[diabetic22]

Anybody have experience with chronic health problems in therapy? I have type 1 diabetes and have been having lows in therapy. Do you tell the therapist and how?

[SlumberKitty]

I've told my therapists about my health issues usually in the first couple of appointment when they are doing their intake. Other times I tell them when it comes up. For example, I have chronic migraines. So if I am dealing with particularly bad bouts of them, I just tell them when I am dealing with it. HUGS Kit

[coolibrarian]

Kit, I have migraines, too. And my T knows about all my chronic illnesses, too.

[Taylor27]

Yes i have told my t about all my chronic health problems

[growlycat]

My last t was especially skilled at incorporating working on my health equally as much as my mental health. I had never really thought of it as being a huge influence on my state of mind, until, duh, it hit me as obvious. Love current t but could use health coaching alongside mh help. I think I’d have to seek out someone else for that

[piggy momma]

I tell my T of any health issues that come up. Last week he actually asked me to go for bloodwork, which I’m doing on Tuesday.

[Favorite Jeans]

Do you bring a juice box or a snack with you? Could you just open it and be like “I feel like I’m going low right now so I’m just going to take a minute to have some lifesavers/juice/whatever... okay, I feel ready to continue now.”

Do you find it hard to take care of your diabetes in other settings? That seems like it would be an important topic. Could you open next session with “I find it hard to talk about my illness” or whatever about it is challenging for you. What specifically do you find hard?

[Albatross2008]

Your therapist is one of two people that you should tell *everything* to. (The other one being your attorney.) If ever at any point, you don't feel safe disclosing something, then it may be time to get another therapist.

If you had a newborn baby with you, and the baby was hungry in the middle of the session, you wouldn't think twice about feeding the baby while you continue talking. In fact, you'd probably have a bottle ready in advance, rather than just let the baby cry the whole session. Take care of yourself just as lovingly. Have your snacks or juice or whatever you need, right there with you. No therapist of any quality would object to you doing what's necessary for your health.

[Anne2.0]

My father was a type I diabetic and stress and emotionality definitely dropped his blood sugar. We learned to recognize when he was low (he couldn't) because of the way he talked and because he was sweating and shaking. Sometimes it was like a switch going off.

Can you adjust your insulin on therapy days? By that I mean your post-mealtime insulin, if your doctor okays it of course? There are many different perspectives on managing diabetes, and in my family we considered the lows far more of a problem to the brain and body than highs. My father was diagnosed in his 40's and lived to his 90's with no complications from diabetes at all, unless it was responsible in some way for a stroke.