Contents:
- Medical Video: Stress and DIABETES | Quick Fix
- Most diabetes patients experience psychological problems
- Then, what is the relationship between diabetes and stress?
- How to relieve stress of mind and other psychological problems due to diabetes
Medical Video: Stress and DIABETES | Quick Fix
Diabetes affects millions of people and remains one of the most common causes of death worldwide. This disease is associated with a myriad of deadly complications and conditions. Unfortunately, psychological problems aka the mental health of patients are often overlooked."Diabetes distress" or stress diabetes is one of the conditions most often experienced by people with diabetes. If you are one of those who experience it, see the various ways to relieve mind stress due to diabetes below.
Most diabetes patients experience psychological problems
A recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association said that 2/3 of patients with diabetes experience a variety of psychological problems that are not diagnosed and treated. According to the report, depression, anxiety, stressful thoughts, and eating disorders are often experienced by people with diabetes.
Untreated psychological disorders have a direct impact on the health of patients who continue to deteriorate. If allowed to continue, the condition can lead to complications including blindness, amputation, stroke, cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, and even premature death.
Then, what is the relationship between diabetes and stress?
The relationship between stress and diabetes has been the topic of many studies in the past few decades. Although experts still do not know the exact mechanism for connecting the two conditions, they believe that mental health and diabetes have a two-way relationship.
That is, if someone experiences psychological problems, such as stressful thoughts, then the risk of developing diabetes also increases. Likewise, vice versa, diabetes can cause the patient to experience various psychological problems.
In general, stress is one of the things that can cause blood sugar to rise. This condition does not only occur in people with diabetes. People who do not have diabetes but are experiencing stress, the blood sugar levels in their body can increase. This increase in blood sugar levels is actually a natural response from the body due to changes in hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) that affect blood sugar levels.
Both of these hormones function to increase blood sugar to increase energy in the body. Because without you realizing it, stressful conditions can drain the energy and energy in the body that should be used for activities. Therefore it is not uncommon for people who experience stress also often feel tired quickly.
Normally, your body has compensation or body regulation to keep blood sugar levels stable. But in diabetics, insulin resistance actually causes blood sugar to not be maintained properly. Well, when diabetics cannot control their blood sugar, various complications can occur, such as heart failure, kidney failure, and stroke.
Unfortunately, most patients who experience stressful thoughts and various other psychological problems related to diabetes are undiagnosed. As a result, diabetics who experience psychological problems do not get good treatment.
How to relieve stress of mind and other psychological problems due to diabetes
The good news, stressful thoughts and various other psychological problems that are often experienced by diabetics can actually be treated if quickly diagnosed.
Routinely taking diabetes medication can also be an effective way to relieve mind stress due to diabetes. Increasing insulin signals from diabetes medications that you consume can lead to better cognitive function in the patient's mental condition.
Doctors may also prescribe antidepressant drugs as a way to relieve stress and other psychological problems due to diabetes. If used in accordance with the rules of the doctor, antidepressant drugs do not affect the blood glucose levels of diabetics.
No less important, doing a variety of pleasant positive activities and asking for support from the closest people is also very helpful for you to deal with this condition.
As with almost all chronic diseases, a good and appropriate health nurse can affect the overall health of the patient. By monitoring the mental health of diabetic patients, the physical health of patients will also improve.
