A new survey has highlighted the emotional and mental toll of living with type 2 diabetes on British Columbians.
Forty-three percent of British Columbians with the disease say it negatively affects their emotional well-being, and 38 percent say it negatively affects their mental health.
With the federal government poised to launch a national diabetes strategy, advocates stress the importance of including mental wellness in the strategy.
“It’s going to be a very comprehensive system of management and support that the federal government now recognizes that people living with diabetes need,” said Dr. Akshay Jain, a clinical and research endocrinologist.
The new strategy should involve increased funding, mental health counselors, more screening tests, prevention campaigns and drug cost support, according to Jain.
The federal government’s change in thinking stems from years of advocacy by groups like Diabetes Canada to demonstrate that diabetes is a major public health problem. It directly affects 11 million Canadians and costs the NHS $30 billion each year, according to Diabetes Canada.
A diagnosis is life changing, Jain said.
“They tell them that everything they have eaten so far is not good, […] and the activity levels that they are doing are no longer adequate.”
Mental anguish is threefold, according to psychologist Michael Vallis. There is an emotional charge, a charge of social angst and what he calls “regime angst.”
Accepting the disease is emotionally charged, Vallis said, and involves lifestyle changes such as monitoring glucose levels, adjusting medications and keeping a close eye on diet.
“Nobody wants to be sick, so there’s a certain degree where you have to say ‘I have a problem here and there are some risks associated with it,'” he said.
“We live in a world where people don’t fully understand diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes.”
According to the survey, 67 percent of British Columbians with type 2 diabetes say their diabetes makes them feel isolated and 76 percent feel they are being judged for their diabetes and cannot be honest with loved ones about their diabetes. condition.
To facilitate that shift in thinking, Vallis said it’s about understanding the disease without bringing the stigma that it’s a personal failure.
“If you want to help, instead of giving advice, just say, ‘How can I help?’ If we listen to the individual, he can guide us.”
