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Type 2 Diabetes: Coping With Your Diagnosis
By www.everydayhealth.com
July 31, 2010
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Living with diabetes means accepting the diagnosis and making the necessary changes to your life.
"Depressed" and "disappointed" are the words used by New Orleans resident Gary Davis to describe his feelings when he received his type 2 
diabetes diagnosis two years ago.
“I am a nurse, so I knew what was happening, what was coming,” recalls the 51-year-old, referring to the long-term damage diabetes can wreak on a person’s health and body. Davis admits that initially, he didn’t want to try to make the changes that would improve his health. “At one time, I didn’t even try, but I try now. Every day I try harder,” he says.
Type 2 Diabetes: Avoid Denial
Receiving a diabetes diagnosis can stop you in your tracks. But for many people, hearing the news is the wake-up call they need to start healthy habits.
A Yale study of 20,221 overweight or obese adults under the age of 75 showed that people who receive a diagnosis of diabetes are more motivated to lose weight than their peers, dropping, on average, three pounds more with their diet plan.
“The big thing is to avoid denial. It’s so easy to deny,” says Paul Robertson, MD, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association.
Many times doctors are part of this pattern of denial, says Dr. Robertson, especially when they tell patients that their blood sugar is a "little high, but we’ll just watch it." Robertson emphasizes, "That’s the time to jump on it! Don’t deny it — watch your weight, watch what you eat."
Type 2 Diabetes: Make Changes
Two years after getting the news, Davis confesses, “I’m still confused about what I can and can’t eat.”
And, he adds, there are some foods, like white rice, that he can’t give up. Living in the capital of gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans, all of which are accompanied by white rice, this challenge may be understandable.
But although Davis takes insulin to control his blood sugar, he is also taking steps to tackle diabetes by changing his diet and increasing exercise.
Based on his experience, Davis offers the following tips for coping with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis:
Make an effort to change your diet and exercise habits. Even minor changes can help.
Get educated about diabetes and what you need to do to stay healthy.
If you can’t shake your sadness and get motivated, talk to a doctor about the possibility of depression. “It’s hard because you have your certain lifestyle for so many years — I had mine for 49 years — and then someone is telling you [that you] have to completely change it,” says Davis.
Type 2 Diabetes: Get Educated
Still, there is a wealth of good information out there about how to be healthy with type 2 diabetes, notes Davis. “Take advantage of the research projects. Take advantage of the literature. It’s really all about education,” he says.
Good resources for information on type 2 diabetes include your nurse, a diabetes educator, or a dietitian, all of whom can help you develop a plan for lifestyle change that will help control your blood sugar.
Type 2 Diabetes: Cope With Depression
If you find that you have a hard time getting motivated or you are continuing to feel sad or anxious many weeks after your diabetes diagnosis, consider talking to your doctor or a mental health professional about your concerns.
Not everyone who receives a diagnosis of diabetes experiences depression. But those who do may have a harder time taking steps to manage their disease. A study of 2,902 Native American adults showed that while depression does not make a person more likely to have diabetes, it does make it more difficult for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels.
Treating depression is a necessary step towards blood sugar control.
“It won’t happen overnight,” says Davis. “But if you keep trying, you can succeed.”
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diabetes/type2/...
~Mays~
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Comments (11 comments)
Add your commentPosts are way too old. Incase you haven't noticed, it is now 2011.
I just found out a few weeks ago that I have diabetes and am very depressed. I am disabled but caretake my elderly father and as silly as it sounds, food has always been a small comfort in my otherwise stress-filled life. I am Italian and was raised around all kinds of delicious starchy foods and I am devastated by waking up with fasting sugars as high as 175. I have only wanted to take pills but not sure if I will be able to keep on pills alone. Does anyone have an idea to make this whole thing a bit easier? The "standard" response I have heard from non-diabetic friends is, "Isn't your life worth more than what your're eating?" It sounds simplistic but part of my life IS about what I am eating and before this, it gave me pleasure to eat it.
the one thing i forgot to mention in relation to luvzlife's post. How true to have a doctor that is right on top of your every detail. Thanks to God for my doc he makes a big difference in the way i control myself and my eating and how i never want to disappoint him as well as my family and myself.Helps with the depression also.
i was diagnosed in june of 2011 and had not one iota of knowledge about diabetes whatsoever…so every little thing people with diabetes posts on a diabetes site is very informing especially when they word it so we can understand it i am using victoza injections and they help me alot to keep me in control and reminds me that this is no joke..thanks for all your informing posts.
I learned that I had it when I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter back in Sept. 2008. Apparently, I already had type 2
before I was pregnant and didn't know it. It was very scary and disappointing but, with the nutritionist and diabetic educators help I atleast got through the pregnancy. Now, I have lost 30 lbs and still working towards my goal weight. At times I still can't believe I have it but with God's help I'm making it through one day at a time!
I'm sure your post will help a lot of newly diagnosed diabetics. Most of us have had to learn the hard way because doctors don't give you this kind of advice, but just want to write a prescription. There is a lot of really great information on the Internet so I advise anyone to "do your research" if you are not sure what to do, what to eat, what meds are good and/or bad for you. Thanks again Mays - you did good!
In some ways, I was relieved when I discovered my diabetes. My docs couldn't figure out why I felt so awful (they only checked my fasting BGL). But I had gestational diabetes 2x and had tried to avoid progressing to type 2
by following the ADA's flawed advice, so I was also angry.
I had already been working very hard to lose weight, but finding out about my diabetes and researching it more thoroughly led me to adopting a low carb lifestyle, which resulted in my losing 60 lbs and keeping my BGL under 100 at all times.
I have been frustrated at times about having to deal with this demanding and time-consuming disease, but I'm grateful it's a disease I can control. I find sharing info and the recipes I dream up with others helps me feel like I'm still a productive member of society. Having people with diabetes tell me I have literally saved their lives helps, too!
If you'd like to check out my recipes, info, and support, please see me at http://www.squidoo.com/DARdreams. We're all in this together!
I have found that modifying your diet and at least one hour of exercise,30 minutes aerobics and 30 minutes weights or machines, five days a week helps dramaticaly with your blood sugar, Aic and mental attitude. Bill (2 year patient)
Treating depression is a necessary step towards blood sugar control.
Diabetic-2 persons generally suffer with sleeping problems. It may be due to depression or other biochemical changes basing on Food habits, age. In addition to treating depression, it is also better to try for a sound sleep either with medicines or physical exercises.
Thanks for your valuable advise.
Ravi Meduri
I was just diagnosed on 9/14/10 and I can tell you that I am overwhelmed and scared. Reading this gives me hope that I am just like other people and I can get on with my life.
Good post MAYS love to all GREG