As information and technology started playing a major role in the world economies, suddenly the world had become a small place. Most of Indian students jumped into engineering, specifically IT or computers and it is almost as if at least one person in each household has gone abroad. Just over a decade or so ago, a 5 digit salary per month is treated to be an achievement, but these days a 6 digit salary per month is common in many people's life. How wonderful! What prosperity many of us, urban Indians, enjoy!
Apart form IT or other technologies, Indians also have one other area where we are standing in the forefront. That's in prevalence of Diabetes! I was going through one of the WHO report and was shocked to know that India is in the forefront in the number of diabetic cases recorded. These cases have increased exponentially in the last one decade or so. As all doctors point out, certainly our lifestyles have changed, food habits have changed, no exercise to the body. From getting up late in the morning to sleeping late in the nights, everything has changed. My grandfather left his body at the age of 96 and he never had BP or Cholesterol or Diabetes. Even at that age he used to dip his idly in Ghee and eat. Never had even digestive issues or gastric issues. Not just my grandfather, many of our grand fathers have experienced similar healthy lives. The question is, why not us?
We can contribute our ill health to present day jobs, odd shift timings, quality of food grains, chemicals in food, busy life style, more traffic, more pollution and the list goes on. There is no doubt that our lifestyles are spoilt and WE are alone responsible for that. Let's accept the fact that we eat in odd hours, we don't eat breakfast, we sleep in odd hours, we don't exercise, we smoke, we drink alcohol, we spend more stressful time in traffic than peaceful time with loved ones. All this shows an impact on our liver and we end up having a fatty liver and our fasting glucose goes up and that's the start of a new chapter in our lives. Suddenly the most strongest person becomes so very fragile. Everyone at home starts expressing their sympathy and extend more concern about our health. So many restrictions on food. If we can't eat proper food what will happen to all those 6-7 digit salary figures. Well, it helps us to manage this new found disease in our body.
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But if you ask me, is it only life style that gets us to diabetes, then my answer is NO. There is much more to it, rather a lot more to it. I would say the main reason is a Sense of Loss, we can add as many sub categories as possible under this. What usually stares in my face with most of my diabetes clients is, they are trying to fill up the loss of sweetness or joy in life.
One of my client who is a successful and prudential business man invested his money into a venture and unfortunately lost all his money earned over 25 years. Losing and gaining money is part of business and he is used to it. However, this time he lost all his money and literally gone to ground zero, in fact into losses, which he may take long time to recoup. He had to start from scratch. He had to lose his face among his creditors and all those people who extended loans to him. On top of this, his close friend with whom he started this business, had let go of their friendship. It was a double impact for the gentleman. Loss of money, loss of stature and loss of friendship, rather childhood friendship. Within a month of this event, he noticed sugar level fluctuations both in fasting glucose and post prandial. In this case, what may interest you is, my client is used to having a heavy breakfast and was very particular about eating lunch before 1pm in the afternoon and complete dinner by 7pm and had enough exercise.
Not just direct sense of loss but a Sense of losing control can also contribute to sugar level fluctuations. It can be loss of control on self or it can be loss of control on the family or loss of control at work place, may be subordinates or work itself. Feeling of defeat or feeling of losing on life purpose also can result into sugar level fluctuations.
There is another female client of mine, who was in her mid 30's had very high level sugar fluctuations. She was on heavy medication but the sugar level fluctuations never got controlled. Her doctors changed medicines and she changed doctors, but nothing worked for her. When we started checking back at life events, it has come up that she lost both her parents within a span of three months and she was the only daughter. The sense of loss of parents was such a major shock to her that, very soon after this, she ended up having Sugar level fluctuations. She was holding to that trauma so very tightly that the fluctuations never stopped even after using the best of the drugs and adhering to the diet plans and exercises as given by doctors.
Have you ever seen people making friends at smoking zone? I have seen most of the important discussions happening at Smoking Zone. People very quickly make friends here and get surprising help from smoke buddies. They build a wonderful rapport. You quit smoking and your membership gets canceled. You are no more in the group. You miss all the fun :-)
Same way, diabetic people make good friends with other diabetic people. It is like I am diabetic and you are diabetic. That's the common topic, they become friends, they discuss drugs, other linked symptoms, their diet, life styles, or precautions they take. If you are not diabetic, you are not in that group. Diabetic clients develops an affinity towards the group at sub conscious level. It's the attention they miss if they are no more diabetic. We may question why would anyone want to be diabetic, no one would at conscious level but at sub conscious level, they don't want to let go of diabetic issue. Initially diabetes catches a person and later on they catch diabetes. They don't let go. Family members suddenly start expressing their concern about the health and everyone follows up on diet timings, medicines etc. If diabetes is gone, they would miss all the attention they have been receiving from family and friends. Who wouldn't want attention from spouse, kids and friends. In fact, if emotional reasons are not managed well, fear of losing all this acts subconsciously to keep diabetes in place.
If you are diabetic, reflect on this. Do you resonate with a sense of loss or losing control in any aspect of life? If you do, there is a good chance you can let go of your condition. Once sense of loss is accepted, allowed and the experience is completed, diabetes wouldn't be there in the body. It had showed up for a purpose, once the purpose is served, it would go. Of course, one key question is "Are we ready to let go of Diabetes"? If the answer is yes at sub conscious level, and you are ready to let go, then Diabetes would be happy to leave the body and the body helps you to get back to perfect health.
Medical Disclaimer: Diabetes requires immediate medical attention. Ignoring medical attention can impact / failure of other organs of the body and can finally lead to death. The emotions given in this article are only some of the emotions among many that can cause diabetes. The above information doesn't replace medical assistance and are experiences of the author. Please consult your Diabetologist or your general physician in case of sugar level fluctuations/ diabetes.
Ramakrishna Maguluri
Engaging with life
ELAI
engagingwithlife@yahoo.com
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