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Know how counseling can help a diabetic patient. © Shutterstock
Diabetes is one of the most pervasive of chronic diseases across the world, and it is reaching epidemic proportions in India. The number of Indians suffering from diabetes has dramatically increased, from 11.9 million in 1980 to over 64.5 million in 2014. India today has the ignominy of being the diabetes capital of the world, witnessing an alarming rise in the incidence of diabetes, according to the International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries.
"Diabetes being a chronic medical condition, needs to be detected at an early stage and should be managed by introducing changes in the lifestyle and through medications. The proper management of diabetes can be a harrowing one for many when they have to address a lot of lifestyle changes. In such situations, lifestyle counseling and follow-up helps patients with diabetes achieve and manage diabetes with ease," says Dr Rajesh Murthy, Consultant Diabetologist, Eldricare. Here, he briefs us about self-management and counseling.
Counseling aids Diabetics Self-management
Psychosocial factors like complex environmental, social, behavioural, and emotional factors, when included in counselling helps patients achieve satisfactory medical outcomes and psychological well-being as it influences the individual living with both types of diabetes. Individuals with diabetes, along with their families, come across multifaceted issues while integrating the diabetes care into daily lifestyle.
People with diabetes should have access to counseling and follow-up support to reduce psychological distress and improve self-management. With this support, patients may adhere to a lifestyle which aids in a tenacious sub-optimal control of diseases, thus curtailing diabetes-related complications and enabling a better quality of life. The end result also helps in increased healthcare utilization and reduces the overall burden on healthcare provider companies.
Major lifestyle changes and day-to-day decision-making impose a stringent discipline on a diabetes patient; and they need to carefully control their regimen and sometimes alter their daily routine such as eating, sleeping and physical activities. Another less obvious reason is how diabetes is affected by stress and stress directly affects metabolism and insulin metabolism. An indirect effect is that it interferes with the self-care routine of diabetic patients which means that a patient must be able to reduce stress which will psychologically help them manage diabetes.
Counseling and Follow-up A part of Diabetes care
A care provider must include counseling as part of their routine diabetes management, and not think of it as an optional therapeutic modality. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - a form of psychotherapy (CBT) should be a part of the ongoing treatment as it has proven to very effective in patients who have taken follow-up care.
CBT is a personalized psychological interface that suits the patient s mindset and the individual adapting-plus-coping procedures. Diabetes adds to the chances of a person experiencing anxiety, and this is when an individual feels the need to speak to someone for guidance. Counseling and follow-up care have proven highly resourceful for people suffering from diabetes and who are able to manage their lifestyles much more effectively with the help of experts.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practice about Diabetes among Diabetics
The goals of psychotherapy are to recognize the triggers and to get the live coach to develop a positive relationship with the patient and majorly to enable the patients to solve the healthcare related problems in their daily lives.
Conclusion
The regular counseling sessions can keep patients motivated enough to consistently practice routine changes prescribed and keep patients informed on the impact of what they eat, the nutrition value it holds, the routine they should follow every day and how they can make healthy lifestyle modifications over a steady period of time which will not only help them manage the disease, but also push them towards a healthy lifestyle.