Diabetes And Mental Health: Caring For Diabetics From Psychology
An often forgotten aspect of type 2 diabetes is the mental health burden that patients with this disease must face. Fortunately, there are lifestyle-based strategies and some natural supplements that can help patients deal with stress related to diabetes and depression.
Before reading this article, we recommend you read our article ‘How do I know if I have Diabetes? Main warning symptoms’ so that you know exactly the symptoms of this condition.
The Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder caused by an absolute or relative lack of insulin to. Type 1 diabetes mellitus usually begins in childhood with the inability of the pancreas to secrete insulin and properly regulate blood sugar. The most common type of diabetes mellitus is type 2. It usually begins in adulthood due to poor lifestyle habits and is characterized by a lack of insulin sensitivity, which cannot be overcome. by the pancreas.
At the moment, Diabetes patients have many natural health products within their reach as well as very good diets that help improve blood sugar regulation while reducing risk factors for kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness, and cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks.
However, many doctors approach type 2 diabetes, focusing mainly on hormonal disturbances, visual damage, nerve damage, cardiovascular problems and kidney problems, but the mental health consequences are rarely discussed and managed. of those living with the disease.
Type 2 diabetes affects the mind and body, making it imperative that doctors take a holistic approach in disease management.
Mental health problems and diabetes
The mental health burden that patients with diabetes face is concerning. Compared to non-diabetic patients, the severity of depression and anxiety disorders is usually much more pronounced s. The combination of psychological disorders and diabetes is especially harmful because it can have a negative impact on psychosocial and medical outcomes.
Among patients with type 2 diabetes, those with depressive symptoms tend to become stressed more easily d, which leads to an increase in the person’s negativity, which, in turn, causes the affected person to end up seeing their behavior and mood change.
The Depression and anxiety can also lead to other seemingly unrelated health problems For example, a recent study showed that, compared with healthy subjects, type 2 diabetes patients with severe depression and anxiety have a higher prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms.
There is even a specific personality trait attributed to type 2 diabetes known as Type D (distressed personality) , which in Spanish means “distressed personality.” Type 2 diabetic patients with Type D personality increasingly feel more alone. Additionally, it increases stress and emotional distress.
Controlling stress
While it is clear that type 2 diabetes increases the likelihood of having mental health problems and managing the daily stresses of life, the good news is that there are numerous strategies that can help patients better manage their psychological health and live a harmonious life.
Yoga
One of the best strategies is to do yoga several times a week. The Yoga It helps build awareness of the body and is very effective in calming the nervous system It is an activity in which numerous postures are performed that integrate the body and mind.
According to a 2011 study, yoga practice “improves muscle strength and flexibility of the body; promotes and improves respiratory and cardiovascular function; promotes addiction recovery and treatment; reduces stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain; improve sleep patterns; and improve general well-being and quality of life ”.
Another recent study showed that yoga significantly improved the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that yoga helps manage the symptoms and complications associated with type 2 diabetes.
Regularly practicing yoga can help type 2 diabetic patients have less psychological distress and better management of their disease.
The other advantage is the potential absence of side effects, as yoga is free of side effects when practiced correctly.
Mindfuness and mindfulness meditation
Mind training is a form of meditation that helps people focus your attention on the present , and encourages people to have a positive attitude toward that experience. The rationale for this type of meditation has been validated in medical literature, especially for chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Similar research has shown that participation in this type of meditation can benefit the patient’s ability to cope with diabetes-related symptoms in addition to improving the quality of life and well-being of these people.
To know all the psychological benefits of Mindfulness, you can visit our article “Mindfulness: 8 benefits of full attention”.
Useful supplements
The most advisable thing is to complement yoga with a treatment based on natural medicines to help eliminate stress and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression In any case, we should always consult a health professional to make sure which supplements are most suitable for each person.
One of my favorite natural medicines for type 2 diabetes is the mineral chromium. This mineral It has the property of increasing the sensitivity of insulin in the body Numerous studies have revealed that the mineral chromium can improve the effectiveness of blood sugar stabilizing medications, thus optimizing glucose control. A meta-analysis showed that supplemental chromium reduced both glycated hemoglobin and fasting blood sugar levels.
