A diabetes diagnosis prompts many responses. Some people take their diagnosis in stride and quickly incorporate new routines, others live in a state of denial for several weeks, and then there are folks who vacillate somewhere between the two, alternately accepting it and denying it.
What all of these people have in common is the struggle; no matter your station or your background, being diagnosed with diabetes is difficult, and the road ahead will likely require significant changes to many aspects of your day-to-day life.
Aside from making changes, one thing that stands out for diabetes patients: feelings of isolation.
Diagnosis and Alienation
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is difficult in and of itself and can be particularly taxing because there are often very few people around you who can understand your experience. Even if you have a family member with diabetes, the condition affects everyone differently and requires a personalized treatment plan for each individual it strikes, which can further isolate you.
A solution to this is awareness.
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Diabetes Awareness
Most people are familiar with diabetes. They know the basic mechanics of the condition, have a general idea of what treatment entails, and may even have a friend or family member who has been diagnosed. Very few people, however, who do not have a vested interest in diabetes know the ins and outs of the condition, that it does not strike a single population, and that treatment may be as uninvolved as diet management or as drastic as amputation.
Few are deeply aware of the exact differences between Types 1 and 2, and the treatment that goes along with each diagnosis. Although the phrase “insulin pump” might be familiar, the intricacy of a pump’s operation is usually reserved for those that actually employ them.
This lack of knowledge, familiarity, and understanding regarding diabetes is dangerous. Large-scale ignorance regarding diabetes will not only increase the isolation or alienation felt by men and women with diabetes but could breed an increase in diagnoses; after all, if the basics of diabetes and its onset are not common knowledge, how can diagnosis effectively be avoided?
Talking Is the Solution
The solution? Talk! Although you might feel embarrassed or odd, talk about your condition as much and as often as you’d like. Normalizing the frank discussion of diabetes and all that a diabetes diagnosis entails will not only educate those around you on your condition but will also increase awareness of its causes and effects, potentially leading to greater attention being given to diet, exercise, and overall healthy habits. So, the next time you get a curious glance while you administer your insulin, explain what you’re doing and answer some questions. You never know how powerful your impact might be.
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[expand title=”References“]
NIH. Accessed 5/14/17.
Glamour. Accessed 5/14/17.
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