The Mental Challenge

Anger and Diabetes

Diabetes is the perfect breeding ground for anger. Anger can start at diagnosis with the question, "Why me?" You may dwell on how unfair diabetes is: "I'm so angry at this disease! I don't want to treat it. I don't want to control it. I hate it!"

One reason diabetes and anger so often go hand in hand is that diabetes can make you feel threatened. Life with diabetes can seem full of dangers - insulin reactions or complications. When you fear these threats, anger often surges to your defense.

While it's true that out-of-control anger can cause more harm than good, that's only part of the story. Anger can also help you assert and protect yourself. You can learn to use your anger. You can even put it to work for better diabetes care.

The Anger Circle

Many of you might have stuck in an anger circle. Such people he was angry at diabetes for changing her life. If diabetes goes uncared, the blood sugar levels stay high. As the disease goes on controlled poorly, you may feel worse and anger at diabetes grew.

If you find yourself in an anger circle, you don't have to stay stuck. Here are the ways to break the circle.

Find who makes you angry

Figure out what's making you angry. How is that anger affecting your life? Keep track of when you feel angry. Each evening, think back over the day. When were you angry? What time was it? Who were you angry at? What did you do about it?

After several weeks, read over your notes. See any patterns? It might be social situations, which are making you so.

Change your thoughts and actions

Change the thoughts, physical responses, and actions that fuel your anger. Look for warning signs that your anger is building. Do you feel tense? Are you talking louder and faster? When you feel anger taking over, calm yourself by:

• Talking slowly
• Slowing your breathing
• Getting a drink of water
• Sitting down
• Leaning back
• Quieting yourself. Silence is golden in these situations.

These steps don't mean you stop feeling angry. Instead, they mean you are taking charge of your anger.

Find ways to make your anger work for you

Your anger diary can help. Read your notes again. Look at each situation. Ask yourself - How was my anger helping me cope? You may find that your anger is helping you avoid talking about her diabetes with others. Now try answering questions in a matter-of-fact way. However, talking about diabetes in public still made you furious.

Accept that you have diabetes and slowly you will be able to enjoy her friends again.

Let anger be your ally

The goal is not to get anger out of your life. You may go on feeling angry about the same things. When you feel threatened, afraid, or frustrated, anger is a normal response. But you can put your anger to work for you. Your anger may be a signal that you need to take action. A few sessions with a skilled counselor might help.

Anger can be a force for action, change, and growth. The better you understand your anger, the better you will be able to use it for good self-care.