Stress Management

I was told by my doctor that one of the causes of diabetes is stress. I was surprised when I was told about this because I could not figure out initially how stress has something to do with this illness. But, on second thought, I realized that maybe they are right in saying that stress can cause diabetes. How is this so? Well, as we all know, stress is how our body’s responding to all kinds of demands. Scientists tell us that when people feel stressed by something going on around them, their bodies react by releasing some kind of chemicals into the blood. These chemicals give people more energy and strength, which can be a good thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra energy and strength. Stress can affect both our bodies and minds. As we all know, people under large amounts of stress can become tired, sick, and unable to concentrate or think clearly. Sometimes they can even suffer mental breakdowns. In a similar way, when one is under stress, and certain chemicals are released into the blood, the blood sugar shoots up as well. It becomes a necessary consequence. And just consider a person, for example, who is experiencing a large amount of stress, not just once, but all the time. What happens then to his/her blood sugar? We can easily conclude its tragic effect and consequences on the person. That is why, stress management is very important in the treatment of this illness.

As we all know, there are many things that can cause stress – from physical , emotional to psychological causes. Identifying what may be causing our stress is I think the first step in learning how to better deal with our stress.

I have read somewhere that there are many kinds of stress. There is such as thing as survival stress, internal stress, environmental stress, and stress caused by fatigue and work. Let me define and clarify each of them.

What is survival stress? Survival stress is a common response to danger in all people and animals. When you are afraid that someone or something may physically hurt you, your body naturally responds with a burst of energy so that you will be better able to survive the dangerous situation or escape it all together. This is survival stress.

Internal stress has something to do about worrying about something but of which you can do nothing about. This often happens when we worry about things we can't control or put ourselves in situations we know will cause us stress. Some people become addicted to the kind of hurried, tense, lifestyle that results from being under stress. They even look for stressful situations and feel stress about things that aren't stressful.

Environmental stress has something to do with the noise around us, crowd, and pressure from work or family. As said, identifying these environmental stresses and learning to avoid them or deal with them will help lower our stress level.

The stress that results from fatigue and work are the common stress that all of us experience in one way or the other. This kind of stress builds up over a long time and can take a hard toll on our bodies. It can be caused by working too much or too hard at our job(s), school, or home. It can also be caused by not knowing how to manage our time well or how to take time out for rest and relaxation. This can be one of the hardest kinds of stress to avoid because many people feel this is out of their control. If we are in this kind of situation and environment, what are our options?

Since I was diagnosed with my illness, I have tried as much as possible to avoid all forms of stress – whether physical or emotional stress. Of course, the first thing I had to do was to change a bit my lifestyle. If before I was so engrossed with my task and work, now I find time to relax and exercise. I found out that after doing some form of regular exercise, I feel so great, mentally and physically. If not exercising, I find time to just sit and relax in the park, read a good book, or just lay down beneath the trees and just enjoy the afternoon breeze. As much as possible, I try to avoid negative thoughts and feelings. I always try my best to think positive, whatever the circumstances maybe.

If you are suffering from diabetes, or other similar illness, try to avoid any form of stress. It's good for our physical, emotional and mental well-being.