Whether you’re Type 1 or Type 2, you know managing diabetes is a full-time job: unpaid, unwanted, and with zero PTO or perks. And when burnout hits, it hits hard, like an oncoming train.

What Is Diabetes Burnout?

It’s that lovely “I can’t even” feeling. Cue Freddie Mercury softly singing “Nothing really matters…” in the background.

Your fingers can’t take one more poke. Your CGM is screaming the song of its people. The meds don’t seem to help. The carb math is not “mathing.” And despite your best efforts, your blood sugar is acting like it just slammed an espresso and ran off into traffic.

You feel deflated. Defeated. Maybe even ashamed.
But let’s be clear: burnout is not a moral failure. It’s emotional exhaustion, the kind that comes from dealing with a relentless chronic illness 24/7.

Signs You Might Be Burned Out:

You’ve fantasized about throwing your devices against the wall.
You’re skipping insulin, meds, appointments, meals, or exercise because… why even bother?
You’re hiding your diabetes because the thought of explaining it again might actually make you combust.
You often feel angry, overwhelmed, numb, or just done.

Why It Matters:

Mental and physical health? They are the two sides of the same burnt-out coin.
Burnout leads to avoidance, which leads to spiraling blood sugars, which leads to more stress and voilà, you’re stuck on the world’s worst merry-go-round.

The brighter your diabetes dumpster fire burns, the worse you feel emotionally.
You deserve better than running on fumes.

So, What Can You Do About It?

Breathe. (And/or swear. And/or gently throw your glucometer across the room.)
What you're feeling is valid and, frankly, probably inevitable. You’re not lazy or broken. You’re human.
Take a Diabetes Distress Test.
It’s a quick and completely free self-assessment tool that can help pinpoint what’s burning you out most; then bring the results to your doctor. Yes, your mental health is medical.
All or nothing? Nah.
Pick one thing: small, doable, low(er) stress. Or go big if inspiration strikes. Small wins = big energy boosts.
Talk to someone.
A friend. A therapist. A fellow diabetes warrior (aka “diabuddy.”) You don’t have to do this alone. (In fact, please don’t.)
Laugh. Please laugh.
Diabetes is absurd. If you can’t find the humor in it, what good is it?

If that light at the end of the tunnel looks suspiciously like an oncoming train... it’s time to hit the brakes, call in backup, and remember:
You can do hard things.
Like sidestepping trains. And managing diabetes.
Even on the days when the train looks reeeeally fast.

Diabetes Burnout: That Light at the End of the Tunnel? Yeah, It’s a Train.

Mental Health and Chronic Illness: Why a Psychologist Belongs on Your Team of “Ologists”