None of my friends or family understand my diabetes and I’m starting to feel alone. Can anyone relate?
Hi. My son has T1D. I am not diabetic so cannot speak from that aspect, but know it can be frustrating. You are definitely not alone! There are a lot of support groups and people on here to talk to! Much love!
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Thanks Jeannie. That helps alot.
Diabetes sucks and no one understands the daily struggles because you look fine on the outside. It is a lonely disease because even if you have the most support in the world you still have to do it all on your own. I would reach out to your local JDRF community and get involved. I was feeling the same way, but by getting involved and helping has allowed me to show the ones I am close too more about my illness and meet people who have diabetes.
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Yes
I think a lot, if not most, of us can relate.
Daniel is right. It makes it so much harder because you look fine on the outside, but you are not, in the inside.
In the last few days, my sugar has been running higher than usual, and my “sugar brain” is back full force.
It’s the first time since I’m on insulin that my sugar brain has been back. ( I was first diagnosed as t2, and no matter how hard I tried, rare were the days where my numbers were below 200, hence the constant feeling was dubbed sugar brain)
So, yesterday I was with my closest friend, who has seen me go through it all in the last two years, studied all about it in school, and yet, I still had to stop and explain to her how my sugar was high and my brain power was so low. She could tell it was hard for me to put two sentences together, she was right there when I started to panicked when, after 3 times my usual dose, my sugar was still going up, and was racking my brain on what to do, that I was anything but the cheery and upbeat person I usually am. Frankly, I was a complete mess, But even after my explanation, it kinda went in one ear, out the other for her. There is nothing in the world that can help her understand how I felt. No matter how much empathy, sympathy or willingness. She has never been seriously ill, no chronic disease, no constant pain.
For the most part, They can listen, they can try to relate, but it’s so rare to find someone who can get it and isn’t a t1d.
Yet, it’s super important for each and everyone one of us to have a support system, whether online or in person.
I see that you have already taken some steps doing that, and I applaud you for it. Helping others and connecting with others going through similar issues in life is a great step in not feeling so isolated and alone.
I think through this forum, you have had a great opportunity to see how other people struggle with some issues but also how to succeed with our challenges. It’s one of many tools we have in our bucket.
We are always here if you need to vent, or discuss things.
Also building a social network of people your age, facing t1d together can be really empowering too.
Remember, you are never alone.
All the best
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You are right. They don’t understand. And what I’ve noticed is that everybody thinks they are experts on what I’m supposed to be doing. But as you get on with life he will have some friends that are generally concerned about you. It gets annoying sometimes one day constantly ask me what my sugar is or have I eaten. But if you really think about it it’s OK if they truly care about you. I don’t take it personal anymore. We all have a calling to serve others. And I assume This is a way they are serving by asking those questions… and it’s up to us to let them serve.
As you know it’s very difficult to control every aspect your sugar because life is stressful and that takes it’s toll on our sugar. There are a lot of options out there when to go out to eat that we have to account for with our insulin intake… it a 24/7 management detailed for us. But we are on this side of the dirt and we have our options to let it get us down or just deal with it. It’s tough. And our family members and our friends do not understand. But they truly care. And that’s the difference. You’ll be fine
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I’m sorry to hear that but I do understand. My daughter is TD1 and some people don’t understand and others think they have the answer to it. I would reach out to JDRF and Facebook because there is a lot of support out there. You are not alone and may take them some time to understand
Hi Amanda,
A lot of us can understand; we have it too! My mother finally understands, but only because she was diagnosed herself (something I would never have wished on her!). It’s funny, but she did not understand until she was diagnosed. Even then, she would call me with questions when her BGs didn’t make sense. She now understands that as a child I wasn’t lying when I told her I did not sneak a piece of candy!
Face it, diabetes doesn’t make sense all of the time. Sometimes our BGs go up or down for seemingly no reason (it could just be a stressful day, or even the weather…). So, how can we expect someone who doesn’t have it to understand? All we can do is explain it to them the best we can to help educate them on what we are living with.
I’m not sure how old you are, but if you are age 15 or younger I would look into going to a diabetes camp. There you will find other people with diabetes who really do “get it.” I have friends I’m still in touch with to this day who I met at camp. It really was the best experience to meet others who were going through the same thing. Check with your endo or your local ADA/JDRF chapter to see if there is a camp in your area!
Pam K
T1D 54yrs and counting!