Help, again

Hi,
I normally post in the depression forum, but I desperately need some help and support with my prediabetes. For months I have been overwhelmed with everything going on in my life and my depression, more dysthymia than major depression, has gotten bad. I am still functioning in everything but my diet. Basically, I am having a real hard time cooking for myself. I am living on graham crackers , McDonald's chicken nuggets and sausage egg burritos, prepackaged salads and frozen dinners (I try to choose lower carb ones.) When I eat out, I go to Panera or Noodles where I can have veggie heavy meals. When I am really stressed, I drink a lot of diet coke and eat surgery foods, which boost my dopamine levels for a short time.

I live with my mother in law, who needs a lot of care and just went on a pureed diet. I tried the ADA pre-diabetes forum, but the moderators just don't get it. I feel like they would really like to tell me to just "snap out of it". When I look online for articles about dealing with prediabetes when you have depression all I get are articles about dealing with the depression that can come after you have been diagnosed. This is strange to me as depression is a risk factor for diabetes.

I have a therapist and am on antidepressants, and she does her best but I only see her twice a month. I live in a rural area. So essentially I am alone in this.

I guess I could just start taking metformin, but I really don't want to.

Any ideas?

Hi Lani
Thanks for your reply.

Yes, I am on antidepressants, as I mentioned, and have been for about 20 years, many different ones.

My doctor is not too helpful in the diet arena. The dietician I saw is sympathetic but didn't know what to tell me so she steered me to a macrobiotic diet website.

I do not have the luxury of interrupting my work day to check a one or 2 hour post prandial glucose. I am in a clinic situation and I can't just duck out in the middle of a visit.

So I will soldier on alone with the depression/diabetes dilemma.

Thanks for caring

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Double Depression (dysthymia with intermittent MDD), Pre-diabetes, osteoarthritis both hips with replacements 3/1/2017 and 1/8/2019

All my brother in laws and brother and friends are taking metformin. My family doctor even told that non-diabetic people are taking Metformin because of its anti aging effects. For type II diabetic people, it is very easy to get your blood sugar low - Just don't eat carb. Eat fish or meats first, then eat vegetable, finally have only a single piece of toast. This way, your blood sugar will always be low. In between meal, have a small apple.

A1C is three month average blood sugar. AT 6.5, it mans 140. Generally, at 7 which is 160 that it starts to attack your organ. If you are at pre-diabetic at 5.8 or 6.0, there is nothing to worry. It will take many more years to advance to 6.8 or 7 to start taking metformin.

The bottom line, even you start taking Metformin, there is no big deal - as long s you don't abuse taking carb irresponsibly .

Thank you for the replies. I think my main issue is with motivation rather than knowledge. When I get depressed my diet is the first thing to go. I use to weigh/portion out low carb snacks, count carbs, check my AM blood sugars, exercise, but I am having a hard time doing that now. Every day is a new day though and I try to start again.

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Double Depression (dysthymia with intermittent MDD), Pre-diabetes, osteoarthritis both hips with replacements 3/1/2017 and 1/8/2019