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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Having anxiety with diabetes... help?

    Related Topics
    Anxiety Endocrinology Mental Health
    I have always been a worrisome person but ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes I experience severe anxiety if my blood sugar levels are ever off. I feel dizzy and scared!
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  • Sally Marchini

    Dietitian

    Personally experienced diabetes and coeliac dietitian. Marchini Nutrition is a dietitian service set up to help those with or at risk of diabetes and coeliac … View Profile

    As a person with Type 1 diabetes I can relate to feeling uncomfortable when my blood sugar is both low and high.  If  you understand and feel confident about knowing how to test your levels when you feel like this then you should have no reason to feel scared. 

    Have you seen an Accredited Practising Dietitian (http://daa.asn.au/) or Diabetes Educator to talk about testing and correct treatments to build your confidence?   If you have and you still feel this anxiety, perhaps you should ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist who specialises in diabetes.

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  • Carolien Koreneff

    Counsellor, Credentialled Diabetes Educator (CDE), Diabetes Educator, Psychotherapist, Registered Nurse

    Carolien Koreneff is a Somatic (body-oriented) psychotherapist, Health Coach, Counsellor as well as a Credentialed Diabetes Educator with over 20 years experience. She currently sees … View Profile

    Living with diabetes (or any chronic disease) is NOT easy, particularly not if you suffer from a degree of anxiety.  Throughout my nearly 20 years working as a diabetes educator I have encountered many people who worry about their diabetes and BGLs, in varying degrees.  This is one of the reasons why I retrained as a Somatic (Body Oriented) Psychotherapist.
    I believe I can help you, but this is best done through individual sessions. I have rooms in both Glebe and Sutherland, so feel free to contact me to arrange an appointment. Medicare rebates may apply (and EPC referral from your GP is required in this case) and some Health Funds also provide rebates.
    Please don't get me wrong; I am not here to get more clients. I am passionate about helping people and your issue around living with diabetes and anxiety seems to be right up my alley.
    You may like to check out one of my websites to see for yourself: www.glebetotalhealth.com.au or www.shiretotalhealth.com.au.

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  • Nikola Ellis

    Yoga Teacher

    Nikola Ellis has over 20 years experience in yoga and meditation and specialises in therapeutic yoga designed to meet the health needs of individual students. … View Profile

    Anxiety is a normal reaction to new, uncertain or frightening circumstances. It becomes a problem when those feelings stay with you most of the time and they start to affect your daily life. A good place to start is with simple techniques that make you feel more relaxed and in control  Try this simple yoga movement:

    Lie down on the floor  with your feet raised on a chair and arms by your sides
    Close your eyes
    As you Inhale, raise your arms overhead until the backs of your hands touch the floor behind your head
    As you exhale, raise your arms back up and over, bringing them down to your sides into your starting position.
    Repeat 8 times

    The key is to synchronise your movement so that it exactly matches your breath. If this technique brings you some relief from your anxiety, there are many more yoga practices you can do to help you feel calmer and more in control. Guided visualisations and relaxations can also be helpful in reducing feelings of fear and anxiety. Adore Yoga has some free MP3's that you can listen to: http://www.adoreyoga.com/downloads

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  • Sally Marchini

    Dietitian

    Personally experienced diabetes and coeliac dietitian. Marchini Nutrition is a dietitian service set up to help those with or at risk of diabetes and coeliac … View Profile

    Further to my answer above, there's a new online counselling and support service available free to Australian residents living with all types of diabetes, their families and friends, and it's called Diabetes Counselling Online (www.diabetescounselling.com.au). It is a not for profit, gift deductible charity and the only charity organisation in Australia specifically offering free online counselling and diabetes education to all people with diabetes.

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