Diabetes II: Fits of Anger (Rage)
I am not a doctor, but I am an expert because I have been living with and assisting a severe Type II diabetic for about 3 years. Progressively, her rages have intensified. She flatly refuses to follow guidelines regarding the need to eat at least 4-5 small meals a day. She awakes, then starts household chores, such as laundry, and completely refuses to eat breakfast. By 11 am, she is willing to eat oatmeal or something similar. Then, she throws herself into the chores again and refuses to think about eating until perhaps 9 pm. Yes, I said 9 pm.
Now, the doctor does what he can. He prescribes proper medication for her in what should be the correct amounts. If she suspects that her sugar is out of control, she becomes belligerent and screams that she "does not have to use the monitor".
She flies into a tremendous rage over the smallest of items. She takes offense at everything a person says or does. Paranoia runs rampant in her mind when her sugar is high or too low. She had to go to the ER recently, twice in one day, because her sugar went down to 26 and she was in seizures. Bad seizures, with loud hollering. Then when she returned from the ER, that very same evening her sugar was over 500, so it was back to the ER again.
Yes, I know, this situation has become untenable for me. For the sake of my own health, I am getting out of her life.
Sometimes (rarely) she will come to me and apologize for her hideous behavior saying that she cannot control her moods when her sugar goes so high or so low.
So what can you do if you are not able to leave the situation described above? Maybe you are caring for a parent or a spouse who has the above-described fits of rage and temper.
Here is the best you can do: TRY to get the person to use his/her glucose monitor at least TWICE a day: once in the morning and once just before bedtime.
You must keep glucose tablets on hand, where you can get to them fast in case the sugar reading is too low. Your goal is to avoid the patient going into seizures and/or coma, which can lead very quickly to death.
The lady I describe seems to suffer also from a long-standing depression. I am not sure if it is caused by the sugar highs and lows.
What else can you do to try to keep peace in your home? Try to find something to occupy the patient's mind. Is there a hobby the person enjoys? Soft music may help. I found that GOSPEL music calms this particular woman. Perhaps it will soothe your patient.
Try not to allow the person to get overly tired. They get into an activity and before they (or you) realize it, they are physically exhausted and they become belligerent because of the sugar imbalance.
Another thing you can do is NOT argue with the person when he or she is in one of the rages. Just try to stay quiet and out of the way if you can. They do not want advice when they are in one of these moods of bad temper. In fact, they can become violent if you try to put some sense into their head, so the best thing is to AVOID CONFLICT during these times. The person's sugar will determine the outcome anyway and sometimes the person PREVENTS you from helping.
Try not to feel responsible for a bad event in this person's health. You try all you can do to assist the person, but if they "fight" you, really there is nothing you can do.
Once, when I had to call the Emergency Squad, this lady ran to the bathroom and locked herself inside. This is what you are or will be up against. Then she always refuses to go to the hospital with the Life Squad. Of course, when the person is having seizures or in a coma, then they go to the ER without being able to oppose the idea.
Do I sound "down" about all this? Yes, but I am sure you feel similarly. You must try to "save" your own sanity in the situation. Keep yourself busy with your own hobbies or preferred pastimes.
You probably know the "signs" of when the person's rage is about to begin: the belligerent face, the raising of the voice, the body actions that become louder, slamming doors, for example. THIS WILL WARN YOU THAT THE BEST THING TO DO IS STAY QUIET AND NOT OPPOSE THE PERSON. Sad to say, but when they get into a rage, you can be harmed by the person because they become physically more aggressive while in the rage mode. Physical and verbal threats and insults will come your way. Your level of dedication and love for the person will determine how much of the fits of anger and results thereof that you can bear. If your patient gets to this advanced stage of rages, then I suggest you discuss the situation with the patient's doctors and consider placing the person in a facility which can offer 24 hour care.
I realize most of us cannot afford to pay for a 24 hour care facility. This is why you have the person living with you, I presume. This is very difficult for YOU. Your own health, physical and emotional, are at constant risk in your situation.
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