Controlling diabetes is a long journey and can easily add stress to your daily life. According to research, prolonged stress creates a major barrier to effective glucose control. Stress hormones in the body have the ability to directly affect glucose levels. When you're stressed, your body produces a fight-back response. This response can increase hormone levels and activate nerve cells in the body.

When the body has a fight-back response to stress, the two hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream and speed up respiration. The body will direct blood to the muscles and limbs to help you "fight" with this condition. In people with diabetes, the body cannot process glucose as it should, so glucose does not convert to energy and accumulates in the blood. This is what causes high blood sugar levels.

The long-term stress caused by blood sugar problems is also a factor that makes the patient vulnerable to physical and mental breakdown. This makes diabetes control more difficult.