DIABETES

Diabetes and Support Groups

Chronic stress – often caused by events as momentary as traffic jams or as traumatic as divorce – takes a heavy physical toll and can often lead to death, researchers say.

Writing in The New England Journal of Medicine, scientists at New York’s Rockefeller University examined the health impact of stress. Acute stress (usually from immediate or short-term pressures) and chronic stress (the cumulative load of minor, day-to-day stresses) can both have long term consequences, including fatal heart attacks.

Lead author Dr. Bruce McEwen said the consequences of stress could be multi-layered, including suppression of the immune system, weaker muscles and high blood pressure and cholesterol. "From the standpoint of health, what is even more important than how we feel about the stressful events in our lives is how our bodies react in terms of the stress hormones they produce," McEwen says. Those hormones initially provide protection, but the constant production of the hormones can cause a "gradual and steady cascade of harmful physiological changes."

Scary stuff, wouldn’t you say? What can you do to relieve the situation? Eat well, exercise, get plenty of rest, see your doctor regularly and take charge of your life. I am neither a Nutritionist or a Nurse so I cannot speak to some of these points, but I am a Registered Social Worker and can definitely speak about taking charge of your life. We can get counseling, learn about relaxation therapy, and go to stress management workshops. But one particular aspect of taking charge of ones life is the role and yes even power of a support group.

To start with, what is a support group? More specifically what about the Support Group for Individuals Affected by Diabetes that is available at the Misericordia Hospital?

It is not a substitute for medical care.

A group offers more personal and practical assistance for living with diabetes.

You have a chance to learn more about your condition, as well as see how others manage.

It is accepted that you know what is best for you.

Others share their experiences and knowledge; they do not give advice.

Participating in a group can assist you in taking charge of your own health. You may be surprised by your accomplishments!

Hearing about others’ successes can assist you in feeling more positive and encouraged.

You are respected and accepted for who you are.

You have the chance to share your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. It is a mutual aid system. Sharing the load lightens the load.

What is said in the meetings is kept confidential.

Group members take responsibility for their own health.

So now that you know what can be gained by attending a support group. It easy to see why individuals affected by diabetes would want to be involved. Adapting to life with a chronic condition is not easy at times. There are many unique challenges for individuals with diabetes, their families, and their friends.

All groups need laws or rules to run successfully. While each group may have more or less rules, there are three basic ones that I think are of great importance. They are confidentiality, personal limits, and group limits.

Confidentiality is very important if you want people to feel free to express themselves. Knowing that what is said at the meeting stays within those four walls encourages individuals to express things that they may not be able to express anywhere else.

Your personal limits need to be clearly understood by all members of a group and very definitely by yourself. You may have learned from experience that there is only so much you can do at work or within your family. You may tell another member to call anytime, however, anytime can turn out to be a bad time for you, such as late at night or when you need to rest. You must set realistic limits for yourself: know your own needs.

Group limits are concerned with what the group can accomplish. Each person in the group must accept responsibility for their own health, both physical and mental. Others in the group can only provide support. This may mean getting help from outside the group if needed.

As I said there could be many more rules for a group but with these basic ones you will have a good foundation for a successful support group. Each group tends to have a life of its own. Each group will determine their needs accordingly.

So what do you discuss in these groups?

Whatever is relevant to you.

You may want to talk about your feelings when you were first told you had diabetes.

You may want to talk about how those around you reacted to being told about your condition.

How did your kids react?

What are your fears?

What life style changes will be the most difficult for you?

How do you deal with the huge amount of information you had to learn about diabetes?

As a result of your experiences with your doctor, nurse, dietician, social worker, and others what could have been done to give you better care?

What was helpful? What was not?

How has diabetes affected your work, your relationship(s), your home and community?

What challenges have you faced and overcome?

What do you need to deal with yet?

As a group you could have a voice in such activities as raising awareness of issues surrounding diabetes. You could do this through your involvement with the CDA or other groups. Remember many voices are more likely to be heard than the lone voice of a single individual. Or you and the group could just have a greater voice in getting more information that is relevant to you by inviting speakers from the various disciplines that are involved in diabetes education.

Insulin injections, exercise, new eating habits, and testing your blood sugar levels are just a few of the life style and general daily routines that is required to successfully cope with diabetes.

Other challenges include stress, illness, travel, a person’s career, finances, and relationships.

Someone diagnosed with diabetes could feel feelings of loss, fear, anger, guilt, frustration, anxiety, denial, and depression. These feelings set you apart while you deal with the "invisible" condition.

Lastly, people affected by diabetes are often faced with misinformation, ignorance, and myths when speaking to the uninformed people they come in contact with.

As you can now recognize support groups are a useful method for dealing with the stress of being diagnosed with diabetes. It is not the answer to all your problems but it can be a strong ally to the other resources that are already available. Give it a chance. What do you have to lose by trying? Was there one topic that you want to hear more about? Do you feel like no one is listening to you? Then the Support Group for Adults with Diabetes is for you. It meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Misericordia Hospital in room 1S-49 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This group is facilitated by a Registered Social Worker.