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Is there anything different that healthcare workers could do to help people with diabetes who are having a hard time? And what can people who already have diabetes do?
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to hear many stories from people who know what it’s like to live with diabetes. people who know about having diabetes.
Many of these are inspiring stories about how people have gotten through hard times with diabetes by getting help and strength from others. But there have also been too many cases where people say the problems are too hard to overcome, especially when they have to deal with stigma from the public or their healthcare providers. This is very disappointing for someone who has spent almost all of their working life trying to make life easier for people with the condition.
Diabetes is always there, it’s a part of you all the time, and there’s no way to take a day off without possibly getting hurt. Still, there are a lot of myths about diabetes and how to treat it. This can cause people with diabetes to be judged and questioned about how they live their lives.
Pressure to make choices
Researchers at Stanford University found that people with diabetes, especially those who use insulin to control their condition, make 180 more decisions about their health every day than people without diabetes. So, it must be very frustrating when people ask if that means you have to eat a lot of sweets or question your diagnosis because you are not fat.
Trying to hear and listen
These judgements can be boring, tiring, and hurtful. They can add to the already heavy burden of having diabetes and make some people feel even worse. And remind me that we still have a lot of work to do to get the word out about type 1 diabetes, explain the difference between type 1 and type 2, and make sure people know how living with this condition can affect your physical and mental health. That’s why it’s so important for each of us to listen to the stories of other people and really “hear” them.
When people are upset about something, they might not think as clearly or care as much about themselves. This could make them think that ignoring their diabetes is the best thing to do. But, from what I’ve seen, this is often the path with the most difficult terrain, making it harder for a person with diabetes to get around.
It’s fair to say that healthcare professionals are all unique people with their own stories, backgrounds, personal situations, and ways of communicating. Even though they probably have good intentions, they don’t always give people with long-term health conditions what they need.
Goals that can be reached
But people with diabetes only see their diabetes healthcare professional for about 3 hours a year. Instead of criticising when and where things have gone wrong, this time could be used to listen to people and help them set goals they can reach.
The good news is that good work is being done in healthcare and diabetes research to figure out what people with diabetes need and make improvements that can help. This includes making wearable tech like insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, immunotherapies for people who have just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or are at risk of getting it, islet cell transplantation, and artificial pancreas systems.
No criticism, just motivation
People in healthcare settings are also becoming more aware of the need to ask people about how diabetes affects their lives and how they are doing in general, not just about their numbers. There are many ways to set short-term goals that will help you reach your long-term goals and stay motivated without being judged. And I hope with all my heart that this will be the case in every diabetes clinic.
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