Dealing with Stress

[scara]

hey there everyone,

Seems I now have almost no ability to deal with stress. Generally this is worse when I'm low (cause then I'm cranky too!) but at work or at home I seem to have very little patience now.....

I'm trying to figure out if it's just cause the diabetes is always on my mind so I have no "reserve" any more....

So, if that is the case, does it get any easier with time? Does the effect on patience seem to lessen?

Thanks!!

[rzrbks]

First, sit down, put your feet up and have a nice cup of chicken noodle soup or maybe a cappuccino.

You haven't been part of the Diabetes Group that long yet and I know there is some confusion and a lot of questions. This leads to stress.

B. Stress can be a major player in how your Diabetes reacts with your body, so, one thing you can do is find ways to remove as much stress as possible. One way many of us here do this is by coming to DiabetesForums----lots of folks caring about each other.

Next, B/G #s running high or low do, in fact, have an effect on your psychological state. I know that I am more likely to acuse people of having unmarried parents when I'm running high; when low, I tend to be lethargic(well, more so than a normal husband lol)


What has happened to me is that I have learned to recognize the indications that I'm High or Low and then I know how to compensate for my emotional state and see what action (food or insulin) needs to be taken.


Fourth, Be patient with yourself and be sure to try and have friends, family, co-workers, whoever you're comfortable with, know all the things you're having to go through. You know, a personal support group.


E. Spend as much time as needed here at Diabetes Forums being with folks who understand, care, and help each other as much as possible.

[scara]

thanks for the advice, I gotta say that this site and the people here are awesome... it makes a huge difference to have a group of people that can relate to all this around....

hope it gets easier as time goes on....

:confused:

[drewgolden]

FIRST manage yourself. In all respects. Everything else is second. Period.

Keep yourself reasonably fit. Eat reasonably well. AND MANAGE YOUR SUGAR within Reason of course. GlycoHemoglobins should be between 6 and 7.

THEN worry about other things.....

Another rule of thumb for me is MAKE SURE YOU LIKE YOUR JOB. You will spend most of your life working. So for heavens sake find something you enjoy, and if you don't enjoy it find something else. Nothing worse that being trapped in a job you hate.

Your life, then family, then work and friends. In that order.

drew

[Cyborg]

B/G #s running high or low do, in fact, have an effect on your psychological state

This is so true. The irony is that the opposite is also true. Stress can actually affect your bg values. The brain is the largest consumer of glucose in the human body. So if your bg values are going low and spiking high several times a day, this can have a huge impact on your psyche and your emotional state and you can end up in a kind of viscous cycle. The best thing to do is get control of your bg levels and try to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. As already suggested, make time for yourself. If you are the type of person that is always trying to please everyone else, stop. Put yourself first. Make you the number one priority. Strive to make yourself happy and everyone around you will naturally enjoy being around you as your happiness will be contagious. :)

[Georgia]

Another rule of thumb for me is MAKE SURE YOU LIKE YOUR JOB.

Totally agree with you there :top: My job was very stressful so I gave it up to focus on me & my health. Fortunately my husband has a good paying job & he has been very supportive.

Do you like music? If so, put on a CD & let yourself go!! :dancing2:

[scara]

thanks for the advice/pep talk....I am lucky to have a great wife and family, might have to lean on them more.... :cheers:

[archimeech]

SCARA,
You sound like me. lol
Take care of yourself, your loved ones, and try not to worry about the tings you can't control. It's easier said than done, but will help. The roller coaster we are on every day because of the big D doesn't help any, but take each day at a time. I find that rather than trying to do it all, make a list wether written or mental of all the things you are in control of and need to correct or change in life. Then start whittling that list down, 1 at a time. Take a week, or a month on each and pretty soon those issues will be non-issues. Then just move on to the next one. After a while each of them will become part of your everyday routine and then won't be a burden anymore.

baby steps, my friend, baby steps.

p.s. don't forget to enjoy life while you're living it. You never know when it will end. :)

[Aftiel]

I saw a great bumper sticker the other day relating to this.

It read:

"Don't take life too seriously
-- it isn't permanent"



- Aftiel

[scara]

nice! I like the bumper sticker....

