Type 1 Diabetes Caregiver Burnout

Diabetes Burnout: Overcoming the Repetition of Caregiving

Wake up, check blood sugar, count the carbs, administer insulin…rinse and repeat! 

Alarm beeps, low blood sugar, grab the apple juice, wait 15 minutes, check CGM again, arrow moving up, give a snack…..rinse and repeat!

Life as a type 1 parent

As parents or caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes, you quickly learn all there is to know about type 1 diabetes…insulin ratios, carb counts, what blood sugar is and what effects it, high and low blood sugar management, etc. etc from sun up to sun down and every second, minute and hour in between. Then comes the sleepless nights, device alarms constantly beeping (if you use an insulin pump or CGM), and sometimes the feeling of isolation, like you’re on an island all by yourself.  After everything you’re taught, no one tells you that managing type 1 diabetes for your child will directly affect you, how you care for yourself, and even your closest relationships.

Most days, managing type 1 diabetes can feel like the same thing, day in and day out.  You get to a point where you are mostly on autopilot when it comes to the ups and downs of managing type 1 for your child. You can feel robotic as you deal with low and high blood sugars, insulin pump or CGM failure and site changes or when helping a teacher or school nurse manage your child’s diabetes from afar.  The robotic sense of self often seems like the best defense mechanism to deal with not only the highs and lows of diabetes management but also the highs and lows of emotion management. You could be having a great “diabetes day” and then a blood sugar reading or illness can bring you out of your robotic state and boom, you are back into the “real world” of diabetes.

This way of life, the life of type 1 diabetes, can quickly lead to repetition and diabetes caregiver burnout. And let me be the first to tell you, diabetes burnout is a real thing! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The highs and lows (pun intended) of diabetes affects everyone involved, from the child to the parent(s) managing this disease.  Since caregiving plays a vital role in diabetes care, it is only fitting that we look at burnout from a caregiver lens. 

What is caregiver burnout?

Diabetes caregiver burnout can rear its ugly head at the least expected times. It can show up as fatigue, tiredness, short fuse or easily irritated, not interested in activities that bring joy, alarm fatigue and emotional or emotionless, just to name a few.  Alarm fatigue is when the sound of the alarm reminders becomes so routine that we don’t even hear them blaring in the background.  Other times, the sound of it startles us so that we have to take a few moments to recover.  And then there are the times when we are so frustrated by the disruption that we may want to toss it out the window.  It’s no secret that we spend a great deal of time each day, as parents to a child with type 1, planning, prepping and treating.  And while we are obviously grateful for the care that we can provide, it is not lost on us that BURNOUT is real.  Even in my most exhaustive state, there are times when I just need a minute or two to myself, time away from diabetes and thinking about diabetes, before I have to pick up to do it again in the next minute, hour or the next day.  

So what can we do when we’re experiencing the groundhog days of diabetes management and experiencing burnout? Well I’m glad you asked!  When, not if, but when you find yourself experiencing burnout, there is one very important thing you can do to help yourself………

How to take care of yourself?

Practice self-care!

In the most basic terms, self-care is caring for oneself, putting oneself first and making time for your physical, mental and emotional self.  Being at our best helps us give our type 1 warrior the best care.  

So what can self-care look like?

Here are a few suggestions you can implement today to break up the monotony of diabetes management and to alleviate burnout.

Quick & Easy Self-Care Tips:

• Put yourself in time-out when you need to take a quick break
• Meditate
• Pray
• Write in a journal
• Brain Dump-set aside some time to write out all of the thoughts, ideas and to-do’s in your head
• Ask for help and tag-team! It takes a village, right?  Don’t be afraid to ask for help, tag in your spouse, or ask for someone trained in the care and management of your child’s diabetes to step in for a few hours. 
• Exercise
• Disconnect from your phone
• Take a nap
• Netflix and chill
• Cook or bake a fun, new recipe
• Pour yourself a glass of wine or make a large cup of coffee
• Most importantly, give yourself permission to feel whatever emotions each day brings….from joy to sadness, from happiness to anger…..

In short, just find time to PUT YOURSELF FIRST! And break up the monotony of your day.

If I’m being honest, some days I boldly put self care first but most other times, I’m guilty of allowing the monotony of life to weigh me down.  When that happens, I make sure to check-in with myself, regroup, and re-energize!  

If you want to start or continue your journaling journey for self-care, please use the link below to check out our “2am Journal” (pictured above).

https://www.amazon.com/author/londonlane