Is Too Much Information About Diabetes Good Or Bad

[Jon]

Hi guys,just clocking in again after lurking in the background for a while.

With diabetes becoming more and more common and practically everyone having the internet info about it is everywhere.
Now i'm sure a lot of you,like me,know some or maybe lots of diabetics in real life.
There are a lot of posters on here who are rich information sources on this subject and put a lot of peoples minds at rest providing them with answers to their questions.
I myself love to find out every last detail about this disease.Trouble is i am constantly worrying about what i eat,about my health,etc.
The point i am trying to make is,lots of diabetics i know never ask questions,just shrug their shoulders and say"i'm diabetic,so what" and know practically nothing about it.
They seem happy.
Does information overload create more worrying than being blissfully unaware of the consequences of having diabetes.😉

 

[Redkite]

Hi Jon,

I suppose it depends on the individual, but to me, knowledge is power! 😉. If you know all the facts, you can take control and make the diabetes fit into your life, not take over or ruin your life. Perhaps being a parent of a type 1 child is a slightly different angle, but right from his diagnosis I was motivated to find out every detail I could in order to keep him fit and well and give him the chance of a long happy healthy life. I could never forgive myself if I had sat back and allowed him to languish on two injections a day of mixed insulin for an easy life, only for him to develop complications in his 20's, 30's, 40's. There is no such thing as too much information!!!

 

[HelenHanfe]

I agree with Redkite - the more information, the better.

I've been T2 for a couple of years - and it's only in the last few weeks that I've come to really understand diabetes. Not just the condition - but the implications of it, now and for the future.

Directly through access to this forum, I am finally taking control of my diabetes and I find it very empowering. It's time consuming and on my mind at lot, but it's early days for me....but I feel very positive right now and in control....

From my last review, it's clear an annual check up is not enough - for me - and information / advice I've been given previously does not work - for me.

I don't think there is any such thing as too much information - we all have access to the same....it's just what you choose to do with it. I have said recently, on here, that I wish I had found this forum 2 years ago....it would have saved a lot of distress, feeling poorly and I could be 2 years ahead in my weight loss efforts....

But I'm here now - and very grateful 🙂

HelenHanfe

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

They seem happy.
Does information overload create more worrying than being blissfully unaware of the consequences of having diabetes.😉

Agree that it is personal, and to some extent about balance/quality of life.

But some of those consequences are very real, and in many cases can be avoidable. The NHS spends 80% of its diabetes budget on treating complications.

If consequenses = complications then I for one would rather know more, not less, about how to live now in order to give myself the best chance of avoiding any lurking nasties in the future.

 

[Northerner]

...The point i am trying to make is,lots of diabetics i know never ask questions,just shrug their shoulders and say"i'm diabetic,so what" and know practically nothing about it.
They seem happy.
Does information overload create more worrying than being blissfully unaware of the consequences of having diabetes.😉

Jon, you are absolutely right that there are so many people who have diabetes but don't really understand it. Could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps their doctor or nurse has told them they have 'mild' diabetes, or that their double figure readings are 'fine', so they are unaware there might be a problem. A lot of people take what their doctor says as gospel and wouldn't dream of challenging it. I think there are also a lot of people who believe (mistakenly) that as long as they are taking their medicine then they will be fine. Others may have a fatalistic attitude and think they have to accept the cards they have been dealt, and that the gradual onset of complications is inevitable. There's a lot of stigma around also, making people reluctant to talk about their concerns, and in some societies there is a cultural taboo on speaking about it.

It's a shame, and this is why we need to encourage people to speak out or ask questions whenever we can. We need to put out a more positive message of the fact that diabetes can be managed well with the right knowledge and application - many people actually find they become happier and healthier due to the adaptations they make after diagnosis.

A lot of people may be in denial about their diabetes - the symptoms can be subtle and the body can get used to running those levels higher: if people aren't encouraged to test then they won't be aware that they could be slowly damaging themselves. Ignorance is bliss in such cases, until those complications start to erode their quality of life.

You can suffer from burnout from time to time if you are constantly having to think about diabetes all the time, so it's a good idea to take a week or two to relax things slightly and put things into perspective.

 

[yorksman]

I myself love to find out every last detail about this disease.Trouble is i am constantly worrying about what i eat,about my health,etc.

There is a danger that you can talk yourself into a right old sweat if you are that way inclined. However, this is not as bad as someone who ignores his or her diabetes and carries on regardless. 'It hasn't bothered me so far' is more denial than a calm and considered approach. Tom Hanks was asked about his recent diagnosis during an interview on BBC TV a couple of days ago and he simply stated that knowing that he had it allowed him to do something about it. He then asked the interviewer, 'do you know what your blood sugar levels are?' Hanks made the point that not knowing, and by implication ot doing anything about it, was much worse.

OK, I agree, some people will cause themselves other problems through being over anxious, but they are few in number in comparison. Much worse however are the people who know but who simply ignore it and next on the list are those who know but who simply expect medication and the NHS to make everything right for them.

Ignorance is bliss (in the beginning).

 

[AlisonF]

Redkite, are you my mum? ;-) That's exactly the approach my parents took and im so grateful for that. My life would have been very different if they'd buried their heads in the sand. Can't agree more that knowledge is power.

 

[Susicue]

Totally agree you need the information to act and this is all important. But don't get bogged down. Try as they say to be calm about things. Its when you go to the clinic and you see people that are having problems because they ignored things, did not test anough did not bother, this is where people go wrong, you need to be in control. You have to ask questions of your Dr or DN even the people that look at your feet. The more informed you are the more you can relax.🙂

 

[AJLang]

It's great to be informed and to do everything that you can. But I think that it is also important to remember that some people with complications didn't have the access to the brilliant interventions that are available nowadays eg I was diabetic for nearly 25 years before MDI was introduced.

 

[Redkite]

Redkite, are you my mum? ;-).

Lol! 🙄 I know lots of parents of type 1 children, and there isn't one among us who wouldn't take away their child's diabetes and have it ourselves instead, if we could. The next best thing to that, I suppose, is finding out about the best treatments and helping our kids manage their condition as well as possible. 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Redkite, you can't take away your child's diabetes, but you'd be more than welcome to have mine if you'd like to? LOL

I think the difference is, ask those people who aren't interested Who treats your diabetes? and they'll say Dr Bloggs, or Nursie Nightshade.

Ask any of us (the Interested Minority LOL) and we'll all answer, in unison and perfect harmony, Me, Me, ME !

 

[PhilT]

I gree the more knowledge the better. As well as diabetes I have a couple of other chronic illnesses and it is easier to manage them when you know more about the conditions.

 

[Caroline]

Knowledge and support are equally important. My doctor told me I was more than capable of finding stuff out which left me feeling abandoned. I am lucky in that I found this forum and I have been able to do a couple of courses, despite my doctor trashing them like mad.

Finding the right books need not be expensive and many libraries will get them for anyone wishing to research. I have found places like Amazon a good source along with a couple of local book stores.

 

[Sian]

gaining too much knowledge about diabetes, through my son being diagnosed as type 1 at the age of 13 (now 21) and through various courses in work, gave me the power to manage myself when diagnosed as type 2 diabetic in May. Initial BM's were 22 and within 10 days they were down to single figures and have remained between 5.5-8 for the majority of readings, only once in double figures!