RE·SIL·IENCE
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the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.“the often remarkable resilience of so many British institutions”
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the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.“nylon is excellent in wearability and resilience”
According to Psychology Today, RESILIENCE is that ineffable quality that allows some people to be knocked down by life and come back stronger than ever. Rather than letting failure overcome them and drain their resolve, they find a way to rise from the ashes. Psychologists have identified some of the factors that make someone resilient, among them a positive attitude, optimism, the ability to regulate emotions, and the ability to see failure as a form of helpful feedback. Even after misfortune, resilient people are blessed with such an outlook that they are able to change course and soldier on.
What does this have to do with Type 1 diabetes? EVERYTHING!
T1d is a disease that lives with you, 24/7, every single second, requiring awareness, vigilance and a huge number of decisions and actions constantly, It can be exhausting, frustrating, annoying … and it doesn’t ever stop.
What keeps the T1d going? RESILIENCE!
Resiliency, the Key to Living Well with Diabetes was written by Michelle Sorensen for ASweetLife.org, 27 February 2018.
I often say to people, speaking not so much as a psychologist but as a human being who has learned the hard way, “You have to make space in your life for diabetes.” Those who are constantly in a hurry will struggle to safely handle the dangers of walking a blood sugar tightrope.
So how do we create space without sacrificing the pastimes, jobs, relationships and responsibilities that we value in our lives? It is all about developing resiliency. I often describe resiliency as being like the strength of a rubber band versus a brick wall. We can bend without breaking. Sometimes, as people living with diabetes, or as health care professionals helping them, we need to step away from our problems and look for the strengths that are already present. Health care professionals or parents who feel stuck while trying to help someone with diabetes need to look for the self-righting capacities that are already present. Search for qualities and strengths that help manage diabetes. Teach people to be resilient in the face of the problem, even when we cannot solve the problem.
Read more: Resiliency, the Key to Living Well with Diabetes
How I Learned that Diabetes and Mental Health are Inextricable was written the amazing Kerri Sparling for ASweetLife.org, May 2018.
“Several mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, are common among those living with diabetes,” Gonzalez said. “Care team members with specialized mental health expertise are more likely to play a significant role in addressing these issues in ways that maximize the effectiveness of diabetes treatments.” Reuters Health
I read this quote and it reminded me of the powerful point the American Diabetes Association made when it announced a directory of mental health professionals trained to help people with diabetes. My mental health and my physical health have always felt inextricably linked, and when one is out of balance, the other shortly follows.
Read more: How I Learned that Diabetes and Mental Health are Inextricable
Residency, Resilience, and Rap Music is a Q&A with Cleavon Gilman, MD, an emergency physician and hip-ho artist, as written by Shannon Firth on MedPage Today, 31 May 2018. So okay, Dr. Gilman is not a T1. But he discusses how he, “captures some of the frustration and hopelessness he’s felt as an emergency medicine resident in New York City through his music.” Dr. Gilman stutters.
I couldn’t imagine my life without music, and that is especially because I stutter. When you can’t speak, you learn to observe people, life. Writing a song is a very reflective process. I find parallels, similarities, and irony in life. I ask myself, “Where have I seen this before?”
Read more: Residency, Resilience, and Rap Music
