Psychosomatics of type 2 diabetes
In type 2 diabetes insulin does not work properly or there is not enough of it, and blood sugar becomes too high. Diabetes often has no symptoms for a long time, so a blood test matters. If you are always thirsty, pee often, have no energy, lose weight for no reason or keep getting thrush, get your blood sugar tested by a GP. The Ladder method adds questions about your load and caring for yourself.
Updated
When to see a doctor
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- Constant thirst and a dry mouth
- Needing to pee often, including at night
- Severe tiredness for no clear reason
- Losing weight without dieting
- Itching around the vagina, thrush keeps coming back
- Wounds heal slowly, your vision has become blurred
Start with a GP: they will order a blood test for glucose and HbA1c. If diabetes is confirmed, an endocrinologist manages treatment. If you had gestational diabetes, have PCOS or diabetes runs in your family, check your blood sugar regularly, even without complaints.
What medicine knows
In type 2 diabetes the hormone insulin does not work properly or there is not enough of it, and the level of glucose, or sugar, in the blood becomes too high (NHS). It usually begins with insulin resistance, when cells respond poorly to insulin (MedlinePlus). Over time high blood sugar harms blood vessels, nerves, eyes and kidneys, so it is important to find diabetes early.
Many people have no symptoms. When they appear, they develop slowly (MedlinePlus): severe tiredness, thirst, peeing a lot, weight loss for no reason, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. The NHS also mentions itching around the vagina and repeated thrush.
The risk is higher after 40 to 45, if a parent, brother or sister has diabetes, with excess weight, low physical activity and high blood pressure (NHS, MedlinePlus). For women, risks include diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), giving birth to a large baby and polycystic ovary syndrome. After gestational diabetes the NHS advises a blood test 6 to 13 weeks after giving birth and then once a year.
Diabetes is found with a blood test: HbA1c or fasting glucose. Treatment starts with eating, movement and monitoring blood sugar; many people need tablets, sometimes insulin or other injections, and blood pressure and cholesterol are monitored too (MedlinePlus). The UK charity Diabetes UK says the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline make it harder for insulin to work, and blood sugar rises.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method diabetes is not explained by "a lack of joy" or "a love of sweets". It has clear causes: heredity, weight, age, hormonal features, and it is not your fault that it appeared. But Diabetes UK says stress hormones raise blood sugar, so questions for yourself make sense here.
Living with diabetes means thinking about food, tests and tablets every day. Many women get as tired of this as of the illness itself and scold themselves for every slip. Guilt gets in the way of treatment more than it helps.
On the ladder this shows up as steps of overload and "take care of everyone except yourself". You can work through them while continuing treatment. A doctor chooses tablets, insulin and diet, the method does not replace them.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first signs of diabetes in women?
Often there are no signs at all, so a blood test matters. When they appear, they include thirst, peeing a lot, tiredness, weight loss for no reason, blurred vision and slow-healing wounds. The NHS also mentions itching around the vagina and repeated thrush.
Can stress raise blood sugar?
Yes. Diabetes UK says the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline make it harder for insulin to work, and blood sugar rises. Stress is not the only cause of diabetes, but it is worth working with alongside the treatment a doctor prescribes.
I had diabetes in pregnancy. What should I do after giving birth?
Gestational diabetes usually goes away after birth, but the risk of type 2 diabetes later is higher. The NHS advises a blood test 6 to 13 weeks after giving birth and, if it is normal, once a year after that.
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Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.