Nobody Prepared Me For The Mental Side Of A Type 2 Diagnosis

[me.LanaReyes]

When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I thought the hardest part would be changing my diet.

I was wrong.

The hardest part was what happened inside my head.

The moment I got the diagnosis, my mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenarios.

I wasn't thinking about blood sugar numbers.

I was thinking:

• Am I going to lose my eyesight?
• Am I going to end up on insulin?
• Am I going to lose a foot?
• Did I do this to myself?
• Is my life going to be completely different now?

Then I did what most people probably do.

I started Googling.

I watched YouTube videos.

I read Reddit threads.

And honestly, I think I scared myself even more.

Everywhere I looked, I found stories about complications, medications, kidney problems, amputations, and things that made me feel like my future was already decided.

What nobody explained to me at the time was that there are millions of people living normal lives with Type 2 diabetes.

Nobody explained that the scary complications I was reading about usually happen after years of poorly managed blood sugar, not because you got diagnosed last week.

Nobody explained that fear and information overload can sometimes be worse than the diagnosis itself.

Looking back now, I realize I spent more energy panicking than actually learning how to manage the condition.

I'm curious if anyone else felt the same way when they were first diagnosed.

What was going through your head during those first few days or weeks?

 

[lovinglife]

Hi & welcome to the forum

I’m feeling a bit confused as you say how you felt when being diagnosed with T2 but your info on the side says you don’t have diabetes, can you clarify please

 

[Jaylee]

When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I thought the hardest part would be changing my diet.

I was wrong.

The hardest part was what happened inside my head.

The moment I got the diagnosis, my mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenarios.

I wasn't thinking about blood sugar numbers.

I was thinking:

• Am I going to lose my eyesight?
• Am I going to end up on insulin?
• Am I going to lose a foot?
• Did I do this to myself?
• Is my life going to be completely different now?

Then I did what most people probably do.

I started Googling.

I watched YouTube videos.

I read Reddit threads.

And honestly, I think I scared myself even more.

Everywhere I looked, I found stories about complications, medications, kidney problems, amputations, and things that made me feel like my future was already decided.

What nobody explained to me at the time was that there are millions of people living normal lives with Type 2 diabetes.

Nobody explained that the scary complications I was reading about usually happen after years of poorly managed blood sugar, not because you got diagnosed last week.

Nobody explained that fear and information overload can sometimes be worse than the diagnosis itself.

Looking back now, I realize I spent more energy panicking than actually learning how to manage the condition.

I'm curious if anyone else felt the same way when they were first diagnosed.

What was going through your head during those first few days or weeks?

Hi @me.LanaReyes ,

Welcome to the forum.

What was your HbA1c on diagnosis?

 

[Mark Rawlinson]

I can sort of understand this, but it didn't keep going through my mind, the nearest i got was when my eyesight changed and became blurry due to my sugar levels lowering (no one had mentioned this can happen) at the same time my eye screen test came I was very scared 'till I was told by an optician this can happen and not to worry it is usual. I think you have answered your own question above by saying millions of people living normal lives and keeping it under control
what was you Hba1c reading a diagnosis ?
what if any medication are you on ?