The term Emotional diabetes Or emotive diabetes is used to refer to the alterations in the metabolism of glucose that would be Caused by psychological imbalances.
It would differentiate from normal diabetes disease because it was caused by psychological factors rather than Physical and biological factors. It is postulated that certain emotional alterations that people can experience in a multitude of situations and stressful events, could Produce imbalances in the metabolism and give rise to the typical symptoms of diabetes.
This theory was consistently postulated to observe the metabolic uncontrollers that occur in the body of a person when it experiences periods Of instability or very intense emotions.
Physiological explanation of emotional diabetes
It has been shown that when we are stressed the body releases and increases levels of substances like Cortisol , the adrenalin wave Noradrenaline In the body.
This is explained because when we live a period of stress or emotionally intense, the brain prepares the body to respond quickly and Effective, and these substances facilitate the set-up of the body.
However, these mechanisms that are put into gear in emotionally intense situations, are configured to be of short duration and activated Only in specific periods.
For example, biologically speaking, these physical reactions would allow us to activate the muscles, sharpen the eyesight and stop the digestive processes To possess the necessary energy to be able to flee or attack in an effective way in situations of danger.
However, when the experimentation of these emotions is chronicled, our mind releases the substances of cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline of a Constant form, and these affect the functioning of our body also in a constant way.
And is that the greater release of cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline stimulate the liver in such a way that it releases glucose from its reserves, Blood sugar levels increase.
As we have said, this is a normal physical phenomenon, because in a situation of stress or emotionally intense, what the body does is try Releasing all the glucose you can to the blood to have more energy to make an adequate response to such a situation.
However, when we experience intense emotions continuously, our body will begin to release excess glucose into the blood and Pathological, a fact that can cause many damages.
This is precisely what is known as stress , When a person has stress emotions permanently, regardless of the stimuli You are witnessing.
So, with what we have explained so far, it is quickly understood that stress has negative consequences on the body, since when We are stressed our body is more activated than it should.
The release of cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline steadily causes our liver to be releasing glucose into the blood form as well Constant, so we will have high blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) in the same way as in diabetes.
Is there emotional diabetes?
As we have discussed above, there is currently considerable scientific evidence that shows that emotions have a direct effect On the organism.
In addition, it has not only been shown that emotions cause physical alterations, but have been connoted as the experimentation of intense emotions Produce the main symptoms of diabetes , Hyperglycemia.
In this way, it could be interpreted that both diabetes of biological origin (the traditional diabetes that we knew until now) and the"diabetes of Psychological origin,"cause an increase in blood glucose.
However, is this sufficient to demonstrate that diabetes as a disease can be caused by biological factors as well By psychological factors, and therefore, could one affirm emotional diabetes as a type of diabetes?
The answer to this question is, to date, negative.
That is, the fact that emotional states produce symptoms similar (or equal) to those produced by diabetes does not allow to state that both Aspects of the disease.
Thus, due to the absence of evidence or evidence to the contrary, today it can be said that emotional diabetes does not exist as disease.
In addition, to reaffirm that the physical consequences of the emotions and the consequences of diabetes are not 100% comparable, we can observe the Results that are seen when both factors appear simultaneously.
In other words, both a person with diabetes and a person without diabetes may experience intense emotions and periods of stress Physical consequences that we have explained so far and increase blood glucose levels.
However, there will be a clear difference between the two subjects when this happens:
While the person who does not have diabetes will be able to easily control this situation and allow blood glucose not to rise to levels Extremely high, the person who does have diabetes will not have it, so that in your body blood glucose could rise to levels Extremely dangerous.
Paradoxically, this major difference between increased blood glucose produced by emotions and increased blood glucose produced by Diabetes, in turn shows the main implication of emotions in the disease.
Thus, despite the fact that emotional diabetes could not be considered a type of diabetes today, it does play an important role when it comes to diabetes. Understand, control and treat the disease, turning the expression of emotional diabetes into a more than important term..
What are the implications of emotions in diabetes?
The fact that the experimentation of emotions increases the levels of glucose In the blood automatically makes it a risk factor for diabetes.
That is: a person with diabetes will have higher blood glucose levels due to their disease, causing negative effects on the body Which we have commented.
However, if this person with diabetes also suffers from high levels of stress and experiences frequent intense emotions, Glucose in the blood will increase even more, and will increase the negative effects of diabetes.
