My eight year old son was diagnosed in October 2005. He handled the situation very well up until about a month ago. Now, he is an emotional wreck. He cries every day about nonsense such as, “Last summer, I left my bike in the driveway when I knew I should have put it away,” etc. He usually gets like this in the evening, just before bed. His emotional outbreaks seem to be getting worse rather than better. He is now worrying about silly things after school or whenever he is inactive. I’m afraid he’s slipping into depression and don’t know what to do.

Although it is possible that your son’s worries are related to his diabetes, they may be completely separate issues. Either way, the most important thing you can do is to have him evaluated by a mental health professional. They can let you know how serious his worries are and how they impact his ability to sleep, play, concentrate in school, etc. They will also work with you and your son to help him learn strategies to manage his worries so they don’t get in the way of being happy. Please contact your diabetes team and/or your son’s pediatrician for recommendations about mental health practitioners. The sooner he is seen, the sooner he will learn strategies for feeling better.

JWB