(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Kos Diabetes Group: Diabetes Distress & Diabetes Burnout [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-09-29

Being diagnosed with diabetes can be an overwhelming experience for many people. Newly diagnosed patients are inundated with information, new and sometimes confusing terminology, unfamiliar devices such as glucometers or continuous glucose monitoring devices, medications, and lifestyle change suggestions.

To properly manage your diabetes, you need to check your blood sugar levels often, make healthy food choices, be physically active, remember to take your medicine, and make other good decisions about your health several times a day. In addition, you may also worry about having low or high blood sugar levels, developing diabetes-related complications, such as heart disease or nerve damage, and the costs of your medications. All of this stress and worry can leave you feeling overwhelmed and lead to a condition called diabetes distress. Diabetes distress shares some traits of stress, depression, and anxiety. However, unlike depression, diabetes distress can be linked back to factors related to diabetes.

Diabetes distress can also be affected by external factors like family and societal support and health care services. It is estimated that 33 to 50 percent of people with diabetes will experience diabetes distress at some point. While diabetes distress cannot typically be treated with medication, experts say that improving diabetes management to reduce stress, talk therapy and support groups can be helpful.

Signs and symptoms of diabetes distress

There’s no right or wrong way to feel about your diabetes, but there are some signs that things are getting to be too much. It can help to be aware of these

feeling angry about diabetes and frustrated about the demands of managing it

worrying about not taking good enough care of your diabetes but not feeling motivated to change

avoiding going to appointments or checking your glucose levels

making unhealthy food choices regularly

feeling alone and isolated

If you’re feeling diabetes distress, it’s important to remember that it happens to a lot of people and that you shouldn’t blame yourself. Diabetes is hard to manage, and nobody does it perfectly.

Remember that your glucose level is just a number. It’s not a reflection of who you are or how much effort you’ve put into managing your diabetes that day or week.

x YouTube Video

Here are some ideas to help you avoid diabetes distress.

Healthy coping techniques focus on finding healthy ways to adjust to the changes and challenges of a diabetes diagnosis. Practicing these techniques will help you avoid developing harmful habits. Healthy coping teaches people with diabetes the importance of movement, the benefits of a positive attitude, and to feel good about their successes. It also stresses seeking support when needed. This may mean working with a professional to learn relaxation and coping techniques. A diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming, but healthy coping skills can provide the foundation for successful long-term management.

Problem-solving skills teach people with diabetes how to identify and solve issues on their own. This includes identifying the problem, finding solutions, taking action, and following up on the result. When diabetes patients are equipped with problem-solving skills, they can more confidently handle situations on their own and better address future challenges. Reducing risks involves incorporating behaviors that minimize or prevent negative outcomes of prediabetes and diabetes. Diabetes complications may take time to develop or happen unexpectedly, so people with diabetes should learn what can happen and how to prevent those problems. Taking preventative actions now, which can be difficult or uncomfortable, will provide benefits for years and give the person with diabetes the power to control their health outcomes.

Having diabetes distress for a long stretch of time can lead to diabetes burnout, that’s why it’s so important to be able to recognize the signs of diabetes distress and access the right kind of support when you need it most. Talking about how you feel with your healthcare team is an important first step.

Feeling burnout because of diabetes can be different for everyone, but it can mean you stop taking care of yourself and your diabetes. For some people, this means skipping insulin doses or not taking other medications. Some people describe it as hitting a wall or giving up.

To overcome burnout call on your primary care doctor, eye doctor, podiatrist, dietitian, diabetes educator—anyone and everyone on your care team—to help you refocus on your goals. They can remind you of the progress you’ve made and help you with new ideas and strategies.

You can also tap into encouragement, insights, and support from people who’ve been there by making connections with others who share your experience.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/29/2196198/-Kos-Diabetes-Group-Diabetes-Distress-amp-Diabetes-Burnout

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.