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My story: "CBT gave me back control of my diabetes"

Portrait photo of patient Nikita looking content. She is standing against a purple backdrop, and wearing pink jacket over blacktop and trousers

Living with a physical health condition like type 1 diabetes can be overwhelming.

For Nikita, from Wraysbury, this was not just about managing insulin levels and blood sugar, but also about the emotional impact of managing her condition too.

It wasn't until she reached breaking-point, facing her father's health problems alongside her own struggles with low mood and worry, that she realised the importance of seeking help.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and why you sought help from NHS Talking Therapies?

Nikita: I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine and struggled to manage my condition for many years. Going into secondary school I found the constant trips to the school nurse, and the stigma around having diabetes, difficult.

University gave me independence but resulted in me having no control over my condition – to the point that I stopped taking my insulin because I didn’t believe I needed to have it.

When I finished university, I had no intention of starting therapy, but I did try and develop new habits. My life changed when my dad suffered from two heart attacks. It is just me and my dad at home, so this led to a lot of anxiety attacks and depression which made it harder for me to manage my diabetes because I didn’t believe my needs were as important. My doctor is the one who recommended me to NHS Talking Therapies in the end.

Can you tell me about how your condition has affected your life?

Nikita: Where do I begin? I have always felt physically sick, and I noticed my immune system was always down which meant I got sick regularly. My body ached, I was tired, and this was making me feel really down because I felt like I wasn’t ever going to get better, it was a huge weight weighing me down. Always being ill affected my work life too because I felt like I was letting people down if I had to take sick days, and I felt like managers treated me differently because of it.

What treatment did you receive at NHS Berkshire Talking Therapies?

Nikita: I was referred into the long-term conditions team and did a course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which taught me life changing ways to manage my wellbeing.

How was your outcome after finishing treatment?

Nikita: I recently finished my treatment with NHS Talking Therapies, and I have my final follow up session coming up. Talking therapies has made a massive difference and helped me make well needed life changes such as leaving the job that was making me unhappy. This was a big decision that I was reluctant to do before my therapy. My whole attitude towards my condition has changed and it has given me back control of my diabetes that I lost for a while. I learnt to accept my diabetes and I felt in control about everything down to how long I was going to live, because I was managing it better.

How has therapy supported you with your diabetes?

I used to worry so much about everyone except myself and it helped me realise the different priorities I had in life. Therapy taught me that looking after my diabetes was a form of self-care. It was looking after myself. I am now able to take a step back and acknowledge how I am feeling and take a break if I need it which I wasn’t allowing myself to do before. My biggest acceptance was that diabetes is part of me and it wasn’t a job and coming to terms with this put me back in control. I now have a sensor that checks my blood sugars every couple of minutes. Prior to therapy, I would have never considered using one of these sensors, I barely checked my blood sugars or went to appointments due to fear.

What advice would you give to others who may be struggling with their mental health because of a long-term health condition?

One thing I wish I knew all this time is that everyone is struggling, not just me. I thought I was the worst diabetic in the world, but it turns out a lot of other people have some of the same issues as me. I felt that I was doing everything badly.  If you’re going through something similar, you're not alone, and therapy made my feelings feel valid. I was diagnosed very young, and I don’t think the mental stability of diabetes patients have been focussed on enough in the past, so my advice is to take the help to help you manage your condition, everyone is struggling in different ways but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Judy Pritchard, High Intensity CBT Therapist at NHS Berkshire Talking Therapies, said:

“It was a privilege to support Nikita and to see her confidence, awareness and skills develop during our time together in therapy. Like many people living with diabetes, Nikita has spent years working hard trying to manage her health needs, while also balancing lots of life stressors. This had led to feelings of worry and low mood and to her not prioritising her own health needs. This then led to further feelings of low mood, anxiety and exhaustion, which then also impacted on her physical condition, creating an unhealthy cycle and keeping her feeling stuck.

“Together we explored how her symptoms of anxiety and low mood may have developed, and what thoughts, feelings and behaviours may have been maintaining this, keeping a focus too on how diabetes linked with these. As with many other long term health conditions, living with diabetes and managing it 24/7 can feel exhausting and overwhelming, and so I’m delighted that Nikita’s journey with us has been such a positive experience. We both hope that her story will also inspire others living with the condition to make that first step and talk to us about the support we offer.”

NHS Talking Therapies can help you manage feelings of depression and anxiety. We offer a range of different treatments, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Counselling for Depression. If you have concerns or worries relating specifically to your long-term health condition, for example, managing treatment or side effects, or distress particularly related to living with a physical health condition – it might be helpful to talk to your GP who can offer you support or refer you to a suitable service, like NHS Talking Therapies.

Published: March 2024

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