Mental health and T1D | JDRF Canada

Diabetes Stress Management: Developing Resilience 

Living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) isn’t always easy. You may experience stress from your demanding management routine, the cost of diabetes supplies and/or the perceived stigma of having a chronic condition.

The social and emotional effects of T1D are very real, and can lead to experiencing burnout, depression and anxiety. Despite these frustrations and hurdles, many people with diabetes are able to achieve positive outcomes in both their diabetes management and their personal lives.

The ability to overcome these challenges and rebound from low points is often referred to as resilience.

“Resiliency in diabetes is to hold onto our sense of normalcy, adventure, love and wonderment for the world all the while managing an ever present disease” – Laura, age 37, living with T1D

For some people, knowledge is power. By learning more about T1D, how to manage it, and the impact on you and your life, you can become better at predicting and managing different situations that may generate stress. For others, preparation and planning for different scenarios can help to reduce potential unknowns and stressors. A change in routine, like travelling, can be stressful. However, careful planning ahead can minimize stress. Even then – sometimes you can do everything “perfectly” and diabetes still doesn’t cooperate. This happens to everyone once in a while, but fostering resilience can help you realize that maybe it’s just a bad day, and to try again tomorrow.

How To Build Resilience 

Everyone has personal strengths that they can identify and work on to try and become more resilient.

For example, someone who is highly organized might channel that trait into a more structured approach to coping and management. That could involve setting goals and planning ahead. Try it out for yourself—here are a few questions you can ask yourself to identify your own strengths:

• What do you enjoy doing?
• What do you do well?
• How can you harness these strengths to help better deal with the stress of managing your diabetes?

“Even if it seems like it’s hard you can actually do it. You can learn how to count carbs, and you can learn how to give your own shots, and you can learn how to do things. Don’t think you can’t do it, because you can do it.” – Cody, age 10, living with T1D

Your medical team, caregivers, family and friends can all be part of promoting resilience as well. Family members can offer support and compassion. Friends and colleagues can inform themselves on how to respond in a hypoglycemic emergency. Partners and other diabetes caregivers can come with you to your doctor’s appointments and provide reassurance that you are not alone. Mental health providers can also work with you to help increase your resilience.

“Having a strong social support network, being able to lean on your partner, other members of your home, as well as having to trust in the technology, being able to utilize as CGM or flash glucometer at night has given me such peace of mind.” – Becca, age 44, parent of child living with T1D

Platforms like Facebook and other social media channels can be a source of support, and help you find peers who have had similar experiences and can relate to what you are going through. Check out the JDRF Canada Type One Diabetes Support Group on Facebook, or the Community Activities page for local events. Making connections through an online diabetes community has been associated with lower blood-glucose levels than those who do not—which in itself can help reduce stress.

Technology and Resilience 

Developing resilience can also involve the resources and tools that you use to manage your condition. Technologies like flash glucose monitors (Flash GMs) continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps may simplify your diabetes management routine, improve your quality of life and help you feel more in control.

Diabetes management technology may be more beneficial to building resilience for some people than others—if you haven’t considered incorporating this technology into your lifestyle, now may be the time to explore.

“My continuous glucose monitor is a tool that I can’t do without, that gives me a sense of freedom, that allows me to do activities without the fear of severe hypoglycemia.” – Henri, age 32, living with T1D

 

Seek Out Supportive Communication 

Resilience is associated with strong social support. When reaching out to others for support when feeling stressed by the challenges of managing T1D, it is important that the people you look to for support provide encouragement, rather than criticism or judgment.

Here are a few examples of critical versus supportive language. If you find that your friends and loved ones often make comments that resemble the phrases on the left, you may want to try and discuss positive reinforcement by sharing these examples with them.

Aside from offering to help out or lend an ear, it can also be effective for others to acknowledge the efforts and successes of people with T1D. Recognition of your progress can provide positive reinforcement and help keep you motivated.

“I think of my family, my friends who have been there every time I’ve had to face difficulties because of my diagnosis, who will be there for the difficulties to come.” – Henri, age 32, living with T1D