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

M

me.LanaReyes

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
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 & 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
 
me.LanaReyes said:
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?
Click to expand...
Hi @me.LanaReyes ,

Welcome to the forum.

What was your HbA1c on diagnosis?
 
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 ?
 
Last edited:
I found it very tough but for different reasons. I'd always regarded myself as a very healthy person with a good diet, so all of a sudden I was diagnosed with T2 & high BP. I was in & out of the GP for blood tests & BP medication, sent for a diabetic eye check, had an appointment with the dietician. It was a chance finding - I didn't have any symptoms, but my cat (not the one in the avatar!) bit me when I touched an abscess on his tail, and for the first time the walk-in took my bp and referred me immediately to my GP. It's really only now, over 4 years later, than I am fully accepting my diagnosis.

I didn't have any of these issues when diagnosed with asthma. I was feeling so ill from lots of night-time coughing that the relief when I was put on a steroid inhaler was fantastic. Maybe that's the difference? I felt really unwell before the asthma diagnosis and was so happy to feel well again!
 
I was not prepared either, it was presumed I would take a tablet. Absolutely no explanation, no alternatives given, nothing. Same with asthma, cholesterol etc. I took my own initiative and came here, rest is history!
 
me.LanaReyes said:
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?
Click to expand...
I’m really growing fond of this forum; we’re like one big family. Let me tell you about my experience: one afternoon, I had a heated argument and got very agitated. My fridge was full of sugary soda cans, and suddenly I felt an intense thirst and an urge to urinate constantly—I kept drinking water and running to the bathroom. From past experience, I knew this was a symptom of diabetes, so I called an ambulance and told them I had the condition. When the doctor arrived, she checked my blood glucose with a meter and found it was extremely high. She told me she wouldn't prescribe medication right away and suggested I try to lower it myself through diet. Later, after I was officially diagnosed, I visited a diabetes specialist who ordered blood tests. The day before the tests, I went to a health food store and bought a pack of diabetic-friendly cookies—and ate the whole thing. The next day at the lab, my glucose levels were even higher. At my second appointment, the specialist warned me that I was at risk of losing my eyesight and damaging my kidneys... I was terrified, so I started watching YouTube videos. I had a hunch that I needed to eat plenty of raw vegetables and cut out carbohydrates completely. A month later, I went back for a check-up, and my glucose levels were much closer to normal. The nutritionist asked how I’d managed it, and I told her I’d been eating salads like a rabbit. My peace of mind has always come from being mindful of what I eat and checking my glucose twice a day. It’s been a month now since I’ve had test strips for my meter—my health insurance provider isn't supplying them due to some red tape—but I still have faith in my diet. Cheers!
 
This group is one of the best things I've ever done.
Diabetes made me realise that I have a lot of toxic people in my life who I thought cared about me
I am slowly rebuilding people around me. It's also made me look after myself better
 
helenb1979 said:
This group is one of the best things I've ever done.
Diabetes made me realise that I have a lot of toxic people in my life who I thought cared about me
I am slowly rebuilding people around me. It's also made me look after myself better
Click to expand...
You say you were surrounded by toxic people. How did you realize that? Did you go to therapy, figure it out on your own, or did someone help you? I set boundaries with a friend who was giving me crumbs (both material and emotional). And watching YouTube videos about Stoicism really helped me.
 
helenb1979 said:
I worked it out for myself. The people who I thought cared really didn't and the ones I thought didn't care really do. You wouldn't believe the horrible things some people said about my diabetes ( and I won't share it here)
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I've had horrible things said to me too. Then I discovered this forum and found that a bunch of strangers who I would never meet cared more about me than my so called friends.

Pleased to 'meet' you @helenb1979 :)
 
zand said:
Oh yes, I've had horrible things said to me too. Then I discovered this forum and found that a bunch of strangers who I would never meet cared more about me than my so called friends.

Pleased to 'meet' you @helenb1979 :)
Click to expand...
And I'm so pleased to meet you lovely.
I feel the same about this group.
I hope you have a great rest of the weekend. Xx
 
Lainie71 said:
I was not prepared either, it was presumed I would take a tablet. Absolutely no explanation, no alternatives given, nothing. Same with asthma, cholesterol etc. I took my own initiative and came here, rest is history!
Click to expand...
Oh, that is exactly what happened to me! I had my annual health check, whereupon one of the GPs at the practice rang up and said I had diabetes and must immediately start taking metformin for the rest of my life, and the prescription was waiting for me at the pharmacy! To cut a long story short, it turned out that they'd noticed it the previous year but hadn't said anything as at the time they had thought I had some kind of blood cancer (this was a false alarm) and were too worried about that.... I was very unimpressed! Fortunately I've not had to deal with that particular GP since!
 
My first diagnosis was very dramatic, was an emergency case - UK 999! Confused and out of sorts, had no symptoms. I felt weird and spoke to my hubs who did the FACE tests, I realised he thought I’d had a stroke and my First Aid kicked in and said ‘phone the ambulance’! Ended up in hospital for a week having scans, tests, drips!!
ME, a Complementary Health Care Therapist of many years, never ever imagined I’d have T2D, no inherited links, have a very good diet, exercise 3x week in a Gym, pool etc!
It’s been 5 years on Low Carb, high protein diet and still hard work☹️

If I had a pound for every comment ‘you can reverse it with that diet’ I’d be rich!! Bugs me no end. No matter of having a great diet my HBa1C is still diabetic and no idea how to reduce it, lifes a Hitch
I just keep on……
 
Angela64 said:
If I had a pound for every comment ‘you can reverse it with that diet’ I’d be rich!! Bugs me no end. No matter of having a great diet my HBa1C is still diabetic and no idea how to reduce it, lifes a Hitch
I just keep on……
Click to expand...
I take the line of "everything in moderation" and eat what I fancy, only in judicious quantities. Seems to work for me, as my last two HBa1Cs have been pre-diabetic and then normal! But we're all different, of course.... and all we can do is keep on!
 
My doctor knows that my job involves gathering information (I'm a security analyst). She explicitly told me not to start googling and warned me about the stress it could cause. Think they should have warned you as well.

But of course I did start to google... but looking for solutions & not problems. Found some Facebook groups with low carb/high protein recipes and focused on that.

I think that metformine is messing with my Vitamine-D intake (harming my mental state). So I'm taking a bit more of it with my morning meds.
 
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