Diabetes Blog – Happy-Medium.net

Diabetes Blog Week is just like it sounds… diabetes bloggers all over the world, blogging on daily topics for an entire week. Or, in this year’s case, for five days. To find out all about Diabetes Blog Week and to sign up, CLICK HERE.

Are you ready? Here comes Thursday’s edition:

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.)

It’s true, Scott is fantastic, because he’s a nice guy and he looks at things in ways I often do not. At this stage of my life, I find that somehow comforting. I’m no longer intimidated by what I don’t understand.

Now, to the subject at hand. Like I stated in my post back in 2014, what brings me down most is watching others deal with their inner demons. At times, depression can be a debilitating chronic illness that makes life as much or more difficult than living with diabetes.

There’s a reason why I don’t watch many dramas on television these days. Let’s face it: the best dramas are the ones where the writers ramp up the tension as high as possible for as long as possible before the show’s climax. I have trouble feeling that tension for 55 minutes without any letup. It’s because even though they’re just characters in a TV show, I feel empathy for those feeling the tension, and I have trouble shaking that.

If I feel anything else emotionally about living with diabetes, it’s probably the guilt over the burden I feel I’m placing my loved ones under because of my diabetes. I felt it years ago when I couldn’t afford groceries, but I needed to order diabetes supplies and drugs to help me stay alive. I feel it now whenever I’m low and I can see the concern on their faces.

And even I am prone to the occasional bout with burnout. Who isn’t? There are times when I try not to think too much about it, and just do what I need to do until I feel okay again.

In fact, that’s how I often cope with these things. I don’t know how healthy it is to handle situations this way. But sometimes, I just focus on the next 15 minutes, and not on anything else. I can handle fifteen minutes. Thinking about everything all the time is asking too much.
 
 
Maya Angelou once said,

We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.
 
 
Coping is not a cure. But if we’re able to cope long enough, we can hopefully ease that concern of feeling defeated. We’re not meant to live a life full of drama and tension. Here’s hoping your days with diabetes are instead full of peace and happiness. Or loud music and happiness… as long as you’re happy, I’m good with either one.