:top:

[Carsco]

If you are the type of person that is always trying to please everyone else, stop. Put yourself first. Make you the number one priority. Strive to make yourself happy and everyone around you will naturally enjoy being around you as your happiness will be contagious. :)

Scara, this is good advice. Cut yourself a break. Give yourself some time. You are surrounded by people that love you. Even when you're cranky. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be exactly the way you were before being diagnosed. You expect too much from yourself too quickly. Let others take care of you for once! It'll get easier, I guarantee* it.

*Not a guarantee. :o

[perkeyo]

I cant tell sometimes if i'm high because of stress, or i'm stressed because i'm high. I get so cranky and grouchy when i have blood sugar, i just dont feel good. So my first piece of advice is that if you ever do find yourself stressed out, blood sugar comes first. Why make an already stressful situtation harder on yourself?

[am1977]

hey there everyone,

Seems I now have almost no ability to deal with stress. Generally this is worse when I'm low (cause then I'm cranky too!) but at work or at home I seem to have very little patience now.....

I'm trying to figure out if it's just cause the diabetes is always on my mind so I have no "reserve" any more....

So, if that is the case, does it get any easier with time? Does the effect on patience seem to lessen?

Thanks!!

Oh, boy, can I relate :dito:. My Diabetes is always on my mind or even if I'm not thinking about it directly, it's still there at the back of my mind.

Not too long ago, I had a discussion with my family...ok, more like an argument...over how much time I spend obsessing on this disease. According to my Mom, it's the only thing I ever want to discuss and I have no other interests. Though it bothered me that she said that at the time:mad:, I reflected on it a bit and concluded that she was probably right.

However, saying that, when so much time is involved monitoring, watching what you eat, adjusting/giving doses of insulin, etc... of course, it's going to play a big role in your life. In a way, it's hard not to let it take over it. That's the problem I have.

Ok, let me just clarify something I have said about my discussion of diabetes with my family. I don't think it bothers my Mom to talk about it, but when I'm constantly stressed out about my numbers I have a hard time not taking out that frustration on her. I guess I was venting a lot about it, which isn't really fair, b/c it's not her fault and there really isn't too much she can do about my control.

There're times when we still argue about it, but I know that controlling this disease is really only in my hands... And also to stress so much about it can make things worse. It's not uncommon for stress to drive your sugars up :eek:. So now when I have difficulty controlling my blood sugar, I try to stay calm and if I need to talk about it, I don't let my emotions get the better of me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, yes, obviously we need to manage this disease in order to stay healthy and live a long life. But, there's a fine line of controlling it and letting it control you or your life. To let it take over so much of your life can take so much enjoyment out of it and can make things pretty dreary. You need to take care of yourself as best as possible and still live your life...don't let this disease ever stop you from doing that. It can be stressful dealing with this chronic illness 24/7, but in that situation, sometimes we need to take a step back and put thing in perspective. Most likely, that stress will pass and things will be ok.

I hope this (long) response helps somewhat.

hang in there :five:

[scara]

yeah, it has really helped just to hear that people can relate, it's really surprised me how much this whole thing has stressed me out... it seems that the mental aspect of this has affected me more than others and certainly more than I expected..... food used to be fun.... not so much right now.... but it is getting better, and I'm trying not to be so hard on myself and to lean on others more....
;)

[psilocybin]

if your sugars go up from stress should we bolus for it? or do they go back down when u calm down?

[Gangrel]

Maybe this is going to come across as crass, and probably not make me very popular, but, in the end, maybe it will help more then make me look like an a$$.

I find a lot of people on here worry wayyyyyy too much about their diabetes, and I wonder if that's just causing the dog to reach around and bite his tail? You just end up spinning around and around and around......

Maybe it's just my nature, as my girlfriend always asks me how I can be so relaxed all the time..... (I am from Nova Scotia, so maybe that's it!) but I literally only think about the big D when I'm testing my sugars, and inject myself. Also, of course, if I'm feeling high or low......

But literally, I test, take the right amount of Humlalog, eat my reasonably healthy meal, and move on. I don't sit and think about how this food has carbs that release into the blood later then if I chose this other food.

I don't sit and think every day about how in another 30 years I could be blind, or have lost a limb, or whatnot..... Sure, It crosses my mind from time to time, but I don't dwell on it. If you really wanted to, you could use up all 24 hours a day thinking about all the tiniest little details, about the food you eat, and all that stuff, and for some, it is probably necessary if you're by nature out of control anyway.

