Having diabetes is emotionally difficult. Just knowing that one has diabetes and having to learn to deal with the many everyday reminders of the disease is stressful and frequently causes anxiety and psychological turmoil. Furthermore, emotional stress can cause great swings in blood sugar levels in diabetes. It is not uncommon for a person with diabetes, even one who generally maintains very careful blood sugar control, to experience high blood sugar levels during periods of tension, depression, or other psychological upset. It can be quite frustrating and frightening to know that no matter how careful a person with
diabetes may be about controlling blood sugar, the control may still be difficult. These fluctuations in blood sugar can be so distressing that they can even lead to greater swings in the level of blood sugar.
Psychological counseling or therapy might be useful in assisting people to cope more effectively with anxiety and stress, thereby helping to control blood sugar levels and thus increasing the patient's sense of well-being, both emotionally and physically. Talking with an experienced therapist might be beneficial, helping the person with diabetes to discover ways to deal better with the tension and anxiety that can build up, especially when it is difficult to
talk about those feelings with family and friends.
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