Overcome the Anxiety of a Diabetes Diagnosis with These Strategies
3 min readDiabetes is a serious disease that affects the lives of many people throughout the population. Learning that you have diabetes can feel like a huge blow and is understandably difficult news to come to terms with. While it may seem as if this diagnosis has put a pause on your goals or that your lifestyle will have to drastically change in order to accommodate the treatment of the disease, there are many ways you can learn to live a joyful, ordinary life. Here are some strategies you can use to manage the anxiety of a diabetes diagnosis.
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Learn as Much as You Can
Even after the initial medical appointments to determine your diabetes diagnosis, it can help to increase your peace of mind greatly if you take the time to learn more about the disease. Although some people might suffer from acute health anxiety and therefore should resist the temptation to delve too deep into the details of their illness, for others, it can be reassuring to have a greater understanding of what exactly the disease entails. If you feel that you are someone who could benefit from knowing more about diabetes as a way to ease your anxiety, there is plenty of research out there for you to find and read.
Be Disciplined with Your Treatment Plan
Your medical professional and their team should provide you with a treatment plan specifically tailored to your unique needs. Although many people suffer from diabetes and symptoms are often similar, it can affect people in different ways. This means following your treatment plan carefully and learning to be more disciplined about what you eat, when you eat, and how much you eat. A good way to ensure that you maintain healthy glucose levels is to use a blood sugar meter and follow the advice of your doctor. You may be required to carry glucose tablets or an insulin pen just in case.
Ask for Support
Part of the anxiety around a recent diabetes diagnosis can be related to feeling suddenly isolated from friends and family. Don’t be afraid to ask for support when you feel that you are struggling to cope. Receiving the news that you have a chronic illness is never easy and no one would expect you to handle it entirely on your own. Find someone you trust and share your concerns with them – saying your worries out loud can often help alleviate them.
Join Diabetes Groups and Seek Professional Guidance
Similar to reaching out for support from your friends and family, joining specific diabetes groups can be another great way to reduce the stress of your diagnosis. Being able to share your experience with people who also have diabetes and listening to their ways of coping, as well as simply making new friends, could prove to be incredibly valuable to your mental health.
If you don’t like the idea of joining a group, you could still benefit from speaking with a trained professional about your emotional state as a result of your diagnosis. With the right help, you can soon live an ordinary lifestyle without letting diabetes get in your way.