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Diabetes and Stress


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Beating Stress



Today's world is a busy, bustling place. People feel pulled in
many directions. Having diabetes is one more stress on top of
everything else. And stress can make diabetes harder to control.



Stress can be managed by:



 Learning what events stress you  Learning how you react to
stress  Changing your reaction to stress



Stress can be a good force or a bad force in your life. You
already know the bad side of stress. You may feel tense or tired.
Your stomach or head may hurt.



Stress has a good side as well. It can be a signal that something
in your life needs fixing. When stress at your job prods you to
look for a better one, or stress at home sends you to a marriage
counselor, stress has helped you.



Good or bad, stress can make your glucose levels go up. So it's
good to learn how to manage stress.



To get the stress in your life under control, you need to know
what makes you stressed and how you act when you're stressed.



Stresses that can raise glucose levels include:



 A rocky friendship  Marriage problems  Money worries  A new job
Anew house or apartment  A new baby  Worries about your children
Marriage or divorce



When you're stressed, pay attention to how you feel. Do you laugh
when nothing is funny? Or do you cry? Are you filled with anger?
Or do you feel empty? Do you push your friends away? Or do you
cling to them?



By figuring out what stresses you and how you react, you will
know when to keep a close eye on your glucose levels and take
extra steps to fight stress.



Sometimes, you can get rid of stresses by changing your life.
Sometimes, Stresses go away on their own. But some stresses are
here to stay, at least for a while. To reduce their bad effect on
you, you can change the way you react. For example, there's
little you can do to unsnarl a traffic jam. But you can choose to
be calm instead of full rage.



Good ways to cope with stress include:



 Talking about what's bothering you.  Joining a support group.
Practicing a hobby.  Exercising.  Learning to say "no".  Taking a
walk  Meditating. Practicing muscle relaxation techniques.
Talking with a therapist.



Some ways of dealing with stress are not healthful. They may make
you feel even worse!



These include:



 Smoking  Drinking alcohol  Eating fatty snacks  Withdrawing from
your friends and family



Related Pages:



 Arnot Ogden Medical Center: Diabetes Complications  Arnot Ogden
Medical Center: Diabetes and Foot Care



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