Dealing with Diagnosis
Dealing with a diabetes diagnosis has been compared to coping with the grief of death. Diagnosis marks the loss of life as you knew it. It's normal to grieve your old “healthy” life, even if you weren't feeling well before getting the diabetes label. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are all part of the process.
The Dangers of Denial
The first of these can be the hardest and most damaging in diabetes. Many people choose simply to ignore that they have the disease, continuing on as if it didn't exist. The problem with this (non)coping approach is the long-term consequences of uncontrolled blood glucose. By the time they do come to terms with denial and are ready to treat their diabetes, serious complications may be on their way.
Some newly diagnosed patients will acknowledge their feelings of denial. Recognition is a good sign that in the back of your mind you know you must move forward. As long as you're willing to follow your doctor's orders for the time being, even if you haven't fully accepted the disease, denial is a normal part of the process.
Alert
For patients who reject both the diagnosis and the treatment, the situation can become a dangerous one. Sometimes it takes a blood sugar emergency that lands them in the hospital or the development of diabetic complications for them to realize that they do, indeed, have diabetes.
Reaching acceptance can be a difficult, rocky road. Many people need the help of a therapist or counselor to get there. A health psychologist who has specialized training in the intricate psychological, biological, and social relationships between physical illness and mental health can be helpful in sorting through coping issues.
