Type One Diabetics are more at risk of mental health issues; adolescents diagnosed with type one diabetes are 5x more likely to have depression. Roughly, 25% of diabetics (type one and type two) are impacted by depression.
Anyone living with Type One Diabetes needs support; whether that support is from professionals, friends, or family, the support is an essential part of caring for diabetes.
However, it can be hard to seek support:
Many individuals aren’t educated on T1D; even most diabetics diagnosed with Type One recall a time they were unaware or held biases.
Additionally, the lack of awareness and education causes building and encouraging stigmas; many stigmas/myths about type one are similar, they relate to sugar or eating.
Many misconceptions include questions like "Did you develop diabetes by eating too much sugar?" or "Can you eat that?"
Many diabetics face these stigmas regularly.
Type One Diabetics deserve to live in a world where they don’t face ignorance on a daily basis.
We asked Diabetics of Clark* a few leading questions,
"What's the hardest part of your day as a diabetic?"
"Consistently coming to terms with how little control I have over my own life because of diabetes. Eating when I don’t want to eat, taking speed walks when I’m already tired, the anxiety that comes with it all, etc"
"Trying to have a stable blood sugar while balancing a busy schedule and needing to prioritize meal times"
"When people don't understand what I'm going through, or why"
"My devices showing most of the time"
"Managing blood sugar at night, dealing with low blood sugar in the night"
*Clark University's club for Type One Diabetics to find community; a range of individuals that have been diagnosed with type one diabetes for less than 3 years ago, up to 18 years ago.
We asked Diabetics of Clark a few leading questions,
"What is the most frustrating stigma you face?"
“People not understanding how much constant work and thought goes into just our everyday existence.”
“When people question whether or not I can eat certain food. I more or less hid my diabetes for years because I didn’t want any awkward questions.”
"People thinking I can't eat sugar because I am diabetic or that I ate too much sugar to 'get diabetes'"
"That diabetes causes me to be unable to do common things."