Fortunately, today’s diabetic can lead a normal life using modern treatments and medicines, making the management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes much easier than in the past. But that does not always make life with diabetes easy. In many cases, type 1 or type 2 diabetes can affect not only your lifestyle but other areas of your life such as relationships, work, your emotions and other things like hobbies. 

Diabetes can also affect moods negatively and many diabetics complain of mood swings. This may be due to unstable chemicals in the body that send signals to the brain, or it may be the psychological and social impact that diabetes has on the lives of those affected. 

In many cases, people who have been diagnosed with diabetes can be overwhelmed with the fact that they now have to make life changes, for example, with type 1 diabetes – If you regularly monitor your blood sugar and take doctor prescribed insulin injections, you need to be careful about what you eat and drink and when you eat and drink. This is often a big change for someone who is use to eating and drinking casually. 

Some people feel depressed or angry because they feel they no longer have their lives under control, and in many cases, some people become depressed when they have to give up certain things. 

Young people may have problems with relationships, for example – In a family environment, conflicts associated with puberty can be exacerbated by diabetes. Adults can also have problems in their relationships while adjusting to diabetes. This could be because there is often a lack of education about the disease. When it comes to diabetes, knowledge is power. It is important to know that diabetes is not the end of the world. Compromises may make the journey easier, not just for diabetics, but for the whole family. 

It reminds me of when my dad was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. On the one hand, we were glad that he had been diagnosed because he was experiencing the symptoms and now we knew why, and how we could combat it. On the other hand, we now had to train as a family to accommodate what that meant. 

We had to look at what we all eat and drink because we felt we were all on this trip together, so we all decided to change our lifestyle based on the guidelines given to dad by his clinician. That worked for us as a family. That’s not to say that every family should do this. The reason why I mentioned this is that families need to find out what will work for them, and remember that some sacrifices may be needed to enable the treatment of diabetes. Always consult a clinician before making changes in diet or exercise. 

Physical activity can cause low blood sugar in some diabetics. You simply have to consult with your clinician. Your clinician can point you to a diabetic educator who can start you on a path to diabetes management. Finding the perfect balance of physical activity and healthy diet is a very common method of diabetes management. 

*The author of this blog is not a medical professional and this article does not contain professional medical advice. This blog is not intended to substitute for medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of the contents of this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.