Lessons for People New to Type 2 Diabetes, Part 6

This blog is about some of the variables involved in your management of your diabetes. This also emphasizes the saying of what works for me, may not work for you. Get used to this and do not think you can use what someone can use. Also, there is definitely not a one-size-fits-all that you can depend on. This is what many people new to diabetes are looking for and when they don't find it, they become very discouraged, some go into denial, and others give up on managing their diabetes.

I must review some of the material from part 1. Yes, I missed something in preparing that blog. There are seven, not three ways of learning. I was going to add audio, but this caused me to do more research. I am not sure that what I learned many years ago is the same, but I will cover them as they are currently stated. The seven learning styles as defined today include:

1. Visual (spatial): You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
2. Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.
3. Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
4. Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands, and sense of touch.
5. Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning, and systems.
6. Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
7. Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

If you think this complicates learning, then you are right. Many people can use a combination of these learning styles and comprehend material quicker and more accurately. Some only comprehend using one style and this puts them at a disadvantage and requires constant repetition to something to remain in memory. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix, or are your styles fixed.

By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your learning. My preferred learning style is reading. I do not enjoy visual as a rule, and even watching TV is a task. I can work with the TV on and when I hear something that peaks my interest, I will turn and watch to see what is being talked about.

Now that I have better explained learning styles, I have to wonder what learning style causes people to throw common sense out the window and hold fast to ideas that are false. What am I talking about you ask? I constantly have people asking me where they can find the pill that will allow them to continue living the life they are accustomed to living. When I say there isn't a pill that will allow this, they look at me in disbelief. Others just proclaim that this is the twenty first century and there has to be a cure.

One additional point that I want to share is on what is the right amount of knowledge for people with type 2 diabetes to have. This is a tough call and my blog link in the previous sentence explains how I feel about this and the many variables involved in deciding. I feel that the more I can learn, the better off I will be in the long run, but there are still many concepts that I need to wrap my brain around. If you live in a largely rural area and do not have certified diabetes educators available, you will need to learn mostly on your own and from the internet. Support groups are also valuable sources of information and finding people willing to talk about their experiences.