April is the month of stressful awareness and we know that treating a disease like diabetes can cause even more stress and anxiety, in addition to the stress that the past year has put on all people.
Living with diabetes through this pandemic – where people with the disease are at higher risk of getting seriously ill if they develop a coronavirus – has been overwhelming for many.
While stress doesn’t cause diabetes, it can affect your blood sugar levels and your care.
Fortunately, however, there are a few things you can do to make coping easier, and Diabetes UK has plenty of resources to help you out.
If you need help changing the way you react to make things feel better, try the Stress Manager tool in Diabetes UK’s online learning zone.
In our online support forum you will also receive a warm welcome and support from other diabetics. Both the Stress Manager tool and forum can be found on Diabetes UK website: diabetes.org.uk.
If you’d rather speak to someone, you can chat with one of our trained advisors.
They have advisory skills and can be contacted via our hotline on 0345 123 2399 (Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or by email at helpline@diabetes.org.uk
It doesn’t matter what is causing the stress, it is important to get help managing it. So please take this first step during Stress Awareness Month if you feel you need it.
PHEDRA PERRY
Regional Head of Diabetes UK Southwest
