Managing type 1 diabetes is a full-time commitment - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. For children living with this chronic condition, each day involves blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration, carbohydrate counting, and constant vigilance. While many children adapt remarkably well, it’s completely natural for them - and their parents - to feel overwhelmed at times.
What causes diabetes burnout?
Diabetes distress or burnout is experienced by many kids with type 1 diabetes and refers to the mental, emotional, and physical effort that is needed to deal with the constant demands of diabetes management.
These feelings stem from the disruptions that diabetes causes in everyday life, such as:
- having to stop playing to treat a hypo (hypoglycaemia condition where blood glucose levels drop too low)
- always carrying a hypo kit
- checking blood glucose levels before sports or activities.
These constant interruptions can make children feel isolated or different, especially when their peers don’t face the same challenges.
Common signs of diabetes burnout
Children often express their burnout with statements like:
- “I hate having diabetes”
- “Why am I so different from my friends?”
Other common signs and symptoms can include:
- a range of emotions including feeling overwhelmed, angry, frustrated and isolated
- behavioural changes like avoiding diabetes management tasks, or changes to sleeping and eating habits
- other physical changes such as fatigue.
Supporting your child through a distress or burnout experience
Parents play an important role in helping their child not only manage type 1 diabetes, but the distress or burnout that can come with it. As children grow, especially into their teenage years, they still need parental support. Working together as a team on diabetes-related tasks can help ease the burden.
Top tips for parents:
- Normalise burnout. Let your child know it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and frustrated.
- Care for their emotional wellbeing. Encourage your child to participate in activities that help to relax.
- Have open communication. Have open and honest conversations with your child about their feelings and challenges.
- Adjust continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) alerts. Consider customising alerts to only the necessary alarms.
- Have the right support. Work with your child’s diabetes healthcare team to set small, achievable goals.
- Take care of yourself. You can’t support your child effectively if you’re running on empty. Prioritise your own health, rest, and emotional well-being where possible.
Finding a “diabuddy”
Connecting with other children who have type 1 diabetes can be empowering and can help kids understand they’re not alone in their experience. There are many local meet ups that children can attend, and parents can connect with other families living with type 1 diabetes. Support organisations with resources and other connection opportunities include:
More support
If burnout becomes overwhelming, or you or your child need extra support, talking with your child’s diabetes healthcare team can help. Social works and psychologists who understand chronic conditions can also offer strategies to cope and thrive so don’t hesitate to ask for referrals or support.