Emotional Self-Care (Part 2)

Equipping yourself with the skill of self-care will reduce the risk of unhealthy effects from stress.
Many people go through a period of denial when they are first diagnosed with diabetes; this is only normal.  Denial helps you deal with bad news. Denial can keep you from being overwhelmed and gives you time to accept the diabetes or any serious problem.  The main problem comes when you keep denying you have a very serious disease.  Long-term denial will prevent you from learning what you need to know about your disease and managing it.  Improper care of your diabetes will eventually lead to serious complications.  If you are going to deal with denial, you must first accept the fact you have a problem.  Realize that it takes a long time to learn about the disease and develop a good care plan.  Set goals and seriously try to reach them.  Manage the disease; don't let it manage you.  Practice good glycemic control to stay mentally and physically healthy.
Having diabetes can cause a lot of anger.  You may feel the diabetes is not only a threat to your health, but to your whole way of life.  Don't let anger keep you from controlling a disease that you will have for the rest of your life, unless there is a cure, it will never go away.  Figure out what bothers you the most.  Find a way to make the anger work for you.  Don't be afraid to speak to someone about your anger.
Our thoughts influence how we feel and what we do.  Try being positive rather than always being negative.
Everyone feels down occasionally, but if these feelings linger too long, it can be a sign of serious depression.  Depression is characterized by altered mood.  A depressed person may lose interest in usually pleasurable activities and start to feel everything is hopeless.  People with diabetes have a greater risk of depression.  Just like denial and anger, depression can become a vicious cycle.

Symptoms of Depression

• You are no longer interested in things you used to enjoy, such as eating, working, friends, hobbies, or entertainment.
• You can't fall asleep, you wake up in the night and can't go back to sleep, or you may need more sleep than you used to.
• You are tired or fatigued all the time, but there is no apparent reason.
• You are eating a lot more, or less, that usual and are gaining or losing weight.
• You just can't seem to think or concentrate anymore.
• You are nervous and restless, can't sit still.
• You quit trying to do things because you just can't seem to get anything right.  It is very frustrating, you say, "Why bother?"
• You are so sad you feel like you just want to die.
• You have feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, or excessive guilt.
• You feel set apart from family and friends.
• You feel frustrated, out-of-control, and are always sad.

You need help. You can't handle this type of depression alone.  There may be a physical cause for your depression.  Have your doctor check the medications you are taking first.  But please do get help!  Get help from a professional, join a support group, or talk to your clergy.
If you are extremely depressed, you might contemplate suicide,  You really do not want to die; you just want the problems, hurt, and pain to go away.  Suicide is not the answer because it leaves a tremendous trail of problems, guilt, pain, and hurt for those left behind.  Suicide not only affects you, but also everyone who knows and loves you.  The people left behind are absolutely devastated.  If the suicide attempt is not successful, the resulting situation can be worse than it was before the attempt.
God says He controls life and death.  If you are a Christian, I don't believe suicide is an option.  God forbids the taking of a life, any life, even your own.  If you can't help yourself, find someone who can.