Hi
I was just wondering what other people find helpful when they find diabetes a struggle emotionally? i’ve been through so many ups and downs with mine, and gone through to the next step, but i’m very interested to see how other people cope.
Also i’m considering setting up a support group for teen in my local area (already working with teens and a local teen organisation in my town) what would you think would be good to have happen each time we would meet.
The biggest help you will find is to talk to others with diabetes. They understand how you feel, all you need to do is talk. There are alot of peolpe out there that can help you. So you are in the right place…set up your group it will help you and others.
Go for it.
Good luck
Bill
Ditto the above. However, I would add that it is a good idea to get professional help when life is weighing way too much on your mind.
Lois La Rose
Milwaukee, WI
I have struggled emotionally with diabetes at times. I was diagnosed 41 years ago. I still struggle at times. As people below have written, getting into a diabetes support group & being able to talk to others who have diabetes is a huge help! I’m finding this website to be a great help too. I also began practicing buddhism 12 years ago and have found my buddhist practice to be a huge benefit for me in terms of spiritually + emotionally dealing with diabetes. It’s been really interesting as this sect of buddhism meets regularly for discussion meetings & to share both struggles & victories, and to encourage each other. More & more people have started practicing buddhism in my neighborhood who have Type 1 diabetes. Very strange! A woman about my age recently began practicing 6 months ago and she has shared so many great tips with me in regards to diabetes. It’s been a wonderful benefit for me to have met her. It feels quite serendipitous! Stay connected to your doctor too. That’s always helpful for me when I’m struggling. A therapist who’s familiar with diabetes might help too. Good luck!
I would do non diabetic stuff. and diabetic stuff occasionally. Kids need to know that life goes on. Do not ignore the obvious elephant in the room, but you know basketball is a wonderful winter activity.
Rick Phillips
oh and emotional help. Yes it is a big deal. Kids are likely just darn mad, that is ok, I am still angry 34 years later. What you can do however is not preach do some research updates, use hope, and listen listen listen.
Rick Phillips
Your plan is to let the teens talk about their struggles will give them fellowship and help them to see that they are not alone in this disease.
ZoZo:
Not to sound pompous, but please go to my home page and read my profile. It says all I could hope to say without having to retype it all here. I am hoping I can encourage you to hang in there. I get psychological help and take antidepressants. But, most of all, I am hoping to use my experiences in the past 6 years to help others come through it unscathed. If you do look, let me know if I can be of further help.
Lovingly Yours,
Lois La Rose, Milwaukee, WI
Being a teen is rough enough ! Trying to" fit in" ,trying to find out who you are…etc. Dealing with the pecking order . And not to forget those @#*% hormones. Then to have to deal with diabetes ; talk about feeling different than everyone else ,when it’s so important to “fit in”. And you know some jerk is going to point it out ,if given a chance.(If you read some of the other fourms you will see older people still have to deal with jerks.) Then there is issues of dating and parties. Mood swings are part of the disease with the swift in BG highs and lows.
I’ll letyou in on a little secret , as a teen ,I worried about fitting in and at 50 I found out I was right were I belong that I really did fit in and EVERYONE else was struggling with the same issue of trying to fit in ,diabetic or not.
I think it is great that you want to start a local support group. Allow the group to be open to all kind things .But don’t allow one person to take over all the conversation. And don’t allow it to become a pity party.
Good Luck and Let Us Know How It’s Going!
I think teen organizations are great. I was involved in one when I was in high school and I have very proud memories of it. We took an abandoned church and turned it into the local teen hot spot.
Is it for diabetic teens OR all teens?
My suggestions:
Thats interesting, I have just started doing Mindful Meditatiom as a way to help cope. I have had some good results , but really just a novice. But i see how Meditation and such helps. I have ran and been apart of support groups, I think the important part is to try and end with answers rather than just complaints. There is time for complaints ,but ending on hope a;lways seemed a better way to part
Oh yes, Fun. I am far from a teen but get very fed up with being preached to about all the things I try to do well and don’t always succeed. Fun is very important.
I agree that doing non-diabetic stuff is 1) good and 2) can force you to focus on diabetes so it doesn’t get in the way of whatever sort of fun you choose? I tenatively started studying Tae Kwon Do about 5 or 6 years ago, as I was heavier and felt like I needed some focus. It helped a lot and helped me look closely at taking better care of myself, not just BG but blood pressure, diet, cholesterol, all sorts of stuff. At the end, I was working out 5-6 days/ week, running and lifting weights@ lunch and other stuff I would have said “I’ll never do that…” about when I started.
It may not be for everyone but I always wished I had started when I was like 20 because the 20 year olds really could get a lot of it! At the same time, any sort of activity would be better than sitting around staring at your BG all day! good luck!
Yes contact with other people who understand is important. But sometimes other diabetics can be preachy or surpringly non-compassionate. I posted about a waitress telling me I was being "difficult" by asking for no croutons and dressing on the side with my salad and someone here posted that I should just eat at home. ! Really! So I often have to temper my expectationsthat I have in dealing with other diabetics. I'm sure I've been preachy too so I want to be humble about it. But the other thing is to try to educate people on how to help. I tell my friends and family, "If you want to give a diabetic a gift, say, "How's it going? I'm proud of you. It must take a lot of work. How can I help?"
The emotional part of diabetes is really hard. I find that if I get discouraged and lazy,I just try to do better the next day.
Maria
p.s. Not to push anything down anyone's throat, but for me, faith in God through Jesus is what gets me through.
Maria
I would have a professional facilitate the process...they can identify serious signs of depression and can intervene if needed.