Waiting for screening results can feel uncomfortable. Some people may not think much about it, while others may be more concerned. However you're feeling right now, there are steps you can take to help.
One approach to managing your feelings during this time is Awareness, Acknowledgement and Limiting, or AAL for short.
- Awareness: Recognise when you are experiencing feelings of unease or concern about T1D autoantibody screening, or the possible results of screening
- Acknowledgement: Name the feelings specifically
- Limiting: Try to put a boundary on how much time you spend thinking about “what if” scenarios or what might happen in the future
How this might look in practice:
- Awareness: ‘I'm noticing that I feel stressed today’.’
- Acknowledgement: ‘Specifically, I am anxious to know the result of my screening test’.’
- Limiting: ‘Now that I have taken a moment to be aware of my feelings and acknowledge them, I need to bear with the process and focus on the things I can control today’.’
If you start to worry about the potential results of screening, it can be helpful to focus on facts rather than “what ifs”. You can make a plan to discuss the results with your healthcare professional when they arrive, rather than having to decide on next steps on your own.
