Quote:
Originally Posted by norcal89  .... Sure i can say that im a diabetic but it doesn't sink in. When i think about my future i don't picture the diabetes. It seems like it would be easy.....check, take insulin. But there is something that i just can't seem to grasp. It seems like a like to pretend its not there, ... |
I think we all go through the stage you describe in some way or another. It is part of a grieving process - you are grieving the loss of your health. The main stages of the grieving process are :
- Denial
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance and hope
It sounds like you are still in the Denial stage. This is a particularly difficult stage for young people, as teenagers believe that nothing bad will ever happen to them. It is a well known part of the developmental process. I was diagnosed T1 at the age of 21 and I remember getting stuck in the Bargaining phase. I used to tell myself "I want to have fun now, and (in exchange) I will start looking after the diabetes next year". I was essentially bargaining with this thing I didn't want to deal with. The problem is that "next year" never comes. People trying to give up smoking do the same thing.
Depression isn't really a stage, as it comes and goes during the whole process. Ultimately, we need to get to the Acceptance phase, where we accept that life will never be the same again but find ways to make the most of it.
We all go through this process, so you are not alone in it. While hearing that may be re-assuring to you, moving through the process is something you need to drive yourself. Coming to a forum like this should help. And I suggest you find a counselor to help with it. Having someone that asks the right questions and then listens to the answers you provide can be an enormous help, in terms of clarifying your thinking and making the progress you are looking for.
