Читать книгу Intimacy & Diabetes - Janis Roszler - Страница 28

16Intimacy & Diabetes

Carl wears an insulin pump. He loves the improved control he gets with it, but doesn’t know what to do in an intimate situa-tion. He read on an Internet message board that some people leave their pump attached to their bodies during sexual activ-ity, but he can’t see doing that. He also can’t figure out what to do about the marks the infusion set leaves on his skin. He isn’t in a committed relationship with anyone who would under-stand. Sometimes his sexual experiences are with individuals whom he has only known for a short time. Many of them don’t even know that he has diabetes. “I don’t want to start giving a diabetes lecture when I am alone with someone. That is not how I want to spend my evening!” He is so worried about this.

Keeping Your Diabetes a Secret From Your Partner

Dating can be traumatic as well. You may worry that your date will reject you after learning that you have diabetes. Fortunately, some have discovered a way to handle this situation. See Jennifer’s story in the box on the following page, Positive Attitude Boosts Confidence.

You May Feel Distressed or Depressed

People with diabetes are more likely to feel depressed than those who don’t have this disease. Some have clinical depression that is often treated with medication and/or therapy. Others have what experts call Diabetes Distress, an issue that is often misdiagnosed as clinical depression.

Diabetes Distress

Eliot LeBow, a diabetes psychotherapist and certified diabetes educa-tor, describes Diabetes Distress as “A combination of emotional burdens and worries that are related to the experience of living with and manag-