When diabetics dismiss their treatment
By Bruce Bower
Some people with diabetes who dislike their physicians—or feel unable to talk openly with them—have difficulty injecting themselves daily with insulin, avoiding sugar-laden foods, and following through on other unpleasant but lifesaving treatments. Among these patients, those who generally avoid close relationships and exalt self-reliance exhibit particular difficulty in heeding the physician’s directions and controlling their blood sugar concentrations, a new study finds.
Physicians need to focus on how best to deal with people with diabetes who display this “dismissive” approach to human interactions, say psychiatrist Paul S. Ciechanowski of the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues.