Have you ever caught yourself saying there are not enough hours in the day? Life is often full of responsibilities like managing work, school, family, household chores, hobbies and friendships. Juggling these can feel challenging.

If you are one of the 1.6 million Veterans enrolled in VA care living with diabetes, you may also feel overwhelmed managing your diabetes. Veterans are 2.5 times more likely than non-Veterans to have diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic health condition and requires several self-care behaviors, including foot care, exercise, dietary changes/food preparation, blood glucose self-testing, and administration of multiple medications. A large study found that the average person with diabetes spends almost one hour per day on diabetes self-care.

Frustrated? You are not alone

Spending almost an hour every day taking care of diabetes can bring up a lot of emotions. Have you ever felt frustrated, tired, stressed, or even angry about having diabetes? Have you ever felt like giving up on trying to manage it because no matter what you do, your blood glucose is still too high? If so, you are not alone.

These kinds of feelings are common and could be a sign that you are experiencing diabetes distress. But, how do you know? If you are concerned you might be experiencing diabetes distress, you can complete a brief self-assessment that will help you decide on next steps.

Experiencing distress? A few tips to cope to get you started:

  1. Ask family and friends for support and encouragement.
  2. Do things you enjoy! Read a book, take a walk, play a game, or catch up with old friends.
  3. Take one day at a time. Be mindful and present.
  4. Connect with other people who have diabetes. Many people can relate to what you are going through. Find a local support group.
  5. Talk to your health care team about what you are feeling.
  6. Take advantage of the many resources available in VA such as:

April is Stress Awareness Month, a good time to pay attention to diabetes-related stress. Diabetes is demanding and you don’t have to manage it alone!

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

6 Comments

  1. david eyer April 27, 2022 at 19:37

    I was diagnosed with Type 2 last year. My primary at the VA put me on Metformin. After the diagnoses, I radically changed my diet and began lifting weights. A year later, I’ve lost 60 pounds and my A1C is in the normal range! My primary took me off Metformin and I’m now Type 2 free!

  2. Lonnie Stevens April 26, 2022 at 10:36

    I’ve suffered with it for over 20years. It can cost you your job(mine) it can cost you your personal life ( mine) It can cost you sleep ,( mine) it can cost you your will to even.carry on. God bless those who suffer with this.

  3. Robert Keefe April 26, 2022 at 00:20

    Seek one of the following organizations, The VFW or AMERICAN LEGION in your area, you do not have to be a member to ask for help they provide it to all Vets. This includes getting help with processing VA claims.

  4. Marion G Phagan April 21, 2022 at 10:22

    I am a Veteran but have not been able to get any help from the VA with my health issues. Please let me know where to go and who to talk to for medical help.

  5. Keith Lender April 19, 2022 at 16:17

    This really hits the nail on the head! I definitely have the distress.

Comments are closed.

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