Buddhist Philosophy as an Approach to Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among Diabetic Patient, Thailand
Keywords:
Buddhism, Diabetic management, Type 2 diabetesAbstract
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) continues to have a substantial and growing impact upon the population of Thailand with over 6 million people, or approximately 11.6% of the population suffering from this chronic disease. Theravada Buddhism is practiced by almost 95% of the Thai population and is an intricately woven part of the social and cultural fabric of the country. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), derived from Buddhist techniques, has been successfully used to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and diabetes distress among adults with diabetes. Additionally, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can contribute to better self-care and self-management behaviors which help prevent or delay physiological complications. In addition to being the progenitor to MBSR, Buddhism contains a rational structure embodied within The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, and belief in Karma or Law of Karma that may be successfully used by Thai persons with T2DM to help manage their disease. This article explores the existing evidences on how core Buddhist principles may be successfully extracted and/or incorporated into strategies augmenting conventional treatments for Thais with T2DM.
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