Mood Determines Blood Sugar: Emotional Protection under the Biopsychosocial Model

Third Tip for Controlling Blood Sugar – Maintaining a Peaceful Mindset In the 1970s and 80s, a significant shift occurred in the medical model, moving from the biomedical model to the biopsychosocial model. This shift led to a growing understanding that the causes of human disease were no longer solely genetics, bacteria, viruses, injury, and war; psychological factors also played a role. What is psychology? Why do psychological factors trigger disease? Psychologists believe that psychology is a function of the brain, and the brain is the organ of mental activity. Psychology is a reflection of objective reality. Psychology is also a product of society; even with a human brain, psychology cannot spontaneously arise outside of human society. In simple terms, psychology is the subjective image produced by the brain after objective things (external stimuli) act on a person's sensory organs (sight, hearing, smell, taste, temperature). This image governs a person's behavior (response).

Human psychology is expressed through behavioral activities. In real life, diseases are caused by three factors: biological (bacteria, viruses), social (external environment, various pressures), and psychological (cognition). Biological and social factors are intuitive and easily understood causes of disease, while psychological factors are abstract, invisible, and intangible. However, each person's long-term accumulated experience can influence their evaluation of external things and generate different psychological states based on their cognitive tendencies. A positive and optimistic mindset promotes physical health, while a pessimistic and negative mindset can cause mental stress, alter the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system, and thus trigger disease. Surveys by mental health professionals have found that 30% to 62% of primary, middle, and high school students have various psychological problems, disorders, or borderline diseases. Timely psychological protection and counseling can help these individuals develop and cultivate sound personalities, reduce or eliminate the occurrence of crisis events, and achieve mental health. The recent "Ma Jiajue incident" once again sounded the alarm for parents, schools, and society—some primary, middle, and high school students lack not cultural knowledge, but rather sound personalities and healthy minds. Furthermore, 61% of cadres at all levels suffer from psychological problems, disorders, and borderline diseases. These individuals are the "backbone" of their workplaces and the "pillars of their families." Faced with work, social, and family pressures, many lack healthy ways to release stress, burying their dissatisfaction and conflicts deep within. Eventually, this accumulation leads to a qualitative change, with psychological problems causing physical illnesses—hyperglycemia (diabetes), hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stomach and duodenal ulcers are typical psychosomatic illnesses. These illnesses cannot be cured by medication alone; psychological counseling and therapy are essential for effective treatment.

Among divorced individuals, 51% suffer from psychological problems, disorders, or borderline disorders. American scholars have found that 75% of cancer patients have a history of psychological trauma. Divorce has both positive and negative effects on modern people. As Marx said, "Divorce is merely the confirmation of the fact that a marriage is dead, its existence merely an appearance and a deception." Freeing oneself from a dead marriage is also a sign of social progress. Divorced individuals should focus on understanding "why the divorce?" rather than becoming despondent. If they are truly struggling, they should consult a psychologist. Note: Among high-risk individuals for diabetes, some develop hyperglycemia due to poor blood sugar control caused by various factors. Hyperglycemia occurs when blood sugar levels are elevated but have not yet reached the diagnostic criteria for diabetes; blood sugar levels fall between normal and diabetic levels. Individuals experiencing this condition typically exhibit the following:

1. Fasting blood glucose is higher than normal but does not reach the diagnostic criteria for diabetes (blood glucose between 6.1 and 7.0 mmol/L).

2. Impaired postprandial glucose, defined as blood glucose levels at least 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours after a meal falling between normal and the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. For example, their 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level is 7.8–11.1 mmol/L.

3. Impaired glucose tolerance, also known as decreased glucose tolerance. For individuals suspected of having diabetes but with fasting or postprandial blood glucose levels higher than normal but not reaching the diagnostic criteria for diabetes, administering 75–100 grams of glucose and observing the timeframe for the blood glucose peak to see if it exceeds the normal timeframe.

In short, for people with high blood sugar, effective prevention and intervention are crucial during the "high blood sugar" stage to prevent diabetes at the last hurdle and ensure that those at risk of developing diabetes do not develop it! Psychological protection is extremely important for people with high blood sugar! When someone learns from a doctor that they are at high risk for diabetes or have prediabetes, they will experience physiological reactions, such as activation of the pituitary-adrenal cortex system. Psychological reactions will also occur, most commonly emotional ones. Common emotional reactions include anxiety, fear, and depression. At this time, those around them should provide positive support and help them overcome their psychological distress. Common manifestations of anxiety include restlessness, fidgeting, and a feeling of impending doom. Common manifestations of fear include avoiding checkups, avoiding people's concern and greetings, and mistakenly believing that if they don't mention "high blood sugar," their blood sugar won't rise, and if they don't get checked, they won't have "high blood sugar."

Common manifestations of depression include a lack of interest in everything, especially feeling listless upon waking up in the morning. A characteristic of depression is that it is "worse in the morning and lighter in the evening." If someone around you experiences anxiety, fear, or depression, be sure to offer understanding and care. At the same time, suggest they see a psychologist, as it's sometimes difficult for them to overcome psychological distress on their own. In a sense, discovering high blood sugar is a good thing, because only through discovery can you intervene, and only timely intervention can control the disease. High blood sugar represents a sub-healthy state of the body, and during this crucial period, one's mental health must not suffer as well. One should approach the sub-healthy physical state with a healthy mind, mobilizing the body's "disease-fighting ability" (immune system) to resist disease.