Different Factors’ Influence on Diabetes Adjustment

Diabetes is one of the common chronic illnesses which people have to accept and keep on living with. People who realize they are terminally ill cannot embrace this problem morally and find the strength to fight the illness. In such situations, the coping approach to the problem should be applied to stabilize patients’ mental conditions. Many factors can have a positive or negative impact on the coping process.

The main factors harming the adjustment are unhealthy behavior, stress, and treatment avoidance. When diagnosed with diabetes, the person must follow a special diet or take medicine to compensate for the food they consume (Adragna, 2012). The recklessness, laziness, or lack of day planning can lead to negative consequences for the illness development and, as a result, aggravate the situation. Self-tracking is essential in the diabetes treatment procedure and requires resilience and consistency (Goets, 2013). Chronic illnesses like diabetes cannot be cured entirely; thereby, the patients should mind their health to avoid adverse consequences.

Another negative factor interfering with the chronic illness adjustment is stress. Being under stressful conditions, the brain incorporates negative emotions into daily activities. As a result, the average acceptance and analysis of the problem become hard to perform. In order to avoid stress and stimulate the body to the illness adjustment, the person needs to gain a positive outlook on the problem (Brody, 2017). Chronic illness adjustment requires a strong mental state and the ability to control emotions. Therefore, the positive outlook on the situation will help turn negative emotions into positive ones that are easier to rule.

The coping strategies are likely to have a positive impact on the diabetes adjustment. Problem-focused and emotion-focused approaches to coping are the most relevant strategies when dealing with chronic illness problems. The first one will help the person understand the problem, analyze how to live with it, and find helpful tools to help the body cope with these difficulties. The second approach will help get through the emotional challenges in accepting the unavoidable truth about chronic illness. Those strategies contribute to implementing positive changes in patients’ lives. Sometimes, the tragedy can encourage people to become the better version of themselves (Johnson, 2017). Therefore, the adjustment for chronic illness like diabetes can be negatively influenced by problem avoidance, medication errors, stress, and harmful lifestyle. At the same time, the coping strategies can lead to positive changes that people think they cannot perform before falling ill.

References

Adragna, A. (2012). Pricks and needles: What living with type 1 diabetes is like. The Atlantic.

Brody, J. (2017). A positive outlook may be good for your health. The New Your Times. Web.

Goetz, T. (2013). The diabetic’s paradox: Health self-tracking is in vogue. But is it more of a boon or a burden? The Atlanic.

Jonson, D. (2017). Can a tragedy be the best thing that ever happened to you? HuffPost.