The Importance of Friendships in Diabetic Care: What if I told you that in order to be successful in the managed care of diabetes you might need improved skills in interpersonal relationships? One study says I’m right.

Belinda (not her real name) lives in the Midwest. She is fearful of others and finds it hard to trust. Belinda is obese and developed both diabetes and asthma in her early 40s. She has been known to tell family members that she wishes she would just move far away from everyone and just be left alone. She won’t speak to some family members except via text or emails.

Belinda struggles with depression, which is common in those who have diabetes. She doesn’t have a positive body image and she finds it a struggle to just get up and venture out of her house. Her health continues to decline.

I mentioned a study in the opening paragraph of this story. According to PrivateMD, Paul Ciechanowski, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington, and his colleagues examined 3,535 adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and had them fill out questionnaires regarding their personality and lifestyle.

”Participants were then divided into two groups – those with an independent style, who tended to be either dismissive or fearful of close relationships, and those with an interactive style, who generally felt comfortable seeking out support.”

You might expect that there would be some problems with those who find themselves fearful of interaction with others, but the truth might surprise you, “Over the duration of the study, individuals who were more introverted and mistrustful had a 33 percent higher mortality rate than those who were more extraverted and emotionally open. The mortality rates remained the same after accounting for potential risk factors, such as age, body mass index and other medical conditions.”

With the advent of modern technology it is possible for an individual to develop a dependence on personal communication devices inside their home in order to physically remove themselves from other people. Like Belinda many push family members and friends away because they erroneously believe no one wants to be around them in the state in which they find themselves.

Managing diabetes can be a collaborative effort between yourself and someone who cares about you. When you leash yourself to an electronic tether that makes no demands with respect to connecting with others on a face-to-face basis you can find comfort on one level, yet a profound separation on another.

This is another example of psychological component that plays a key role in the outlook and personal care an individual will perceive as acceptable. In other words for someone like Belinda who struggles with trust there may be an acceptance of care and comfort that is less comprehensive than others who work at developing a support network.

The Internet has provided a great resource in finding information and connecting with others in a casual manner, but the Internet cannot hold your hand, dry your tears or provide the personal encouragement a flesh and bone friend can.

By intentionally working on interpersonal relationships as part of your diabetic care you may find that there are greater moments of joy and less bouts of loneliness and depression than by insisting you are strong enough to do this thing called diabetes alone.