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Permalink Reply by Kimmy on September 23, 2010 at 10:13am

Just keep on keeping on. Everyday put one foot in front of the other and go about your routine, even when it gets boring, just keep on doing it!!!

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Permalink Reply by Zoe on September 23, 2010 at 10:18am

Good question, Lizmari. I don't have much to contribute, but will look forward to hearing from some of the veteran's if they have periods of burnout and how they handle it. I've only been diagnosed 3 years and for the first 1 1/2 I didn't do much. I've been on insulin and taking my diabetes seriously for a year and a half. It's still a "novelty" and I am still enjoying (maybe not the right word..lol) the challenge of getting good numbers, fine-tuning doses and finding good recipes that are diabetes friendly. I'm wondering if it will all get old one day. I think for diabetics who also work fulltime, have families, school, etc., exhaustion is the danger. For me without those things I think the danger is forgetting to put other things in my life to add fun to the struggle. I've done workshops on other types of burnout and self care and treating yourself well are part of the solution.

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Permalink Reply by Doris D on September 23, 2010 at 10:34am

YOU CAN DO IT!!! No matter what gets you down (those bg do it for me) I've got to remember my own words at a bad time But I was told years ago not to have childern (they might get diabetes or I might die during the process of having them) I wouldn't live to see 30 (Well I'm 47 now) Oh and got 2 girls (one is a Ty[e 1 the other is not diabetic in any terms) and 3 grandchildern. A fait I thought years ago I would NEVER see happen but I did. Proved that Dr wrong! YES YOU CAN DO IT NOMATTER WHAT GET"S YOU DOWN! YOUR TOUGHER THAN DIABETES!!

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Permalink Reply by jconroy on September 23, 2010 at 11:09am

I agree with Kimmy and Doris, you just have to be able to remind yourself that you can do this. There are times when you think you cannot, or you might think "what's the point?" I burned out on taking care of my diabetes when I was in high school and the results of that burnout nearly killed me many times. When I finally recovered from my life threatening disinterest in my d, a large part of my acceptance came from lightening the load of my own burden. I found people to share my stress with, people that understood who didn't pity me, but empathized with me. I believe that helped a lot because I stopped feeling sorry for myself.

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Permalink Reply by caprifoglio on September 23, 2010 at 11:19am

I am a newbie to diabetes but have other conditions that are chronic that I never paid much attention to until a crisis brought things to a head, and I realized that what I had thought was "normal" was just so for me, not everyone else, lol!

As I think it's been stated elsewhere on this website, you are not only about having a chronic condition. That is only one aspect of your life. You are not the embodiment of diabetes, you are the embodiment of you, with all of your unique beauty and qualities. Focus on those things, and think of diabetes as something like the color of your eyes -- you can't escape it, it's part of you, but you have all your other parts that make you who you are. Pay attention to those parts, grow those parts and nurture them. They need you too.

Also,when you feel like you are too inside yourself, reach out and escape for a little while, in whatever way you know how. There is a huge world out there that could benefit from you and your talents, focus on that and you will feel less prominent, less odd, and more a part of humanity and all things living, thriving, struggling.

I think that Danny's discussion on sympathy today speaks a little to that too.

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