a state of physical and mental exhaustion that is experienced by teenagers while managing diabetes. The constant pressure of maintaining a diabetic-friendly diet and exercise proves to be exhausting during teenage years, especially when a teen sees his/her peers not required to do the same. In addition, fluctuating blood sugar levels despite self-care and management can generate a feeling of hopelessness among diabetic teens.

It is a well-known fact that diabetes requires lifelong care and management so that adverse health outcomes can be avoided. For teens, the thought of following a strict diet and exercise regimen from such a young age can make them feel detached from life.

What are the Common Symptoms of Diabetes Burnout in Teens?

Mental and physical exhaustion: This is a common and noticeable symptom because teens tend to feel exhausted in terms of following the daily monotonous routine of checking blood sugar levels, checking carbohydrate intake, or taking insulin doses. It is natural for teenagers to feel tired or get fed up with the same thing because it interferes with their ability to eat and play freely.

Loss of interest or detachment: This symptom is associated with not achieving the desired results in terms of managing blood sugar levels despite the best of efforts. Thus, teenagers tend to lose interest in diabetes care and management. In addition, a feeling of detachment from the medical intervention, support staff, and leading an improved quality of life is generated.

Poor results in blood glucose levels: Loss of interest or disengagement leads to negligence in diabetes care and management, such as not sticking to a diabetic-friendly diet or not engaging in physical activities. Therefore, poor results of blood sugar level tests can be a potential indicator of diabetes burnout in teens.

Negligence in self-care: This is another common symptom where you will notice teens skipping insulin doses or hesitating to visit a diabetes doctor. In addition, negligence can be identified in terms of not regularly monitoring the blood glucose levels. All of these negligence can be caused by diabetes burnout.

How to Handle Diabetes Burnout in Teens?

These are the most effective strategies to handle diabetes burnout in teens:

• Encourage open talks and validate feelings: Teens need to be encouraged to talk freely about their feelings with their friends, family, and doctor. It is a well-known fact that being able to openly express feelings helps in gaining relief from mental burden. On the other hand, it is equally important to validate their feelings when they express negative thoughts by stating that it is natural to feel in such a manner. This approach can make them feel positive because they will feel that their feelings are heard and respected by others.
• Seek help from a psychologist: This can prove to be immensely beneficial in terms of addressing high-level diabetes burnout in teens. A psychiatrist or psychologist can create a safe space for teens during counselling sessions, where they can express all their concerns and feelings without the fear of being judged. In addition, a psychologist can help teens overcome the feelings of depression, fear, hopelessness, and disengagement through regular counselling sessions.
• Create small and achievable goals: Putting the pressure of achieving a drastic reduction in blood sugar levels can make the teens feel demotivated when the set results are not achieved. Thus, the key is to set small goals and celebrate the achievement of the small goals. This approach can play a vital role in terms of teens feeling motivated to monitor and improve their blood sugar results.
• Promote advocacy: This strategy is based on allowing your teenage children to educate others about diabetes and its effective management. Therefore, teens can develop a sense of purpose and feel motivated to improve their individual blood sugar results because they are acting as a role model for others experiencing similar health issues.
• Encourage creating social connections: You can encourage teens to take part in activities and groups that involve other diabetic teens. The activities and subsequent socialisation will make them feel that they are not alone in this silent battle with diabetes. Therefore, they will feel motivated to engage in proper self-care.

Final Thoughts

Diabetes in teens is not only physically challenging but also mentally challenging because of the years when they are supposed to eat and play freely, they face restrictions. Thus, burnout due to stress and depression is common among teens with diabetes. Addressing diabetes burnout begins with visiting a reliable diabetes clinic, such as Kins Diabetes, because the diabetes specialists in such clinics possess all the knowledge and information that can help in identifying the trigger points behind diabetes burnout.

However, parents need to prioritise addressing diabetes burnout in teens at home by identifying symptoms at earlier stages. Remember, teenage years are highly sensitive, so the strategies to handle diabetes burnout need to be carefully implemented according to individual scenarios.

Are you looking for expert suggestions related to diabetes burnout in your teenage child? Visit a trusted diabetes doctor in Siliguri or a location near you now.