I have never met a person with diabetes who didn't need a little help now and then. Come to think of it, I've never met anyone (with or without diabetes) who never needed support. We all need a little help from our friends (and family) from time to time. When you add the daily demands of diabetes to your already busy life, it's no wonder you feel you could use diabetes-related support on occasion. Some people need lots of practical and emotional support, while other people need only a little.

Let's talk about the different kinds of diabetes support and how to get more of what you need. Do you want more encouragement to do things like check your blood glucose level, take your medication, eat right and stay active, or is your family "encouraging" you too much already? Maybe you're managing the practical side of diabetes pretty well and just want more support with the emotional challenges when they come up.

Communicate what you need
What kind of help would you like? Be as specific as possible. The more specific you can be, and the more clearly you communicate what it is you need, the more likely you are to get it.

A patient of mine, Seth, was told by his doctor to start walking regularly. For some reason this became a major source of tension between Seth and his wife. According to Seth, every evening his wife would tell him he should go for a walk, he would snap at her, and they would argue. They seemed to be stuck, and Seth wasn't walking. When I asked Seth what he wanted to happen, he said "I wish my wife walked with me instead of sitting in front of the television snacking and telling me I should do it."

When he thought about it, Seth felt sure his wife would be willing to stop lecturing him if he asked her to. They loved each other, and she disliked the tension as much as he did.

There was also a good chance his wife would join him for a walk a couple of evenings a week. She had been very supportive about cooking healthier meals, and she'd admitted she was feeling out of shape herself.

Get the support you need
When Seth talked to his wife he was clear, positive and specific. He told her that he wanted to walk regularly, he needed her help to do that, and he appreciated her efforts to help him manage his diabetes, including the delicious healthy meals she prepared. Seth was also specific with his wife about what else she could do to encourage him to walk regularly: walk with him two evenings a week, read this very column about getting and giving diabetes support, read other relevant columns I have written and compliment him when he came back from a walk.

Seth also asked his wife to stop telling him to walk, especially when she was doing something tempting like watching television and snacking. Seth was confident his wife would welcome a more constructive approach to their dilemma, and he was right.

Other sources of support
Your health care provider can be a good source of diabetes support, helping make diabetes management easier and more effective in a variety of ways. Your provider can direct you to other sources of support, including diabetes educators, dietitians and counselors to help you cope with the emotional side of diabetes.

Your health care provider can also tell you about diabetes education classes and support groups in your community. These services are often offered at local hospitals. Talking to other people who have diabetes can be helpful and attending diabetes education classes can be a great source of support and information. Taking a family member to these classes can make the experience even more rewarding.

Resources to help you
The American Diabetes Association offers a variety of information and support services, including a wonderful monthly magazine, "Diabetes Forecast," books and pamphlets on every aspect of life with diabetes, and a Web site with links to a wealth of resources and the latest diabetes research findings. For more information go to www.diabetes.org. Other informative diabetes periodicals include "Diabetes Self-Management" (www.diabetesselfmanagement.com) and "Diabetes Health" (www.diabeteshealth.com).

Diabetes pharmaceutical and device companies also provide helpful information about their products and other diabetes-related issues. Ask your health care provider or search the Internet for Web sites of the products you use.

So the next time you need a little more help managing your diabetes don't overlook a loved one, another person with diabetes, your health care provider, or even a magazine, book or Web site. Any one of them could turn out to be just what you need to help make your life with diabetes a little easier and more effective.

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