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Lack of motivation, any ideas?

H

heatherattwood

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
I am 20 years old and was recently diagnosed with T1D 8 months ago. I took it really well at first and was doing well at getting things under control, however as time has gone on, my control has started to become less tight even though I had been doing all of the right things. This of course could be for several reasons, however it has really frustrated me and lednto several highs and lows but ultimately has led to me having absolutely no motivation to manage my diabetes. I know how dangerous this is and it does scare me, but I don’t know how to pick myself up and motivate myself to do better. I guess what I’m asking is if anyone else has been in the same situation and if so, what did you do to motivate you? I have no idea where to start as it feels as if my diagnosis has only recently hit me 8 months later...
 
Hi @heatherattwood
Yes, lots of us have been there. Lots of us still are.
Do you have a supportive diabetes team that you can be honest with? Because they can offer access to support to deal with this.
Are you testing and injecting at all? How is the rest of your life going?
 
Hi @heatherattwood ,

Yeah it sucks. Injecting, testing, continually worrying about your food, recording glucose levels. I think we all go through varying degrees of denial and even thinking 'they've made a mistake' but deep down you know it's real.

There's no easy answer, but you recognise that it's not under control and that you need to do something about it so you're in a better place than some who come here. There is evidence to suggest that getting involved with an on-line community like ours, leads to improved outcomes. You might even find a diabetes support group in your area if you feel it would be beneficial.

@daisy1 might be able to help you with some information.
 
Diakat said:
Hi @heatherattwood
Yes, lots of us have been there. Lots of us still are.
Do you have a supportive diabetes team that you can be honest with? Because they can offer access to support to deal with this.
Are you testing and injecting at all? How is the rest of your life going?
Click to expand...

Hi @Diakat
Yes I do, I’ll make sure to ask them for other supports when I see them next. I’m injecting 5 times a day, however I often need to correct which can mean more. I test about 4 times a day. Everything else is going pretty well in my life, however it just feels like diabetes has totally consumed everything recently and I just want to avoid it
 
Hope you can get some support soon. It sounds like you are doing well, but diabetes is a time consuming thing and takes a lot of effort sometimes.
 
@heatherattwood

Hello Heather and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
Hello Heather,

I'll offer you my pennyworth on how to stay motivated. Everybody is different, but, don't make it too hard, don't be angry with yourself every time your blood sugar goes too high, it's not the end of the world. You want as good control, but there will always be rogue blood sugars. So don't worry too much about them.

That way you set yourself a goal that isn't too difficult to achieve. Goal setting theory says goal should be realistic, but challenging, so maybe set yourself an average blood glucose, over a period of time, but make sure it's realistic. Then take pride in having done it.

Also try to think positive, and find healthy food you like, like strawberries or whatever, and reward yourself for doing well, and think of all the positive things about healthy eating, and staying fit, rather than being scared by the horror stories.

No one is ever motivated by fear, and no one is ever motivated by setting a goal so hard they can't stick to.
 
Alison54321 said:
Hello Heather,

I'll offer you my pennyworth on how to stay motivated. Everybody is different, but, don't make it too hard, don't be angry with yourself every time your blood sugar goes too high, it's not the end of the world. You want as good control, but there will always be rogue blood sugars. So don't worry too much about them.

That way you set yourself a goal that isn't too difficult to achieve. Goal setting theory says goal should be realistic, but challenging, so maybe set yourself an average blood glucose, over a period of time, but make sure it's realistic. Then take pride in having done it.

Also try to think positive, and find healthy food you like, like strawberries or whatever, and reward yourself for doing well, and think of all the positive things about healthy eating, and staying fit, rather than being scared by the horror stories.

