Learning that you have diabetes can be a huge shock, and patients may feel angry, sad, confused, or nervous about the diagnosis and all the changes it brings.
This is normal. If you can overcome these emotions, you can get back to your normal life.
Denial
The doctor diagnoses diabetes, but the patient still thinks, “This can’t be happening to me,” or thinks the diagnosis is wrong, or wants to wait for other test results.
This is denial.
This is denial. Many people feel this way when they are facing some major shock and don’t want to accept the reality.
After diagnosis, it is important to self-adjust as much as possible and to do so with the help and support of your doctor and family and friends. It is often a slow habit to get used to blood glucose testing, medication, medical appointments, diet control, and exercise.
Confusion
Like any other disease, diabetes can sometimes be difficult to manage. Patients may not understand what their doctor is saying or what they should do on their own. This is the time to learn to ask questions and figure out what you don’t understand. See if there are diabetes awareness and education classes nearby.
After a period of time, the patient will have a better understanding of the diabetic lifestyle, which helps to develop a life plan that includes when to take medications each day, when to measure blood glucose levels, exercise routines, and some healthy eating ideas. This plan can be shared with your doctor to see if changes are needed.
Anger
People may feel that anger is not a good thing. But anger is not always destructive or negative. Adjustments can be made to turn anger into strength.
Consider anger as a source of motivation. Use it as a motivator to do something good for your health, like exercise. The key is how to deal with these emotions when you are angry.
Sadness
It’s normal to feel sad occasionally. Patients may feel frustrated about having diabetes or the life changes they need to make.
Tell your doctor if these emotions are seriously affecting your life, or if they do not improve when you are doing things you enjoy, spending quality time with your loved ones, tell your doctor to take care of yourself. Your doctor will recommend support groups, counseling services, or other treatments to help get back to a normal life.