Let’s be real for a minute. There are a LOT of online forums, resources, groups, events, and hashtags associated with Type 1 Diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association shares that 30.3 million people in the United States have diabetes, with 1.25 million people living with Type 1 Diabetes right now. That’s a lot of individuals with a lot of online activity! (For more on that, click here.)
Diabetes can get lonely.
Tonight on our way home from dinner and shopping, I was explaining that diabetics have higher percentage chances of experiencing depression and anxiety. Justin wondered aloud why that is, which got us on the topic of “fault”. Diabetes is a unique disease because there’s so much criticism and judgement involved.
Sometimes with chronic illnesses people express pity and concern. With diabetes, they do that -and sometimes (far more often than is appropriate or necessary- they say things like “If you just took better care of yourself!” or “I don’t know why you can’t just eat better,” or my personal favorite when something bad happens, “Why didn’t you do X, Y, Z!”
All too often, these folks are doing EXACTLY THE THINGS THEY TELL YOU NOT TO. It’s next level infuriating.
These folks are trying to be helpful, but they isolate us. They intentionally or unintentionally guilt us into feeling like our diabetes and complications and lows and highs are our fault. They are not. These people are wrong, and I do not care who they are. Sometimes even people we care about and trust are wrong. This is your PSA for today.
Type 1 Diabetics are just people. We are not God. We are not all powerful. Most of us are just every day people without medical degrees who are just trying to survive and live our best lives. We do complicated mathematics calculations, utilize thousands of dollars of medical equipment, act as our own EMTs, trainers, and advocates, we take on insurance companies, etc. and we are just people. That’s it.
We can do a lot to make our own lives better. Everyone wants to make their own life better, and if you have a chronic illness, diabetes or otherwise, it probably crosses your mind at least once a day that life could be better.
So let’s do some things to make our lives better for us. Not for the people who guilt or demand or blame, or even the people who love and support and care, but for us.
One of those things we can do is reach out to other people and get support and advice. We can vent and feel understood. We can be validated and feel motivated. We can troubleshoot. We can be together.
We don’t have to be alone, and more importantly, we don’t have to be lonely.
That’s why we’re here. That’s what this site is for, at its most basic core. We are here to be here for ourselves. We are here to share this space and our stories with each other.
We are here to make lives better.
As you peruse this site, keep in mind that we (Justin, the other collaborators, and myself) are just people. We’re people who want our lives to be better, and we’re people who want you to feel better too.
Disclaimer-most of us are NOT medical professionals. We’re just here, telling our stories and wanting to hear yours.
Type 1 Diabetes sucks, but you are not alone, and you don’t have to be lonely.
Sending you love and light,
Megan
The Friendly Neighborhood Diabetics 