Healthy coping
Diabetes can affect nearly every aspect of your daily life. It’s important to learn to manage stress and other worries in your life because of the effect they can have on your blood glucose levels.
There is no better time to start learning how to cope better with your diabetes than right now! Which of these statements best describes you?
I just found out I have diabetes
My healthcare provider told me I need to advance to insulin therapy
I have diabetes-related complications
I’m having trouble with the day-to-day responsibilities of diabetes management
I’m having difficulty fitting my need to take care of my diabetes into my family life
No matter what I do, my diabetes is not well managed. I feel like giving up
Managing diabetes can be a difficult challenge for even the most motivated person. However, – with effort and commitment – you can manage your diabetes and get through the tough times successfully.
Personal story about coping
In 2001, Novo Nordisk commissioned the DAWN (Diabetes Attitudes Wishes and Needs) survey to measure how attitudes, psychological health, and ability to cope with challenges affect the health and well being of people living with diabetes. The survey found that most people with diabetes had difficulty following their prescribed treatment plans for a variety of reasons. In addition, many felt that managing their diabetes was demanding and kept them from doing what they wanted to do in life.
You may be able to identify with these findings. However, it’s important to recognize that when you do take care to manage your diabetes you can reduce your risk for diabetes-related complications. Yes, it does require many changes to live well with diabetes – and learning to cope with the changes can be an important part of managing your diabetes.
There are three key factors to coping well with diabetes:
- Knowledge. Try to learn all you can about diabetes and what you can do on a daily basis to manage it for the rest of your life.
- Skill. There is a difference between knowing what to do and being able to do it. Developing good coping and self-care skills helps you take your knowledge and put it to good use. Give yourself time to learn these new skills, though. It won’t happen overnight.
- Support. Most people find it easier to deal with the challenges of coping with diabetes when they have the support of family, friends, and healthcare providers.
