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Hello, I'm Barbara Schochet, Ph.D. I am a psychologist, and one of the things I like to do is work with people who have diabetes.
This site offers support and psychological education for you in dealing with the everyday psychological challenges of diabetes, based on my work with patients. I want to help people understand how diabetes can affect them psychologically, and in turn how their thoughts and feelings affect how they handle their diabetes.
Over the years, I have met a lot of wonderful people who have diabetes. I have worked with people who were not raised with the emotional skills to handle their diabetes. I have worked with people who have hypoglycemia unawareness. I have worked with partners who are nurturing and partners who are fed up -- and sometimes those are the same people! I have worked with people who happen to have diabetes, but are in therapy because they keep finding themselves in destructive relationships.
Now it's time to share some of these ideas. Some of you may be in a regular diabetes support group, and have a great relationship with your doctor. Some of you may live in areas where they is no support for diabetes.
What does psychology have to do with diabetes?
Just about everything!
People often ask me this question! Right after I respond, they often tell me about a relative who couldn't manage his/her diabetes (such as having a chocolate cream pie obsession) and who has suffered a lot physically because of it.
Taking care of your diabetes has EVERYTHING to do with your attitudes and feelings:
Diabetes is INVISIBLE! Your hand doesn't turn green when your blood sugar is high. You have to DO something (test your blood sugar) just to find out what your body is doing.
YOU run the show - YOU are in charge. Diabetes gives you some control over how you handle it, which is both wonderful and difficult. You are not helpless, but it's a lot of work! And, even when you do everything "according to the book," your blood sugars may not do what you expect.
Learning to live successfully with diabetes is a process
No one is ever "ready" to get diabetes, and you are asked to learn a lot and make a lot of changes at once.
Every time your life changes, you may have to adjust your diabetes routine.
Yet, stress and life changes can affect your diabetes control. When your blood sugars are whipsawing up and down, it can make it harder to deal with everyday life.
Good control can make a big difference in your long term health. The goal of this site is to offer some useful information on psychological aspects of managing your diabetes. Topics will be added over time, and I am interested in your suggestions.
How to use this site
This site is organized by topics. You can either read whole portions in sequence (like the "roadblocks" section) or jump around and choose what seems important to you. Because I am not a physician, the medical information here is limited. It is not medical advice. You should always consult your physician or diabetes educator for medical advice. Throughout the site you may see a marker like this:  If you click on the marker, it will take you to a bibliography of medical resources, where you can learn more. Click the "back" button on your browser to get back to the original page.
You can also let me know by e-mail if there are other topics you would like to see on this site.
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Disclaimer: This website is psychological education. It is also designed to help you feel that you're not alone in struggling with diabetes, or with a loved one who has diabetes. I advocate getting support for those who need help in coping with diabetes. This website is not intended to be a substitute for professional care. If you think you have a mental health problem, see a licensed mental health professional immediately. I am a psychologist and work with people individually to help them cope with their diabetes or other issues. This website offers some general education that may be helpful, but it is not psychotherapy and it does not address any one person's needs online. |
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