Diabetophobia (Fear of Diabetes)

• Diabetophobia is the irrational fear of diabetes. Someone suffering with this condition may find the mere thought of them. Developing diabetes to be extremely anxiety provoking.
• They will likely find it very difficult to cope with their intense fear and may even experience. Full blown panic attacks insofar as their symptoms are intense enough.
• If this were to occur then they can expect to experience an increased heart rate. Increased rate of breathing, as well as muscle tension and sweating, among other things.
• According to Diabetes.org, In 2015, approximately 30.3 million Americans suffered from diabetes. Statistics such as this may make coping with diabetophobia to be even that much more difficult.
• Many other phobias do not have objective statistics such as this which can inflate their fear. Such as the case with acerophobia (fear of sourness), theatrophobia (fear of theaters). And anatidaephobia (fear of being constantly watched by a duck) among other phobias. Someone with this condition will likely not already be suffering from diabetes as it is the fear of developing it that is most concerning to them.
• Someone suffering with diabetophobia may take things to the extreme by putting their body. In a state of ketosis by eating little to no carbohydrates in any given day to “help” limit their chances of developing diabetes.
• Taking actions such as this will likely worsen their fear of diabetes in the long run. As opposed to improving it, as well as potentially causing other physiological issues.
• Someone who has a family history of diabetes may have an intensified fear of developing diabetes. Due to their increased risk of developing it. In such a situation, it is not implausible for them to take things. To the extreme such as exercising excessively and/or taking their diet to extremes.
• Though exercise and healthy eating habits are innately virtuous, taking these two things to the extreme. Can be very counterproductive and can even worsen someone’s diabetophobia. Depending on the extent to which they are willing to go with it.

Symptoms of Diabetophobia

• Anxiety will be the main symptom experienced with this condition. Their anxiety may be so intrusive and extreme that they may even experience. Full blown panic attacks insofar as they have the genetics to do so.
• They may also take extreme precautions as it relates to their dietary habits too. For example, because eating excessive amounts of sugar over a long period of time. May cause someone to develop diabetes, someone with diabetophobia. May drastically restrict themselves to certain foods only.
• Avoidance is a very common symptom for people suffering from anxiety disorders and phobias. The same can be said for someone who has an irrational fear of diabetophobia. For example, they may avoid people who they know have diabetes as they may give them a lot of anxiety by reminding them of diabetes.

Below, you will see some more common symptoms of this phobia:

1. Intense anxiety when thinking of diabetes
2. Constant fear that they may develop diabetes
3. Unable to cope with their anxiety
4. Muscle tension, shakiness, and sweating
5. May experience panic attacks

Causes of Diabetophobia

• There is no known cause of diabetophobia. However, genetics and one’s environment may both play very significant roles. For example, if someone has a family history of mental illness, especially of phobias. Then they may have a higher chance of developing this condition.
• This may be due to them also having a higher chance of being genetically predisposed to developing mental illness in general.
• If this were to be the case, then it may only take them experiencing some sort of traumatic event for them to develop full blown diabetophobia. Such an event may be them getting news from their doctor. That they are pre-diabetic or perhaps they have seen someone in their family suffer greatly from diabetes.
• Regardless of what the traumatic event is, as long as it is superfluously extreme. To the point to where it significantly damages their psyche. And includes diabetes in some capacity, then they may develop diabetophobia because of it.
• Though we do not definitively know what causes this disorder to develop, the consensus among most mental health professionals. Is that both genetics and one’s environment may play very significant roles.
• So, taking a closer look at these two different parameters may shed some light. As to whether or not you may be at risk for developing diabetophobia.

Diabetophobia Treatments

• Exposure therapy is one of the most common forms of treatment for people suffering. From most phobias as it can help them to become desensitized to their fear. However, unlike many other phobias, exposure therapy may not be the most effective form. Of treatment for someone suffering with diabetophobia.
• This is due to the obvious fact that it would not be ethical to literally expose someone to diabetes. Nevertheless, exposing them to facts about the condition may be effective.
• Besides exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be very effective at treating diabetophobia. As it can help the patient to learn new and effective ways of coping with their irrational fear of diabetes.
• Such skills can render themselves crucially necessary at the onset of a panic attack. Besides this, the patient can also expect to learn how to think about diabetes in a more productive way.
• Anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants may be advantageous for someone suffering with diabetophobia also. However, merely taking medication without any form of therapy may not be very effective for long term treatment.
• As the patient would not have learned the many skills necessary for improving their symptoms of diabetophobia. This is very important if they wanted to one day stop taking medication.
• Nevertheless, this is something that should first be discussed by you and your doctor to ensure that it is safe and effective to do so.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Diabetophobia

• CBT is a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve one’s mental health. It is a modality that is often used to treat people suffering. From anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and OCD.
• Someone with diabetophobia may also be able to benefit from CBT as well seeing. As how it would allow them to have a much better understanding. As to why they think and behave the way they do in relation to their irrational fears.
• CBT can be immensely helpful for someone with diabetophobia given the sheer automaticity of their symptoms.
• For example, when someone with diabetophobia is exposed to their fear. They will almost always have an instantaneous subconscious reaction to their fear.
• Such a lack of introspection is likely a large part of why someone. With this condition will suffer to the extent that they will. CBT can help you to take a step back and analyze your fears more deeply than you typically would.
• Besides learning to be more fastidious with regards to understanding one’s specific fears. Someone with diabetophobia engaging in CBT can also expect to learn. Various other skills aimed at helping to relieve the anxiety caused by their condition.

