Building Competency in Diabetes Education THE ESSENTIALS

CHANGES ACROSS THE LIFESPAN| 4-49

EMOTIONS AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

“Living well with diabetes takes emotional strength” (110).

When initially diagnosed with diabetes, patients may experience a range of emotions and respond in a variety of ways (111,112). Many of these emotions may contribute to the negative feelings diabetes can generate, but other emotions may contribute to the positive outlook that sustains the patient. Since our thoughts influence our actions, it is essential for the educator to recognize the emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment, and to appropriately apply behaviour strategies with the aim of encouraging a positive view on the chronic illness and on the patient’s life (113). A patient may experience a range of emotions and respond in a variety of ways to his/her diabetes. These can include (30,114): • Denial • Depression • Anger • Fear • Acceptance • Guilt • Bargaining • Overcompensating • Intellectualizing • Recklessness • Withdrawal At diagnosis, emotional responses stemming from a sense of loss may be intense. The grief cycle phases described by Elizabeth Kubler Ross as an outcome of her work with dying patients can also be applied to patients experiencing other types of loss, such as a diagnosis of diabetes (30,115).