Top 3 Ways To Cope With Diabetes Distress

While diabetes is a common condition, that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with. One side effect of diabetes that many people don’t consider is diabetes distress. Diabetes distress is when you feel frustration, anger, burnout, and worry regarding your condition. Usefully, this is precipitated by feeling overwhelmed from the many daily demands of diabetes. If you experience this, don’t worry. We’re here to help you learn how to cope with diabetes distress.

Pay Attention to How You Feel

Though diabetes can lead to many complications, such as infection, diabetic neuropathy, or even gangrene, many people are desensitized to the severity of the condition. This might even include yourself. Desensitization is dangerous because it can cause you to neglect your emotional needs. When focused on your diet and blood sugar levels, you might neglect your mental and emotional health. If you become sad and anxious, the catalyst might be diabetes. Because of this, you should monitor your mental health and inform your health care team of your mental state. This is a key way to cope with diabetes distress: you must understand how you feel to do something about it.

Tell Your Health Care Providers

When you have diabetes, you must see your health care providers. You should see a podiatrist for additional support, close monitoring of your condition, and access to professional guidance. These are all helpful for managing diabetes distress. Doctors, nurses, and diabetes educators are also key people in your arsenal.

But did you know that a diabetes-informed social worker and psychologist are also integral to your psychological well-being? Ignoring this emotional component and focusing exclusively on your physical health isn’t wise. To learn how to take care of your mental and physical health, seeing a diabetes-informed psychologist or social worker can help significantly.

Talk to Your Family and Friends

Ensure your family and friends are informed about your condition and supporting you. If they don’t understand diabetes and how it impacts your life, educate them about the condition so they are prepared if you need help. For example, make sure they know how to react if you pass out from too-high or too-low blood sugar. The comfort of knowing that the closest people in your life understand and can support your condition goes a long way in helping alleviate diabetes distress.