Analyzing Diabetes: A Psychological Perspective Through Case Study

This case study examines the psychological impact of diabetes on patients, focusing on the symptoms, diagnosis, and management of the condition. The case highlights a patient exhibiting symptoms such as increased thirst and urination, slow wound healing, and fatigue, leading to a diabetes diagnosis. It discusses the two main types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, and gestational diabetes, emphasizing the importance of testing for diabetes even in the absence of symptoms due to potential psychological barriers such as fear and anxiety. Management options include lifestyle changes, physical exercise, healthy eating, and medical interventions like insulin injections and medications to stimulate insulin production. The study references research on the challenges in diabetes management, the link between diabetes distress and worsening management, and approaches to inpatient diabetes care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Diabetes is a kind of disease that occurs
when blood glucose level is too high. Glucose
is one of the main sources of energy within
human body. Insulin is a kind of hormone that
help glucose from food to get into cells in
order to be used as energy. But many times,
body does not make enough insulin or does
not use it well. Asa result Glucose does reach
within cells and stays in blood.
Diabetes is of two types known as type 1,
type 2, and gestational diabetes. In type 1
diabetes body does not make insulin. In this
condition, immune system destroy cells in
pancreas that make insulin. Such people need
to take insulin daily in order to stay alive.
Whereas, in type 2 diabetes body does not
make enough insulin. But gestational diabetes
is a bit different. It develops in some women
when they are pregnant. Mostly this type of
diabetes goes away when baby is born.
Some of the most common symptoms of
diabetes are: Increase in urination, increase in
thrust, increase in hunger, fatigue, blurred
vision, numbness or tingling in feet or hands,
and unexplained weight loss
Diabetes health issue
Diabetes is one of the most commonly found
disease that can directly impact overall quality
of life of people. People with diabetes often
feel depressed, have anxiety and in rare
condition suffer from eating disorder.
Especially people who suffer from type one
diabetes, their mental condition gets affected
because of a fact that they require insulin daily
in order to stay alive. Not only this people
often hesitate to get tested for diabetes due to a
fear that their lifestyle will get affected. If any
person who shows symptoms of diabetes
should be tested for diabetes. There are many
cases when people do not show any symptoms
of diabetes but are still at risk of diabetes.
Testing and diagnosis help healthcare
professionals to find whether a person is
prediabetic or not. But fear of finding out that
person is diabetic or prediabetic, people often
avoid getting tested. Testing help professionals
in bringing changes within their lifestyle so
that chances of diabetes can be reduced and
complications related to it can be reduced.
Some of the most common test that are done
for diagnosis of diabetes are: Fasting plasma
glucose test, A1C test, Random plasma
glucose test
Psychology of diabetes Brief about case study
As per the case study patient was showing
symptoms of diabetes from awhile such as
increasing thrust and urination, slow healing of
wounds, fatigue etc. Due to this she booked
appointment with her GP and he asked her to
get her glucose/ sugar level tested. She had
undergone Fasting plasma glucose test, A1C
test for identifying whether he was diabetic or
not.
Management of Diabetes
Two most appropriate management options for
patient are:
First management is to bring changes within
her current lifestyle and include more physical
exercise, eating healthy food and keeping her
weight under control.
Second method is to start taking insulin
injections and medicines in order to stimulate
pancreas to make and release more insulin.
References
Hamdy, O. and Gabbay, R.A., 2020. Early
observation and mitigation of challenges in
diabetes management of COVID-19 patients in
critical care units. Diabetes Care, 43(8),
pp.e81-e82.
Hessler, D.M., and et. al., 2017. Diabetes
distress is linked with worsening diabetes
management over time in adults with type 1
diabetes. Diabetic Medicine, 34(9), pp.1228-
1234.
Korytkowski, M., and et. al., 2020. A
pragmatic approach to inpatient diabetes
management during the COVID-19
pandemic. The Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology & Metabolism, 105(9),
pp.3076-3087.
DIABETES