Diabetes and depression have a strange partnership — almost like they’re competing to ruin your day first.
On one side, diabetes demands attention, asking you to count every grain of rice like it’s a security threat. On the other, depression quietly whispers, “Why even bother?”
It’s no surprise that people living with diabetes are 2–3 times more likely to experience depression, and nearly one in three shows some level of depressive symptoms. Put the two together and you get a toxic, silent situationship happening right inside your body. No shouting. No drama. Just quiet sabotage.
The first thing depression attacks is your routine.
Suddenly, meals are missed or replaced with whatever is closest. Medication gets delayed because “I’ll check my sugar later,” and later never comes. Sleep becomes unpredictable — either too much or not at all — and stress hormones spike.
Your blood sugar starts behaving like a rollercoaster: too high, too low, never stable.
And the worst part? Those sugar swings make you feel tired, foggy, irritated… which feeds the depression.A loop begins: mood hits sugar, sugar hits mood. Rinse, repeat.
Sometimes that loop doesn’t stay emotional or mental — it becomes a real medical emergency. Globally, 3–4% of all emergency medical calls are because of diabetic emergencies, and hypoglycemia is one of the most common. Just recently, our 1122 emergency team was dispatched to help a 60-year-old woman found unconscious at home. The ambulance reached within minutes. Her Random Blood Sugar was 60 mg/dl — dangerously low.
Hypoglycemia: quiet, invisible, and deadly if ignored.
The team immediately started IV dextrose, monitored her vitals, and carefully stabilized her. Bit by bit, her sugar climbed. Her eyes opened. She recognised her family again. She was shifted safely to SIUT Hospital — alive, alert, and talking — all because someone didn’t wait too long to call for help.
This is what timely intervention looks like.
From the outside, diabetes mixed with depression looks like “just tired,” “just weak,” “just stressed.” But inside, your mind and body are negotiating with your blood sugar like it’s a hostage situation.
Low sugar can make you shaky, confused, anxious — or oddly calm.High sugar can make you exhausted, irritated, mentally foggy.
Both affect your mental health, and poor mental health makes managing diabetes even harder.This isn’t a lack of willpower — it’s literally how your brain and body respond.
If you’ve been feeling off — skipping meals, forgetting medications, waking up exhausted, or noticing mood swings that follow your sugar levels — don’t ignore it. Talk about it, ask questions, and seek help before your body sends a more urgent warning.
If you or someone you care about has diabetes, or you’ve noticed symptoms like weakness, confusion, or fainting, you don’t need to guess. Call 1123.
Our Tele-Tabeeb team is available to guide you, answer your concerns, and help you understand whether symptoms need urgent care. Sometimes, one phone call is the difference between “I’ll be fine” and an ambulance racing to your door. Your sugar levels and your mental health are already having a conversation.Make sure you’re part of it.
