The Emotional Roller Coaster of Diabetes
Diabetes can be a lonely journey. Acknowledging that you are not alone in your fight is the first step towards winning the long battle against diabetes. One of the best ways of winning this battle is to allow yourself to feel all the emotions that it gets in its wake. Acknowledging the emotions and then handling them one by one is a strong step in fighting diabetes.
In a series of interviews of patients fighting diabetes, it emerged that the four major emotions that are often felt are Grief, Denial, Anxiety, and Depression. While these emotions are hard to fight, understanding them better helps us stay strong as well help our loved ones fare better.
Grief is intense sorrow that is felt and this can be a common emotion felt by someone who has just been diagnosed with diabetes. Grief at the complications and the losses. This is then accompanied by denial and anxiety. Denial may not be felt by everyone, one may say she/he is not sick or that the sickness is not as serious and it will go away. At times denial is useful in helping us control our emotional reactions but it can also come in the way of treatment.
Anxiety is understood to be a feeling of worry and so it is among the first emotions one feels when one learns of the diagnosis and it may be felt throughout the treatment process. It is common to worry about the different lifestyle changes that need to be made and the fear about the future. Anxiety can also bring about constant worries about the effect of medication, body image, as well as possible complications.
Constant anxiety and overwhelming grief can lead to Depression which is a common reaction to chronic illnesses. It may not be felt immediately and can be delayed as one understands the complexity of the illness in more detail. Having diabetes also means keeping a check on the diet, this can sometimes lead to frustration as for those who have a strong sweet tooth it may be difficult to maintain their intake of sugar.
It is important to be aware and mindful of our state of mind, to know when we are not feeling in sync with ourself and our mood feels off. Once we recognise the signs, we can get help just as we get help for our illness. It is important to learn to manage our emotional health as instability emotionally can lead to spikes in blood sugar.
As you get ready to take on Diabetes head on, start sharing your journey with your friends and family. And if you are comfortable enough share it with people whom you think can benefit from your experience. Sharing and learning from others eases our fears as we learn that we are not alone.
Talking to a friendly counsellor is perhaps among the best steps you can take in your fight. You can find one in your city or get in touch with us at Grow Self. Your counsellor acts like a friend who not only understands you better but has the knowledge of how to help you help yourself. Get specialized diabetic diets from Grow Fit under the guidance of our expert nutritionist.
For more on getting the better of diabetes, read 'The Diabetes Diet'. You can also learn how to take special care of your skin and hair, which can be affected by diabetes.
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