As with mental health challenges, diabetes is an ailment that many have to endure to no fault of their own, yet it carries so much stigma for those belonging to ethnic groups and/or those clinically obese. To manage over the course of one's life, or support loved ones we are responsible, it will challenge one's emotional capacity, as the chronic nature of the disease can support hopelessness. Anxiety and depression are common, however, such may be representative of treatment burnout. Whether you are a child diagnosed with Type 1, or an adult with Type 1 or 2, management can seem unsustainable even with the most rigid compliance. How are patients and parents psychologically impacted? What are some of the challenges that acts are barriers to maintaining a healthy balance? College Students Requires tapping out of sports, or campus-related activities when sugar levels lower- which can support the appearance of unreliability. Requires you to work through shame and embarrassment around the need to monitor blood levels, consume insulin, and/or wear monitoring devices. Concerns around disclosing your diagnosis to a romantic partner during a developmental stage when perfection may be expected or desired. Pressure around having to make on your own healthcare decisions with medical teams, manage your health, and continue your regime during a time you are learning to trust your own judgment without daily parental supervision. Requires healthy eating during a time when healthy eating is already challenged by campus life. Adults Can impact sleep, travel, and activities throughout your day. Requires 7-10 sticks which can be disruptive during professional or academic pursuits. Insurance can impact how you treat- with access being a huge issue. Can impact intimacy and sex drive. Can impact self-esteem/self-confidence. Can impact your psychological presentation, including mood, communication, and capacity. Can be anxiety-provoking with fear looming of the impact of low blood. Can impact psychological behavior when blood glucose drops. Can impact your dietary preferences and habits around eating. Capacity to confront societal judgment. Parents Can impact sleep due to the need to monitor the blood sugar levels of your child throughout the night. Requires 7-10 sticks. Requires advocacy when finding trained childcare willing to accept your little one. Can require careful planning as the detection of low/high levels can shift the schedule of the whole family. Supports the feeling of isolation and responsibility for genetically passing on to your child. Requires absence from work for doctor visits and emergencies. Requires careful planning of meals to avoid disrupting the blood levels of your child. Requires a great mathematical aptitude to calculate units of insulin and caloric intake all day. Requires great capacity for monitoring the alignment of food intake and insulin consumption. The presentation of your child can be misdiagnosed as behavioral issues within the academic system. Requires financial stability and adequate insurance to support your child's health. Capacity needed to confront societal judgment. Let's talk about costs... In 2017, U.S. health care costs were $3.5 trillion. That makes health care one of the country's largest industries. It equals 17.9 percent of gross domestic product. In comparison, health care cost $27.2 billion in 1960, just 5 percent of GDP. That translates to an annual health care cost of $10,739 per person in 2017 versus just $146 per person in 1960. Health care costs have risen faster than the average annual income. Health care consumed 4 percent of income in 1960 compared to 6 percent in 2013. Those with chronic illness such as diabetes require a substantial source of funding to maintain a healthy balance. Its beyond a need to exercise and consume a healthy diet. Let's talk about access... Shortage of nephrologist : At this time, there are 39,950 people per nephrologist in the United States Source: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education: http://www.acgme.org/adspublic/reports/accredited_programs.asp. So if a patient lacks medical literacy, or finds themselves under-insured, proper life-saving care is unachievable. Its equivalent to diagnosing someone with Cancer, giving them brief insurance how to stay alive, then sending them out into the world to navigate such on their own. Effected most would be those that lack a great aptitude for math, the under-insured, and those enduring severe mental illness. At Ince Counseling, we have been trained to support patients via talk therapy and offer our psychological perspective to their treatment teams as patients continue to balance their medical needs while balancing the demands of their busy lives. If this resonates with your circumstances, contact our scheduling team at 1.833.968.8255, option 1 to schedule your intake. If you'd like to chat with us prior to determine a fit, a free phone consult can be obtained by scheduling via our website. References:
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