So far the treatment of diabetes focuses on following a particular diet and performing exercise to mitigate the Consequences of the disease, and has neglected the very important role that emotional states can play,
In addition, it should be noted that emotions and diabetes develop a bidirectional relationship:
On the one hand, as we have seen throughout the article, emotions increase the release of glucose in the blood, so they can increase The symptoms of diabetes and turn it into a more uncontrollable pathology.
But on the other hand, diabetes is a very important physical and operating impact, a fact that can cause difficulties in the person Which suffers from it to deal with both his illness and other aspects of his life.
Thus, on many occasions, diabetes can act as a stressor, which can increase Negative emotions .
In this way, the term emotional diabetes opens a very interesting new way to approach and manage diabetes.
And is that the physical and biological impact of diabetes is well delimited and informed in today's society. However, the same is not true of Emotional impact it can produce, which is not yet adequately delimited.
Thus, emotional diabetes could refer to the added difficulty of those people affected by diabetes who can not A good emotional adjustment.
It is for all this that the psychological treatment should be constituted little by little as an adequate tool in the treatment of a disease Such as diabetes.
There are currently studies showing that Negative emotions As anger or sadness interfere with proper management of diabetes, so Emphasizing emotional health should become a major factor in the treatment of the disease.
And is that living in periods of stress or have poor emotional health can be a factor as negative for the disease as a bad diet u Forget the physical aspects.
Emotional diabetes shows that people with diabetes need to live a quiet and emotionally stable life for their own health Physics, therefore, this factor should not be overlooked when it comes to making appropriate treatments for a disease as complex as this.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic disease that is triggered when the body loses its ability to produce enough insulin or, in its absence, Use it properly and effectively.
The insulin Is a hormone that is constituted in the pancreas, and its main function is to allow that the glucose of the food accedes to the Cells of the organism.
So, insulin is that substance that allows our body to get the necessary energy from food so that our muscles and tissues Can function and develop normally.
Thus, the problem that causes diabetes is that it does not allow the body of the person who suffers it to absorb glucose properly, so It stays in the blood and accumulates.
The fact that excess glucose stays in the blood is called Hyperglycemia , And produces a series of negative consequences in the organism, and Which over time is damaging the tissues.
However, not all people with diabetes have the same pathological characteristics, as there are 3 different types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune reaction, in which the body's defense system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the body. pancreas. As a result, the body stops producing insulin.
It is unknown what are the factors that cause such an alteration in the functioning of the organism, however, it is said that the cause lies in a Dysfunction of the body, and therefore would be physical alterations that would predict its appearance.
This type of diabetes causes a number of negative signs and symptoms such as dry mouth, abnormal thirst, frequent urination, extreme tiredness, appetite Constant, sudden weight loss, slow healing of wounds, recurrent infections and blurred vision.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes. In this case, the organism can produce insulin but either does not produce enough insulin or Body does not respond to its effects.
This causes that, just as in the previous case, the glucose accumulates in the blood because, because there is not enough insulin, it can not To recapture it. In this case it is also understood that they are alterations in the functioning of the organism which would originate the disease.
Finally, there is the Gestational diabetes mellitus , Which is characterized by developing during pregnancy, and usually occurs due to the Inability of the body to produce and use the insulin needed during pregnancy.
Thus, by way of summary, diabetes is a disease characterized by a series of physical alterations that cause the body to be incapable Of producing enough insulin, so the body is not able to metabolize blood glucose.
References
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- Beléndez, M. and Méndez, F. X. (1992). Application of the technique of stress inoculation in insulin dependent diabetes. Revista de Psicología de la Salud, 3, 43-58.
- Bradley, C., Moses, J.L., Gamsu, D. S., Knight, G. and Ward, J.D. (1985). The effects of relaxation on metabolic control of type I diabetes: a matched controlled study. Diabetes, 34, Suppl 1), 17A.
- Delamater, A., Bubb, J., Kurtz, S., Kuntze, J., Santiago, J. and White, N. (1985). Physiologic responses to psychological stress in adolescent type I diabetics (IDDs). Diabetes, 34, Suppl 1), 75A.
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Rubin, R. R., Peyrot, M. and Saudek, C. D. (1989). Effect of diabetes education on self-care, metabolic control, and emotional well-being. Diabetes Care, 12, 673-679.