Emotional Aspects Of Diabetes

Summary

Designed to help patients and family members express and cope with the range of emotions surrounding diabetes. Patients see how denial, anger, and isolation can undermine self-care. Family members learn appropriate support roles. Support groups outside the family are mentioned.

Details

Emotions can affect our desire to control diabetes.

Techniques to make it easier to deal with frustrations and stresses of coping with diabetes are included in this video.

Denial:

• It is common to deny we have diabetes
• The first emotional challenge is to admit we have diabetes
• Denial is a threat to long-term diabetes control

Highlight the positive things that you are doing even if you don't reach your goal.

When you succeed, reward yourself.

Find time to relax:

• exercise
• meditation
• a hobby, etc.

Take big tasks and break them into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Share information with family, friends and your diabetes care team.

Join a diabetes support group.

How our diabetes affects our friends and relatives:

• They may or may not be supportive of your efforts
• How they react can make a difference in how you feel and the decisions that you make

Challenges:

• Staying on track when tempted with food choices
• Standing up for ourselves when faced with these situations

For a supporter of a person with diabetes:

• Try to recognize your feelings and fears
• You can’t force them to do the right thing
• Take time to talk and listen
• Learn more about diabetes