By: Dr. Adel Ahmed Alzayed.
Consultant Psychiatry
I’m sure enough that we have heard “ and now I can Declare you a husband and a wife” times and times in our life, at least we have heard this phrase being repeated in hundred of movies, either to highlight a happy ending or to point out a cascade of unusual life events. But on either case it indicates a life long relationship.
No doubt that this is not an introduction for a fiction book, nor it is a romantic story, but to the contrary it is a semi-scientific article. However it still going to indicate a long life lasting relationship.
A relationship that has declared it’s self official decades ago, but unfortunately it went on without being verbally announced, and so not well recognized or being aware off. And I think it is time to take a proactive step and announce the relationship. So allow me to step forward and make this announcement:
“ Ladies and gentleman, and now we can declare Diabetes and Depression (D-D) a husband and a wife “.
But it is the one marriage, which we do not want it to be followed up with the usual happy endings of fairy tales, “ and they lived happy ever after ". This relationship has the tendency to produce the worst off springs that you can imagine.
Let me just mention three of them:
Unfortunately there is no successful contraceptive method that will help preventing these dreadful off springs from coming.The only solution we have is preventing this marriage from happing from the start.
What ever is your prospective, a patient, a carer, or a physician, simply we all have a moral responsibility toward this issue, depression has to be actively identified in every patient suffering of diabetes, and when ever it is diagnosed it should be actively treated, this and only this proactive approach can help in reducing some of the complications associated with diabetes.
You have just been diagnosed with diabetes, so how did you respond to this news 
Its quite possible that you had not realised the news at the beginning or denied it. And as the time passed on you may have begun to feel angry, and then the disappointed and sad.
Do not worry, it is normal to go through these mixed feelings when you receive such news, and many people have gone through the same as what you feel now.
Perhaps the reason behind that is that being diagnosed with diabetes means you are facing a great turning point in your life, and that from today you may become a different person from the others. There are many new rules that you follow now like a daily medication (pills or needles) and the change in your eating habits, -which definitely became less flexible than before- and other lifestyle change after you became diabetic.
Also you may feel guilty for having diabetes or you keep thinking repeatedly:
"WHY Me and not the others "
Needless to say that the fear of complications of diabetes plays a major role in increasing what you feel of anxiety and discomfort. As you know Diabetic patient becomes more vulnerable to heart disease , vision , kidney ,foot and other problems.
In fact you are notthe one to blame for the incidence of diabetes, therefore,you should not feel guilty. However, it is now your responsibility to face diabetes and cope with it.
And you'll wonder: will I face it alone
Of course not, there are many people ready to help you and your doctor and your Dietitian on top of them. BUT, certainly the greatest share of the responsibility is yours. It's your Battle.
What can you do
Currently, There might not be a definitive cure yet to eliminate diabetes completely. However you can win your battle against it and we'll help you. By adhering to treatment, sports, diet and controlling your weight, you can prevent symptoms of diabetes, and can definitely reduce and minimize their risk of developing diabetic complications to a great extent.
Not only this, you will be transformed into an active healthy person and more caring about your healthy diet.
Yes, you can change your diabetes to a big positive turning point in your life, that motivates you to make a radical change in the lifestyle. So you will enjoy a healthy lifestyle and will have a healthy body and less susceptible to diseases and health problems, even less than non-diabetics.
There might not be a definitive cure to diabetes, but definitely you can defeat it.
And always remember that you are not alone.
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