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Diabetes - Coping With Diabetes
By Julia Hanf | July 29, 2008
Coping with diabetes typically involves a combination of physical treatments and psychological adjustments.
Over time, diabetes can affect the kidney, eyes and other vital organs and systems. The kidneys may filter less efficiently. Eyesight may become less sharp. But all those physical circumstances can be managed through careful diet, exercise, and (if needed) drugs.
But coping with the disease and its effects involves another dimension, one less easy to quantify and treat, and one which has both physical and mental consequences.
The chief emotional aspect of diabetes is stress. Stress can start a vicious cycle for the diabetic, because stress diminishes the body’s ability to fight infection. This hampering of the immune system, can promote infections, and more stress as the person worries about becoming ill from infections.
To break this vicious cycle, people with diabetes must use an arsenal of diabetes management strategies. Taking care of your general health is the first step. The second step involves learning to cope emotionally with the problem and reaching a positive outlook.
This may be difficult at first, but in time most diabetics learn to cope. The greatest difficult may be coming to terms with the fact that diabetes is a long-term condition, one you will likely have to manage as long as you life.
Accepting the fact that daily, repeated monitoring of your blood glucose levels is necessary is a major step. Blood glucose levels must be kept steady through a combination of exercise, and diet; medication may also be needed. A steady blood glucose level means that diabetes will tax your system less and so you will have less to stress over. Your routine for taking care of your diabetes must be a daily part of your life, just like washing your hands or combing your hair.
Remember that knowledge is power. Become informed of exactly what consequences poorly managed diabetes leads to. This will help motivate to make the changes you need. It will help you develop a proper attitude to diabetes management so that you can actively control your disease.
Once you are informed, put your knowledge to action. Make a firm commitment to manage your diabetes. While this take patience and courage, you are up to the challenge.
You will not be overwhelmed by the need to make changes, if you begin making a few changes gradually. Commit to walking ten minutes a day every other day. Make changes in your diet, one change at a time. After a short while you will feel like doing daily exercise and trying more challenging exercises.
Gradually, conquering the management and control of diabetes increases your confidence that you can do so in the future. In time, diabetes management will become part of your lifestyle and no longer a burden, merely another bump in life’s road.
Topics: Diabetes |
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