Think, Write, and Laugh Yourself to Health:
Diabetes and Coping
We need to recognize that there are the
creative and right brain aspects of living
with a chronic illness. It goes beyond
the “knowledge” of “knowing”
what to do to take care of oneself and
empowers the individual with the “emotional”
skills for follow through and stress reduction.
The following are two components facilitating
good personal care-taking:
THINK
How we look at things, cognitive behavioral
therapy is an adjunct to health care.
Positive Reframing:
Blood sugar numbers are just numbers
not indictments. Let them bring you
information and direction.
Positive Self-Talk:
I am still a good person even though
I resent people who don’t have
diabetes.
WRITE
Research on writing about one's diagnosis
(e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) shows reduced
depression and pain.
One does not have to have "talent"
or write well in order to receive benefits
from writing. If I ever write another
book, it will be called The average
man’s guide to writing average poetry.
The gift of writing things is to make
you aware of what you are feeling, find
release of otherwise difficult emotions,
problem solve situations, and pure lovely
distraction.
You can journal, write free verse
(short sentences, no punctuation, the
ability not to write clearly!), parody
(“We are Siamese, if you please/We
have diabetes, we are not pleased) and
or try haiku (Three short lines
of 5/7/5 syllables for each - about everyday
things that do not rhyme and give a memorable
image in three lines.)
The following are some examples I have
written to inspire you to do the same…
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