Anxiety

Worry can get in the way of your health.

Are you an anxious person? Do you have a hard time controlling your worrying? Do you feel "on edge" a lot? Do you get tired easily? Do you have difficulty concentrating? Does your mind often go blank? Are you irritable? Do you experience a lot of muscle tension? Is it hard for you to fall asleep or stay asleep, or do you have restless, unsatisfying sleep? Do you have panic attacks? If you have some of these symptoms almost every day, perhaps anxiety - related or not related to diabetes - is getting in the way of your enjoying life, as well as getting in the way of your taking care of yourself.

If your anxiety is getting in the way of your doing what you need to do, or in the way of your enjoying life, you may benefit from psychotherapy and/or anti-anxiety medication. You need to be able to relax and focus on the changes you need to make to take care of your diabetes.

Asking for help is a sign of strength. It means you are open to learning and to change.

If you are anxious specifically about your diabetes, get as much support as you can. Use your diabetes health care team. Get your family educated about diabetes. Join the American Diabetes Association and other diabetes organizations. Volunteer for these diabetes organizations, and make friends with people with diabetes. The more people you know who are connected to the diabetes world, the more chances you have of learning helpful tips, and of getting support. You will hear about promising new research and technical developments. You will learn how others deal with situations that you also face - whether that includes traveling to the Third World, having problems with blood sugars after you go to the gym, or where to buy your diabetes supplies at a good price.

If you live on a daily basis with the kinds of symptoms described above, consider having a consultation with a therapist. There are many ways to get help with anxiety - including gaining a deeper understanding of what is driving your anxiety, talking our your problems so you become less anxious, learning different types of relaxation, and taking medication if necessary.

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