You’ve just received the diagnosis: you have diabetes. This can be an overwhelming experience. You may feel shocked, stressed, or even depressed. You may have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that diabetes is a serious condition. Coping with a new diagnosis takes time, but with the right support you can do it. The good news is that there are many resources available to assist you in understanding the changes that you will have to make in your life.

Take control

You might be tempted to ignore the diagnosis and continue living your life as you have been, but taking control of your diabetes right away will deliver big benefits in the long run, helping you live a healthier life and preventing or delaying the development of complications. Taking an active role in managing your diabetes will help put you in control and make you feel better—both emotionally and physically. This means following your meal plan, being physically active, monitoring your blood glucose (blood sugar) levels daily, and being diligent about taking your medicines or injecting your insulin on schedule. Recording and monitoring your blood glucose readings will help you identify patterns that will enable you to see which factors are affecting your blood sugar levels and what lifestyle changes you may need to make.

Accept what you are feeling

The first step in learning to cope with the diagnosis is accepting that your emotions are likely to swing back and forth between feeling confident that you can manage your condition and struggling to cope with what might seem to be an endless list of new things to learn and do. That’s natural. You aren’t the only one to feel these things. Be kind to yourself and don’t expect perfection right away. There is always a learning curve; things take time. You can’t fix everything overnight. Don’t try to hide your diabetes from the people around you. Share your experiences with trusted family members, friends, and coworkers. They can be a resource for helping you cope when you are feeling sad, and they can help watch for signs that your diabetes may not be well managed. Starting a mood journal or diary may also help. This will provide a safe place to share your hopes and fears. By recording your emotions you may discover links between what you are doing physically and what you are experiencing emotionally. This can help you identify things in your life that you may want to change. As time goes on and you begin to adjust to the changes you are making in your life, you will start to become more comfortable and will begin to feel confident in your ability to manage your diabetes. Your negative feelings may return from time to time, because it is difficult to be positive all of the time. If your down moods don’t last too long, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about; however, if they start to take over your emotions, ask your healthcare provider if a professional counselor would be helpful.

Looking for help

It is important to learn everything you can about diabetes. The more you know, the better able you will be to manage the condition in a healthy manner. If you are looking for information on programs and services to help people newly diagnosed with diabetes, Diabetes Canada can help. Contact information for regional offices across Canada is available at https://www.diabetes.ca/contact-us/regional-offices. Your healthcare team is there to help you. Don’t overlook this important resource. Doctors, certified diabetes educators, dietitians, and pharmacists all have a role to play in helping you live a healthy life.

If you have any questions about managing your diabetes or about where to go for additional help, your London Drugs pharmacists are always happy to help.