Complications

   Mental Health

Source: http://www.diabetesmine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MentalHealth.jpg

Source: http://www.diabetesmine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MentalHealth.jpg

It is imperative to be in good mental health as an individual living with diabetes. Whether you feel an emotional struggle in keeping up with care of your diabetes, or do not know how to react to an initial diagnosis, there are healthy ways to express your emotions. Below, you can explore mechanisms by which to healthily express some common emotions:
Denial
Denial is most often felt as an immediate response to diagnosis of diabetes. This is a normal reaction— a diagnosis is a lot to digest, even in the span of a few weeks. Denial can seriously threaten proper care of your diabetes, however, if it is prolonged.Some of these potential dangers can result from:
  • Neglecting blood glucose testing
  • Failing to follow your meal plan
  • Engaging in destructive behaviors, such as overconsumption of alcohol and smoking
  • Forgetting to check the body for sores, especially the feet
How can you overcome denial?
  1.  Create a plan with your healthcare professional, and then have a journal, whiteboard, or chalkboard where you can visually see your goals for treating your diabetes
  2. Don’t be afraid to reach out to family, friends, or a diabetes educator to speak about how you’re feeling
Anger
It is completely normal to feel angry as a reaction to diabetes—be it anger with your body for not being ‘normal,’ angry that you must treat diabetes to live a comfortable life, or angry that that diabetes even exists.
Anger, in the case of your diabetes, can become a tool by which to better yourself. Instead of letting anger towards your diabetes take over your life, take hold of your anger and channel it into positive energy.
Next time you feel a surge of anger, consider writing down the following:
-What exactly is prompting your anger? What are your surroundings? Who are you with? How did you react?
-What does the build-up of emotion prior to the burst of anger feel like? Do your hands shake? Does your face become warm?
By tracking these warning signals and reactions to anger in a journal, you can better manage your anger. You can practice deep breathing, close your eyes for a minute, or take a seat in a comfortable area to help stave off a burst of anger.
Depression
Source: http://www.fairfieldadamh.org/depression.html
Source: http://www.fairfieldadamh.org/depression.html
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), “people with diabetes are at greater risk for depression.” There are myriad possibilities to consider what triggers depression in a diabetic, ranging from feeling overwhelmed by daily treatment of diabetes to feeling isolated from friends and family because you live a different lifestyle than them.
Depression can seriously affect your care of diabetes; you may lose motivation to administer medications to yourself or be virtuous in checking for sores on the body. According to the ADA, symptoms of depression of depression can include but are not limited to:
  • Loss of pleasure
  • Change in sleeping habits (insomnia or sleeping more than usual)
  • Change in eating habits (consuming much more or much less food)
  • Loss of energy
  • Short attention span
  • Guilt
  • Suicidal thoughts
If you experience more than three of these symptoms, it would be wise to speak with your doctor, as diabetes can actually produce physical symptoms similar to that of depression. If diabetes is ruled out as a cause of depression, continuing to speak with your doctor to find a treatment that is right for you.
*Seeking professional help of joining a local chapter of the American Diabetes Association or similar support group are always good ways to help maintain good mental health.*
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