One of the more important, but less publicized issues in diabetes is emotional health. A blogger on this site has already mentioned this in a great post. Many individuals with diabetes could experience a wide range of emotions from anger (unfair that they were diagnosed with this condition), frustration (inability to keep up with 'proper' management) or even depression ( not meeting the expectation so of friends, family and even the health care team). Some individuals may even experience all these emotions at one time or another. Although this post will not provide a recipe to solve your emotional issues it will hopefully provide some general tips that may make you aware of how to go about dealing with the issue.
1. Acknowledge the problem: Disregarding or ignoring one’s feelings often makes matters worse, while paying attention to the intensity and type of feelings experienced often provides a clue for what to do next.
2. Consult your health team: In managing diabetes we often focus on the physical issues rather than the emotional. Truth is they are both important. Make sure you discuss how you are feeling with your health team. If they do not seem to be listening then keep mentioning it until they do. Remember, they should be there for you, not just your blood sugar. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
3. Talk to the community: Your diabetes affects more than yourself. It often has an impact on friends, family and even your workplace. Do not be afraid to let these people know how you feel. if you find they do not understand that seek out others. Online sites like this one or others and offline support groups may provide much needed help from like-minded people.
4. Focus: We tend to have a need to fix problems as fast as possible. In times like this it is not unusual to get multiple suggestions from many individuals. Take them one at a time. It is often better to do one or two things right rather than four or five but do them poorly. Remember, this is a chronic condition and things will take time. The better your feedback from change the more likely you are to stick with it.
5. Don't measure outcomes: This may sound backwards based on all the focus on blood glucose, Hba1c and cholesterol etc. But take a step back for a second. Many of these measures are impacted by multiple things that we do, not just one. Some of these factors may be beyond our control--so there is no use getting frustrated with things we cannot control. Instead, measure what you can--your own goals and behaviours. You may not be able to reach that "ideal weight" but you can control how much calories you consume and your level of physical activity. Focusing on the behaviours allows us o better achieve our outcomes--not the other way around.
6. Take control: This means take control of your management--not necessarily your diabetes. Remember point #5. At the end of the day this is your condition. nobody has a greater interest in your health than yourself. People who are proactive (rather than reactive) generally do better in managing their health.
There's a lot here to keep in mind-but remember point #4. Want to add some tips? Just post them here.
