90 JULY/AUGUST 2017 diabetic living
Be kind to you
Diabetes isn’t anyone’s fault – here’s how to
move beyond blame and feel empowered
When you’ve been diagnosed
with diabetes you may think
that taking responsibility for
your health condition means
it’s all your fault, says Dr
Clarke. In trying to make
sense of things that happen
to us, we can often end up
berating ourselves and this
can come at a cost.
“Blaming ourselves can
trigger doubt and shame and
set us up for a private internal
battle,” says Dr Clarke. “All
the while, our difficulties
remain unattended and
we remain ‘stuck’.”
Instead of pointing the
finger at ourselves, it’s more
helpful to focus on ‘what’ and
‘how’. “Being ‘responsible’ is
not the same as being at fault
or to blame,” says Dr Clarke.
“When we can accept
responsibility for our
circumstances, we move
beyond the blame game and
sign up to learn about what
is actually happening for us
right now.”
This could be a recent
diagnosis, a change in your
treatment, or the onset
of complications.
“If we focus on ‘how’, we
can improve, repair, rebuild
and move forward,” she adds.A simple way to shed blame
and be more productive is
to identify the people who
assist you through your
particular challenges.
“Remember, taking greater
responsibility is about
empowering yourself as the
expert – the person who will
take meaningful action when
things are not going well,”
explains Dr Clarke. Still not
there yet? See Five ways to be
your own best friend (right).First, to get a good 7-8
hours, Sleep Disorders
Australia recommends
going to bed and getting
up at a regular time,
clearing the bed of
distractions like
technology,
turning off the
TV and avoiding
caffeine two
hours before
lights out.
If you’re not
getting 7-8
hours of sleepa night, discuss it with
your GP. They can help
you identify and treat
conditions such as sleep
apnoea, restless legs
syndrome and neuropathy
(pains, pins and needles,
numbness or weakness),
which can worsen
overnight.Rest easy
Sound sleep is essential to your physical and mental
wellbeing, as well as diabetes managementENJOY life