Few days ago, I posted a blog related to sugar intake. Nowadays, pop drinks become popular beverage among adolescents. The other problem arises which is more and more adolescents get diabetes. Adolescence is a unique age group because they are in a physical and psychological development phase and face the transition into adulthood. While most people focus on the effect of diabetes on adolescents’ physical transition, it is more and more recognized that psychological factors play important roles in disease
management for diabetic adolescents.
One of the most significant psychological changes of adolescents with diabetes is knowing that they have diabetes and have to live with it for their entire lives. Denial and anger are the first psychosocial stage when adolescents first know that they have diabetes. They may ask parents and doctors why they have diabetes. Some of the diabetic adolescents refuse to take medications and do not follow doctor’s instructions.Because of poor glycemic control, they may experience fatigue and may not want to go to school or attend daily activities. Young people with diabetes are at increased risk for information processing weaknesses and learning problems, especially with early diabetes onset. Gaining knowledge is an important task for adolescents. If they cannot control their glycemic level, they will be facing difficulties in studying. In addition, they may feel depressed and think they are different from others.
When diabetic adolescents finally accept the fact of having diabetes, some of them may experience depression, frustration, and fear. They fear the diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney failure and non-traumatic lower limb amputations. Some of them think it is the end of the world and think they will die soon. Living in fear makes them depressed and anxious. These negative feelings also affect glycemic control. We can help them through this difficult period by consultation and give them emotional support.
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