No one is ever motivated by fear, and no one is ever motivated by setting a goal so hard they can't stick to.
Click to expand...
Lovely assurance for Heather! From my own point of view, I only differ in one respect. If I could find the original appointment, I would be able to pinpoint the exact date, when I was almost 21, that an opthalmologist put the fear of God in me by saying that I should stop burn-ups on the Edgeware Road (on a bicycle), avoid squash (the sport), moderate my alcohol intake, and that I should shun aerobic exercise or anything that would make me red in the face. If I did not heed his words, I would be blind by the time I reached twenty-three. Since I had already had both eyes lasered by then and he therefore had explained the seriousness of a high HbA1C, I came to my senses abruptly. That was nearly 39 years ago. I honestly think I owe my prolonged existence to that man. I do agree that people, especially young diabetics, shove the bad aspects to the back of the"In tray" for as long as possible.
I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting warnings through. When I was a child, I remember thinking "You haven't got this disease, you don't know what you're talking about." Dangerous, but I suspect still prevalent. I have had the privilege of being the form teacher to 2 Type 1s, who both used to discuss problems with me openly. They knew that I was months away from either dialysis or a transplant. The mother of the more wayward one later told me that these conversations had had a profound effect on his attitude. As you say, everybody is different and so this approach is not infallible. We can only keep trying.
 
Hi Heather. I have Type 2 not Type 1 but I can definitely get what you are saying. I have gone through many periods of wishing I could ignore diabetes and pretending I could. As a T2 I could get away with that but I know a T1 can't get away with it for very long.

There are great supports around for people in your situation, both online and offline. I'm glad you will be reaching out for them.

This may seem strange but it's highly likely that in the future, there will be treatment options that either make self management of T1 much easier and more effective, or completely cure the condition through some kind of partial transplant technology. Such things will not be available in your town in the short term but eventually they will be. Maybe when you're 29, your day to day routine will be unrecognisable from that of today.

I'm 49 and have watched tech change get faster and faster over that time. My first computer was enormous and laptops weren't even invented let alone smartphones and tablets. Video chatting? Science fiction. I couldn't have foreseen what things would be like in 10 years time let alone 40 years.

I hope this helps a little bit.
 
I am a terrible prognosticator (prognosticatrix - the product of a grammar school education)- which is why I have three days to make the costumes for ten morris dancers - but I have left myself a bit of lee way and the actual event is not until the 9th of June - but at 67 I have learned to set the clock fast.
There are things I have taught myself over the years - such as to have things ready to use - I have ten little heaps of ribbons, and all the sewing things ready, nothing to go searching for.
Maybe you could make testing/treatment something special - when I had some reading to do I used to take myself to a quiet corner, light a candle and an incense stick, I even had a special mat to stand them on....
When I got a project finished on time I would reward myself with a visit to somewhere interesting or a small purchase.
Regarding the time needed to test and inject as time to relax, assess, consider, rather than as time stolen from your day could help to make it more acceptable. A day well managed should be celebrated, a week of steady BG deserves some reward. Acknowledge your victories but be a bit zen about it, I think they call it being mindful these days (every generation thinks itself innovative)
 
Grant_Vicat said:
Lovely assurance for Heather! From my own point of view, I only differ in one respect. If I could find the original appointment, I would be able to pinpoint the exact date, when I was almost 21, that an opthalmologist put the fear of God in me by saying that I should stop burn-ups on the Edgeware Road (on a bicycle), avoid squash (the sport), moderate my alcohol intake, and that I should shun aerobic exercise or anything that would make me red in the face. If I did not heed his words, I would be blind by the time I reached twenty-three. Since I had already had both eyes lasered by then and he therefore had explained the seriousness of a high HbA1C, I came to my senses abruptly. That was nearly 39 years ago. I honestly think I owe my prolonged existence to that man. I do agree that people, especially young diabetics, shove the bad aspects to the back of the"In tray" for as long as possible.
I'm still trying to work out the best way of getting warnings through. When I was a child, I remember thinking "You haven't got this disease, you don't know what you're talking about." Dangerous, but I suspect still prevalent. I have had the privilege of being the form teacher to 2 Type 1s, who both used to discuss problems with me openly. They knew that I was months away from either dialysis or a transplant. The mother of the more wayward one later told me that these conversations had had a profound effect on his attitude. As you say, everybody is different and so this approach is not infallible. We can only keep trying.
Click to expand...

That's really interesting, Grant. I had a google, apparently if you have diabetic retinopathy you should avoid exercise which raises your blood pressure too much, I found out here.

http://www.joslin.org/info/exercising-with-diabetes-complications.html

I think some people are just more likely to experience complications than others, regardless of how well they control their diabetes, and of course when you are first diagnosed you just don't know what will happen. This is another unknown variable in the equation.

It's difficult, but my argument against fear is that I think it can create a sense of helplessness, but on the other hand, there has to be awareness of the risk of complications.

Balancing these needs is very difficult.
 
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