You sit down and talk it out. You write out a plan and try to stick to it. You reach out to friends and support groups for feedback. And yet, you still feel as if you're drowning in the daily tasks of diabetes. It's time to take more drastic action.

Baby Steps

First off, are you trying to change too quickly? Working your way out of burnout may be about baby steps. You simply cannot change years of habit and patterning in a day or even a fortnight. Consider making a list of what you'd like to change and then working through the issues one at a time. Baby steps will get you there, and even if it takes more time than you'd like, at least you'll be moving toward your goal. For instance, if your dream is to get back to a point where you are focusing on diabetes with all the attention it needs, a good first step might be “I will keep a logbook again.” Commit to that one act and give it a week or two. Once you are back in the swing of keeping the logbook, add the next goal: “I will do a fasting blood glucose check this month,” and see if you can do it. One by one, take on the re-entry needed to get back up to speed.

Find Something New

The same strategy applies for helping others adapt to what you want. If you reach out to your sister and tell her you need her to learn about diabetes, don't expect her to read the entire guide and pass your approval with soaring colors the first week. Rather, go slowly. Ask her to come to a support meeting. Encourage her to read up on Internet sites and reach out to other aunts of children with diabetes. Give it time. Perhaps just seeing that someone is willing to try for you and your child will help bring you around.

New and Improved Support

If it's been a while since you've been to your support group, it's time to check back in. If you've never felt you've needed support before, now's the time to begin. Hearing that others feel the same way you do can be like an elixir. Check in with local organizations to find support. If you are far away from any in-person support, check it out online. (See Chapter 12 for ideas and details on support for parents.)

You should also talk to your social worker. The medical team is there for you as much as for your child, and they've seen it all before. They can be a great resource not only for ways to battle burnout, but to help you assess how deep you are, and what kind of help you might need to move past it.