2015 Volume 55 Issue 7 Pages 849-856
Diabetes is incurable (Ishii, 1999) and progressive (UKPDS, 1996). People living with diabetes need self-medication (Anderson et al, 2000/2001). These traits of diabetes can raise their emotional burdens. In some cases, it can be difficult for people to live with diabetes and take care of it by themselves. Therefore, therapeutic relationship between healthcare providers and people living with diabetes and multi-disciplinary medicine teams are needed. In the medicine team of diabetes care, clinical psychologist has a role of motivating them to practice self-management for diabetes care and to cope with their stress (Nunoi,2003). Mrs A, a woman in her 60's living with diabetes, had type 2 diabetes. After recheck, she was diagnosed as slowly-progressive type 1 diabetes, and she started to accept her diabetes and willingly practiced self-management, including taking an insulin shot. A series of medical interviews of her was taken by a clinical psychologist with the intention of understanding the patient's self-management and self-actualization The interviews helped facilitate her to accept her diabetes and to care for her traumatic stress, depression and anxiety accompanied by acceptance of diabetes.
