I am 17, I was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis when I was eight and I got diabetes when I was 13. (I also have a sister with pancreatitis.) It has been a lot to deal with, and I have been having a hard time, especially during the last year. I am starting to think that maybe I am depressed, but I don’t want to talk to my doctor because I am afraid that he will put me on “happy pills” and I would rather not have that artificial happiness. However, I am really starting to feel like there is no other way to beat this. How, if at all, do anti-depressants affect diabetes?

I encourage you to talk about what you have been feeling. Sometimes the simple talking can help relieve a bit of your depression — It helps to share your burdens rather than keeping them inside.

If, indeed, you would benefit from antidepressants your doctor will pick one that will not impact your blood sugar control. Antidepressants are not “happy pills;” they simply assist in managing your moods. They can stabilize chemicals in the brain that may be altering your moods in a negative way. Lots of folks have a better quality of life with antidepressant medication — Mike Wallace of 60 minutes and William Styron the author to name two.

Please don’t suffer alone. Talk — and then decide with your physician what is best for you.

CMB