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What Is the Connection between Diabetes and Anger?

Paul Cartmell
Paul Cartmell

A direct link has been theorized between diabetes and anger leading to problems with the regulation of sugar levels passing through the blood of the body. Anger is also a common feeling for individuals diagnosed with the medical condition that is related to the stress that often affects those with diabetes. Direct scientific research has failed to provide a direct link between stress-related conditions, such as anger leading to diabetes.

Hormones within the body used to regulate the levels of glucose within the blood are the same as those used to regulate stress levels leading to feelings including anger and depression. This is particularly true in the case of type 2 diabetes where the body fails to transport insulin produced in the pancreas around the body despite the correct amount of insulin being produced for transporting glucose from the blood into the cells of the body. During times of elevated anger levels, the hormones affecting blood sugar levels become overstimulated and can increase or decrease production of insulin and the transportation of the chemical around the body.

Diagnosis of a person with diabetes often leads to periods of anger.
Diagnosis of a person with diabetes often leads to periods of anger.

Diabetes and anger treatments have been developed to use stress and anger management techniques to maintain the balance of insulin production levels and the movement of glucose around the body. Included in the types of treatments used in the management of anger levels for diabetes control are muscle relaxation and behavioral therapies directed to eliminating negative thoughts and emotions from the mind and body. The treatments recommended are intended to be used as supplemental therapies in conjunction with traditional diabetes treatments including insulin supplements.

Diabetes and anger treatments use stress and anger management techniques to maintain the balance of insulin production levels.
Diabetes and anger treatments use stress and anger management techniques to maintain the balance of insulin production levels.

Diagnosis of a person with diabetes often leads to periods of anger and depression directed towards the medical condition and the perceived unfairness of the diagnosis. During periods of anger, a diabetic patient often finds difficulty in maintaining a diet or exercise program created to help him or her to deal with a diabetes diagnosis. Diabetes and anger are also linked to problems involving disrupted medicine intake patterns that can lead to problems with maintaining the correct balance of blood sugar in the human body.

Difficulty with controlling anger can lead to high blood pressure, as well as diabetes.
Difficulty with controlling anger can lead to high blood pressure, as well as diabetes.

A study completed by Kuwait University found that the instances of type A diabetes and anger-related behaviors was higher in diabetes patients than in non-diabetes patients. Anger-related behavior was also found to be higher in patients with type 1 than type 2 diabetes. Links have been difficult to prove between the use of behavioral therapies and the maintaining of blood sugar levels when used in tandem with traditional diabetes treatments.

Discussion Comments

anon1001099

It makes sense that low blood sugar causes anger. You see it in children, why not adults? It really sucks though. It ruins the life of the diabetic and all those around them. I hate it! My husband is like a different person than the one I married 20 years ago. I know it is related to the uncontrolled blood sugars, but he refuses to eat right or monitor his sugars.

anon1000871

I noticed that the longer I have type 2 the worse my anger is becoming. I take it out on my husband who has done nothing to deserve it. Thankfully I can run in the closet and curse so he doesn't hear the worst of it. I asked one of my so called specialist about it and was told he never heard of such a thing. Praying to God has done little to stop it. I wish there was a serious study or something so we can start finding relief along with our families. And I don't buy "you're angry because you're diabetic". Diabetes is making me angry.

anon998863

I have been type 2 for 17 years on meds. only. I have been angry all of my life, mainly little things that are insignificant. My sisters were afraid of me because I would run after them and kick them after they just teased me. My brother, who is younger but huskier than I, always knew about how far he could push me. I also suffered from a few low sugar moments where I would get all shaky and had to immediately eat some carbohydrates with some protein.

At age 54 it was determined by my dumb doctor that I was diabetic. I said dumb because I had given him my symptoms for years that he should have recognized. All of my mother's uncles were diabetics. I took zoloft for the last few years with some relief, but had too many side effects.

anon995133

I think your article is way off. I have type 2 diabetes. I treat myself and keep my blood sugars relatively stable.

