Coping with diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure

Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are often lumped together as chronic diseases and indeed, many people have all three. The emotional toll from any form of chronic disease is high and often not understood. To combat and manage these diseases requires taking medications and lifestyle change and this is often hard to achieve, particularly if you are completely devastated by the diagnosis.

The lifestyle changes may require weight loss, stopping smoking, eating a low fat/sugar diet, doing much more exercise and of course, coping with stress. These can be major changes for people and require commitment and support. There is often good support out there, but what about your internal support? What about your strength of mind to achieve those changes?

The mind and the body are linked in so many ways that we are only just beginning to understand. It is now thought that depression can be a precursor to heart disease (Sundquist J, et al, 2005). Other studies have shown that depression and anxiety increase the production of chemicals known as cytokines IL-6 and TNF, which have a proinflammatory effect that has been linked to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, type two diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers (Raison et al, 2006).

Hypnotherapy is a way of connecting with your innermost self. You may need to grieve a little for the loss of your normally healthy heart and body. You may need to learn to accept some things are never going to be quite the same. You may need to understand that the disease isn't you, but something that's happened to you. You may need to learn how to manage the condition and perhaps managing it could ultimately be a rewarding experience. A strong inner self, relaxed and calm doesn't just help you cope, but may also strengthen the immune response your body needs. It is vital that the chronic diseases mentioned and many others are managed in a holistic way and that the mind is also treated.

References:

Sundquist J, Li X, Johansson SE, Sundquist K (2005) Depression as a predictor of hospitalization due to coronary heart disease. Am J Prev Med 29: 428–433 [PubMed] [Ref list]
Raison CL, Capuron L, Miller AH (2006) Cytokines sing the blues: inflammation and the pathogenesis of depression. Trends Immunol 27: 24–31 [PubMed] [Ref list]