One very important—and oft-neglected—aspect of diabetes self-management is looking after your emotional health. Dealing with diabetes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, can certainly take its toll on your emotional well-being. Conversely, stress and negative emotions can take their toll on blood glucose control. Check out the articles in this section for tips on managing stress, dealing with depression, communicating with your loved ones, and finding support groups and other kinds of help.

Diabetes and Your Marriage by Paula M. Trief, Ph.D.

It’s hard to have a chronic illness like diabetes. You have to watch your weight, make healthy food choices, exercise, take insulin or oral medicines in many cases, and see several health-care providers on a regular basis. But there’s more to it than...

Diabetes Blogs by Allison Blass

Blog. It sounds like something you would say when you are feeling under the weather (“I'm feeling so blog today…”), but it is actually short for Web log, a regularly updated online journal. Blogs were originally used by people who wanted to keep in...

Also inside: Getting Started With Blogs

Eight Tips For Managing Diabetes Distress by Lawrence Fisher, Ph.D.

Many people experience considerable distress about having diabetes and the amount of hands-on management that diabetes requires. This often includes frustration with the ongoing obligations of diet, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and...

Navigating Mental Health Care by Joseph B. Nelson, M.A., L.P.

Navigating the process of seeking mental health care and then getting it is a daunting task for many. Even if it feels like you are adrift and have reached the point where you need therapy, making that final decision can still be uncomfortable. A range...

Stress: Finding Peace Amid the Storm by Laura Hieronymus, M.S.Ed., A.P.R.N., B.C.-A.D.M., C.D.E., and Patti Geil, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

"Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm."—Unknown Everyone experiences stress in life, and people with diabetes are no exception. In fact, diabetes itself can be a source of much stress. While stress is often perceived as a...

Also inside: Symptoms of Depression

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