Click here for the Throwback Thursday: What Brings Me Down - Thursday 5/18 Link List
Today let’s revisit a prompt from 2014 - May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and how do you cope? (Thanks again to Scott for this 2014 topic
I feel fortunate that over the years, I have gone through a small handful of long lasting bouts with burnout & borderline depression. Not to say that I don't feel that mental tax of dealing with and managing my disease every single day. Then there's dealing with how others deal with me and my disease, and feeling anxious about doctor appointments, and dealing with health insurance, and and and...
....and then there are great days when it seems like the planets align and things run as they should. And then there are the really really bad days. Or just really bad days. Or just days. With diabetes, when things don't align despite knowing you've followed the right steps, it gets frustrating. You don't feel well physically or mentally. There's not ever a break from it, even on the easier days.
This post is all over the place but it's a good example of how complex living with diabetes is.
So the question becomes, how do we deal with it all? The answer to that varies by person and situation, but here are some of the things I've learned over the years that have helped me, and maybe they will help you too:
Stop and take a breath:When I start to get overwhelmed, which is one of my trigger points, I try and stop to take a deep breath and ground myself. It's not always easy based on how much is running around in my head. But, forcing myself to take a deep breath, remind myself that stuff happens helps me. I'm then able to refocus my energy away from the negative and put a plan together to move ahead.
Get moving: I have also found it helpful to get moving. Walk, run, Zumba, weight lift, etc.
Talk it out: I don't often need advice on how to handle something, but I do often need to vent. It helps to get it out of my system. Usually whatever it is passes quickly but of course there are some things that linger longer than I like.
Pet a cat: To me there's nothing more soothing or calming than a purring cat.
To make a very long story short: take a deep breath, refocus, find something that makes you happy. It's very ok to ask for help. I'm not good at this part, but I'm working on it.
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