Meditation for Diabetophobia

• There are many different forms of meditation that exists which can be very advantageous for someone suffering from diabetophobia. Specifically, mindfulness meditation has been shown to be quite beneficial for helping people to enter into a more equanimous state.
• There are many different ways with which you can implement mindfulness meditation. And there are also many different meditation apps which are designed to make things as easy as possible for you.
• Mindfulness has the potential to significantly help those suffering from diabetophobia. Due to how it will help one to distract themselves from their fear by refocusing. Their attention onto something else that does not have any sort of emotional baggage. Attached to it, such as by focusing on the breath for example. This is one of the most basic ways that one can meditate and be present.
• For someone with diabetophobia in the midst of a panic attack, redirecting one’s attention. To the various sensations felt when breathing can actually help to reduce. The amount of mental anguish experienced during such an influx of anxiety.
• To implement mindfulness meditation to help relieve one’s symptoms of diabetophobia. Yu can do so by paying close attention to the way the muscles. In your abdomen and chest contract and relax with every inhale and exhale. You can spend time dwelling on how it feels as your chest expands during each inhale and how it sinks in with every exhale.
• Besides focusing on your breathing, you can also focus on the sounds around you. The way your skin feels as you touch certain objects. The way foods taste, as well as the way certain aromas smell.
• Essentially, honing into your 5 senses can significantly help you to reduce. Some of the anxiety that is associated with diabetophobia. Also, remember that it will take a lot of practice to become an adept meditator.

Yoga for Diabetophobia

There are numerous different yoga poses that can substantially benefit someone who is suffering from diabetophobia. In part, this is due to the meditative state of mind that yoga tends to emit in those who practice it on a consistent basis.

Reducing Caffeine for Diabetophobia

• It is no secret that consuming large amounts of caffeine throughout the day can aid in making you more anxious. This makes sense when we look closely at how caffeine affects our body’s physiology.
• When we consume a high dose of caffeine, our heart will start to beat faster and we become more tense. Essentially, our body will begin to go into a “fight or flight” state of mind. Such a frame of mind is often a precursor for someone with diabetophobia to experience panic attacks.
• So, consuming little to no caffeine throughout the day may be able to significantly help reduce your day to day anxiety.
• Although doing so will likely not make all of your anxiety go away. It will indeed help you to reduce any unnecessary suffering that you would have. Otherwise experienced if you were to consume a large amount of caffeine.
• Beverages like coffee and tea are often high in caffeine, as well as some energy drinks. In fact, even some foods have caffeine in them as well, such as dark chocolate.
• Being more conscious of your daily caffeine consumption. May help you to reduce some of the symptoms associated with diabetophobia.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for Diabetophobia

• DBT is a very effective form of treatment for people struggling with emotion regulation. It is often used to treat people suffering from borderline personality disorder.
• Nevertheless, it can also be very advantageous for someone suffering from anxiety disorders like diabetophobia too.Although, it isn’t enough to just think about your fear while half-smiling, you also have to try. And refrain from entertaining those painful emotions that your specific fear may evoke.

Psychiatric Medications for Diabetophobia

1. Anti-anxiety meds

These types of medications are very useful to help prevent panic attacks. Such drugs can be extremely useful for people suffering from severe diabetophobia. Due to the fact that people with phobias often experience panic attacks as well. Some common anti-anxiety medications include Xanax, Valium, and Klonopin, among many others.

These types of drugs are not typically taken on a daily basis, but they may be insofar as their diabetophobia is severe enough. However, this is something that you should first discuss with your doctor before you decide to do so to ensure that it is safe and effective.

1. Antidepressants

These types of medications aren’t only for people who suffer from depression. As they can also help people suffering from anxiety disorders as well, such as diabetophobia. Some common antidepressants are Paxil, Zoloft, and Lexapro, among several others. These drugs may be able to help reduce some of the symptoms of diabetophobia.

These types of drugs are typically taken on a daily basis. They can indeed help prevent panic attacks from occurring, but they are more so used to help reduce people’s daily anxiety. Talk to your doctor to see if taking antidepressants. Can help to reduce your symptoms of diabetophobia, as well as whether or not it is safe to do so.

If you think you may be suffering from some of the symptoms of this condition, then you may benefit from therapy.