If you have a friend or loved one with diabetes, you become part of their support network and play a vital role that others cannot. However, there is something even more useful that supporters can do, and that is active listening

(more)

There is plenty of research about the effects of diabetes on health. But few studies have addressed what people want when it comes to their health care.

If you’ve just learned that you have diabetes, you will be happy to know it can be managed. Diabetes affects the pancreas, an organ in the abdomen that makes insulin. Insulin is a hormone that brings sugar to cells so it can be used for energy.

(more)

Dealing with diabetes means handling a lot of challenging situations. For teenagers and young adults especially, having your life “turned upside-down” can be quite depressing. But could depression somehow lead to getting diabetes?

It’s tough enough to manage diabetes when everything is going well.  But what about when you’re depressed?  Well, it turns out that depression and diabetes are related. Feeling “blue” may raise a woman’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to research.

The diagnosis of diabetes brings out such a range of emotions that a person with diabetes is often taken by surprise.When confronted with a significant life change, a person normally goes through phases as he or she learns to cope with their situation.


(more)

You have probably seen it in a movie or on TV: someone gets very angry and suddenly has a heart attack. While it makes a great story, the real-life impact of emotional distress on your heart is usually not so sudden or dramatic.


(more)

In his book The Tipping Point, written for people in business, Malcolm Gladwell describes the tipping point as the point at which change will just happen. At a tipping point, change seems to happen naturally and quickly. So, how does this relate to diabetes?

(more)

Being told that you have diabetes may be one of the most difficult things you will ever hear. Although everyone’s experience is different, it is common for people to feel fear, disbelief, anger or sadness.

(more)

Support is an important part of caring for diabetes. It is easier to do all of the daily work of diabetes care and to make and maintain behavior changes when you have help from others. Support groups can provide this type of help.


(more)

Scared... angry... alone... frustrated… guilty... shocked... depressed... indifferent... You might have a difficult time believing and accepting that you have diabetes. Feeling sad, scared or even angry is OK.

Article originally appeared in 2003. One complication associated with diabetes most people don’t often think about is depression. Yet depression can go hand-in-hand with diabetes.

(more)

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. We all have stresses to deal with—stress related to work, family, relationships or our health. The truth is, almost anything can be stressful, and stress that is not managed well can be harmful physically and mentally.

(more)

Do you remember the song, "Time is on my side?"  When it comes to caring for diabetes, does it feel like time is on your side, or the enemy? It may not always feel like it, but we make choices about how we spend our time. 

Your loved one has diabetes. What are you going to do? First, don’t panic. Diabetes is a treatable medical condition. For people with diabetes, the pancreas does not always make enough insulin, a hormone that brings sugar into cells so it can be used for energy.

(more)