But, I'm pretty stable, and yes, I'm fortunate in that. But I also think it's because I just don't give a youknowwhat a lot of the time. If I go out to eat and want dessert, I eat the chocolate cake, and just take extra insulin.

That's it, that's all. If you keep the stresses down, that's a big part of the problem right there that you're creating yourself! So sit back, crack open a beer or a cooler, put your feet up, and live life, don't be consumed by it........

[Floss]

I can see where you're coming from Gangrel - this disease can easily take your life over if you let it. When you're going through a hard time it seems to take up far too much of your thoughts, life, etc than it should.

Striking a balance between devoting time to it and letting it comsume your life is hard :(

I think it's important to make sure you have the best treatment possible - if you're not happy with your diagnosis, diet, meds, insulin etc. then don't give up, persist with the docs - that way you have every chance to feel as well as possible and you know you've done your best and then I think it may not be on your mind so much .......... at least that's my hope :)

Sometimes I think of it as a battle.... if it totally rules your life, then it's won...

[Beenthere]

You've already been given some very good advise on dealing with your diabetes in relation to stress. With a Hba1C of 5.8 you are already doing very well - just be sure that average is not made up of drastic highs and lows. Interestingly, depression is 7 times more prevalent in diabetics than the general population. But moreover, stress and diabetes are dangerous partners and if either or both have the edge you could end up with some much more serious like a heart attack.

Don't worry, be happy. I've been diabetic for a very long time - and luckily I'm still around to share a story or two. Don't think of it as 'managing your diabetes' - just accept it as your way of life and it gets alot easier. Take care of your self as any health conscious person would and you will be a joy to yourself and the have the envy of others.

[Stumpkins]

Gangrel: YOU ARE MY HERO -- What a wonderful attitude and way of thinking! Please please please, teach me the way!!

[psilocybin]

Maybe this is going to come across as crass, and probably not make me very popular, but, in the end, maybe it will help more then make me look like an a$$.

I find a lot of people on here worry wayyyyyy too much about their diabetes, and I wonder if that's just causing the dog to reach around and bite his tail? You just end up spinning around and around and around......

Maybe it's just my nature, as my girlfriend always asks me how I can be so relaxed all the time..... (I am from Nova Scotia, so maybe that's it!) but I literally only think about the big D when I'm testing my sugars, and inject myself. Also, of course, if I'm feeling high or low......

But literally, I test, take the right amount of Humlalog, eat my reasonably healthy meal, and move on. I don't sit and think about how this food has carbs that release into the blood later then if I chose this other food.

I don't sit and think every day about how in another 30 years I could be blind, or have lost a limb, or whatnot..... Sure, It crosses my mind from time to time, but I don't dwell on it. If you really wanted to, you could use up all 24 hours a day thinking about all the tiniest little details, about the food you eat, and all that stuff, and for some, it is probably necessary if you're by nature out of control anyway.

But, I'm pretty stable, and yes, I'm fortunate in that. But I also think it's because I just don't give a youknowwhat a lot of the time. If I go out to eat and want dessert, I eat the chocolate cake, and just take extra insulin.

That's it, that's all. If you keep the stresses down, that's a big part of the problem right there that you're creating yourself! So sit back, crack open a beer or a cooler, put your feet up, and live life, don't be consumed by it........

very good way to put it. you dont actually have to worry about it all the time.. u just have to pay attention to it.which does become second nature.

[Gangrel]

And a few Alexander Keith's helps keep you relaxed too.... ;)

[Pitzi]

depression is 7 times more prevalent in diabetics than the general population. .There you go, me being the prime example.

Diabetes has taken my life over to such an extent, that it rules my life. I really don't know how to overcome it, and as a result = depression

[scara]

yeah, I can see why depression and diabetes can go hand in hand... I seem to take all my readings very personally... and it's not like you can achieve blood sugar control better than when you weren't diabetic... all the work is with the goal of a "normal" reading... so there is little reward and lots of potential stress from the misses.

and for sure the Alexander Keith's helps!! :proud: Funnily enough my favorite pub is called The Pump.... it must be diabetes friendly with a name like that!!

[Gangrel]

ahhh, would that be the Liuetenant's Pump on Elgin? ;)

I may have had a pint or hundred there.............

[scara]

That's the one, love that place!! Great for reducing stress (to stay on topic....):beer: