Denial

[Floppyknickers]

Hello everyone

I was diagnosed back in June. Not a surprise as I've had it with all three of my pregnancies.

But I feel I have been and still am in denial for pretty much all the time. The first couple of weeks I behaved and tested regularly and ate sensibly. But that didn't last long I stopped testing and went back to eating stupid amounts of carbs and lots of rubbish.
I feel bleurgh most of the time but just can't seem to get my head in the right place.

Is this normal to have a rebellious phase and be in complete denial?
Thanks in advance
Jo x

 

[Ruth B]

I would guess it's not that uncommon, I didn't actually deny it, I just wouldn't accept it was anything major for about 5 years. I don't think it helped that I was given the normal talk about eating carbs with every meal and it being a progressive disease that will keep getting worse. It wasn't until the doctor up the Metformin to the max dose and I suddenly thought (wrongly) that the next step was insulin injections. I didn't understand why it kept getting worse and no one had really told me whether there was anything I could do myself to prevent it (except the normal references to my weight which I wasn't convinced I could do much about at the time).

For me the thought of daily injections was the wake up call I needed to start getting it under control and as I have found out there are things I can do to control it and hopefully in December when I see the nurse again, I might be able to reduce the Metformin.

Hopefully something will click with you and you will take control again, sooner rather than later, but I don't think what you are going through is particularly uncommon. I will also say if you can start to control your sugar levels you might actually find that you feel better, you might go through a rough patch as you get used to lower carbs, we are all addicted to them to an extent, but I am feeling far more awake and with it since I started keeping the BS levels where they should be.

 

[catherinecherub]

Yes it is quite normal. You have been diagnosed with a life changing condition and it takes a while for it to register.
Thuis article explains it very well, it is like suffering a bereavement as you are grieving for the life you had.

http://www.diabetesexplained.com/the-five-stages-of-grief.html

I was in denial when I was first told the news and was convinced that my medical notes had been mixed up with someone else. I left the consulting room, went to a local cafe and ordered a milk shake and a slice of cake trying to prove the consultant was wrong. I remeber thinking, "How dare he be so lax as to get his notes mixed up". It wasn't until I saw my G.P. later that it hit home. Lucky for me, I was given excellent advice on how to manage it, provided with test strips and explanation of how to use them. Then had to educate myself as to what foods I could and could not eat.
Nobody wants a chronic illness but all the denial in the world will not change the diagnosis.

You will find that forum members use different methods to control their diabetes and there is no right or wrong way. The trick is to find something that works for you as nobody else can manage your control.

Ask as many questions as you need to and try not to worry, easier said than done I know, as the stress will raise your blood sugars.