how stress affects diabetes
Managing stress will be your new normal to set you in the best path to health.
The constant worry about complications, the tedious carbohydrate counting, the guilt when you skip exercise, the anger you feel because you can’t eat like others. It’s exhausting and stressful.
There’s a term for this—it’s called diabetes distress—and it can affect those with diabetes at any point in their lives.
Distress is a normal reaction to the stresses and strains of managing a progressive, chronic disease like diabetes. It’s the constant sense of burden or defeat you can’t seem to shake. Many things can trigger it, such as feeling deprived by being unable to eat certain foods and getting a high blood glucose reading after a healthful meal.
Plus, the stigma that comes with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes can be burdensome. “It’s hard to get emotional support when the outside world’s attitude is you’ve brought this on yourself,” says Lawrence Fisher, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco. This can take a toll on both your physical health and mental health.
But getting the fears and feelings out and understanding they’re a normal part of having diabetes helps. Later in this book, you’ll learn how to overcome stress and anxiety and combat the negative thoughts that can come with a diabetes diagnosis.
But even if you’re not experiencing diabetes distress, the daily stressors of life might affect your blood sugar levels. Hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol can increase during stressful events and could encourage the liver to produce extra glucose, causing blood sugars to spike. Prolonged stress can manifest itself into physical issues as well (see “Stress Symptoms” ).
There are healthy ways to handle stressful situations. In this book, we’ll teach you how to be more mindful and present with your feelings. Plus, you’ll be equipped with 5-minute tricks to calm you down when you’re starting to feel overwhelmed (Dealing with Stress). These are a few strategies to try right now.
Be More Mindful
• Keep your thoughts on the present; live where your feet are.
• Observe your thoughts. Meditate, journal, or simply stop to breathe to reflect on what’s going through your mind.
• Accept your emotions without judgment. Remember that there are no right or wrong ways to feel.
• Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future.
• Take yourself off autopilot. Sometimes our reactions to situations are automatic, such as anger in traffic. Instead, be more aware of your reactions.
