The Positive Impact of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Susie was a 27 year-old woman who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in her teens. She was very brittle, meaning that her glucose levels could swing very high or very low with minimal provocation. She commonly suffered from insulin reactions several times a week, when her glucose would drop so low, that she would have a seizure and/or lose consciousness before she could intervene and eat something. She would end up frequently being transported to the emergency room of the local hospital. Desperate to get better control of her life, she agreed to her physician's recommendation to enroll in an MBSR class. As she began a regular meditation practice, she became more aware of her body's symptoms when her glucose levels would begin to drop. She could then intervene before losing consciousness. Over time, she also became less brittle, with more stabilized and predictable glucose levels, and gained improved quality of life.