I have been diagnosed with diabetes for 4.5 years did not treat it the first year and a half which led to a heart attack. It is under control now. But, I have been having anger issues. Meaning the smallest thing can set me off in a rage. It's not that I am angry because I have diabetes. That is way off course.

It got so bad that I gave up a small business because I was snapping at customers. I am not looking for an excuse for bad behavior either. I feel there is a direct connection between the two. --Ken4uall

anon993330

I have had type 1 diabetes for 30 years, (diagnosed at 21). My control is fairly good but I still have mood swings that lead to anger, and at its worst, aggression. I have and continue to monitor the circumstances that contribute to the mood swings, but with no definitive answer. (I exclude behavior during hypos from the above) although do not discount the blood sugar levels on longer term mood swing pattens.

I can only conclude that some variation in blood sugar levels cause the mood swings or it is another inherent problem connected to diabetes that has not yet been identified. God bless my wife for her understanding.

anon992032

My husband was diagnosed with Type 2 about six years ago. It has changed his personality completely. When we went to the workshops and sessions, they never said a word about anger. He has never been angry at the disease -- to me, that's bunk -- but he gets angry at every little thing in life. He just starts screaming for no reason. He usually takes it out on me. It can be for anything at all, and he can be very cruel. My life is a living hell!

anon948452

I have been a diabetic for almost 16 years now. My diabetes has been out of control all that time and I can swear that my blood sugar control directly affects my anger levels on a physiological level. It's gotten worse and worse ever since I was diagnosed and it gets particularly bad during periods when my blood sugars get really badly out of control.

There's no doubt in my mind that my diabetes is somehow causing the issue. I don't know whether this will make any sense to people but I can honestly 'feel' it causing the problem, emphasis on the word 'feel'. It's very serious and it causes me a lot of problems. It's shocking how little is known about this issue.

Worse still, this is largely not an issue in the medical world and most all medical professionals don't know anything about it let alone know how to treat/address it properly.

ysmina

@anamur-- I think that being angry due to the diagnosis often happens to children who develop type one diabetes and do not understand why they have to take injections all of the sudden.

The anger associated with type two diabetics who develop the condition when they're older might also have to do with accompanying chronic conditions.

For example, my mother, who is sixty, has both type two diabetes and high blood pressure. High blood pressure also causes anger, mood-changes and impatience. It's common in diabetics due to the damage that diabetes causes to the cardiovascular system.

In this case, the anger probably has more to do with high blood pressure than diabetes.

serenesurface

@turquoise-- I'm in the same exact situation. I was a laid-back person before diabetes. Now I'm grouchy and moody.

I understand that being upset and shocked about the diagnosis can lead to this but I don't think that's the case with me. I have many family members with diabetes, it's hereditary. When I started experiencing diabetes symptoms, I guessed that I had it. I have accepted it and I'm just concentrating on living healthy and keeping by sugar levels under control.

Despite this, I'm angry. Why?!

turquoise

I don't think that anger leads to diabetes, but I do think that diabetes leads to anger.

I've noticed that after developing diabetes, I am more impatient and get upset very quickly. I used to be a fairly calm and easy going person. Now, I have a short fuse and I find myself yelling for small issues that wouldn't bother me before.

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    • Diagnosis of a person with diabetes often leads to periods of anger.
      By: milanmarkovic78
      Diagnosis of a person with diabetes often leads to periods of anger.
    • Diabetes and anger treatments use stress and anger management techniques to maintain the balance of insulin production levels.
      By: spline_x
      Diabetes and anger treatments use stress and anger management techniques to maintain the balance of insulin production levels.
    • Difficulty with controlling anger can lead to high blood pressure, as well as diabetes.
      By: Minerva Studio
      Difficulty with controlling anger can lead to high blood pressure, as well as diabetes.
    • Studies show that anger-related behavior was found to be higher in patients with type 1 than type 2 diabetes.
      By: joshya
      Studies show that anger-related behavior was found to be higher in patients with type 1 than type 2 diabetes.
    • A diabetic's blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day.
      By: Monkey Business
      A diabetic's blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day.