Hello, welcome to Diabeticville; a diabetics safe haven! Even though I’ve been a type 1 for 18 years now I still have my moments where I feel alone when it comes to having someone who understands the trash feeling of a low or even high blood sugar.. Feeling like a black sheep around my friends and family since I’m the only one who is diabetic. The only one who drinks diet soda. The only one who had to get approval from my doctor to get a driver's license..This IS a mental battle 100%. With that being said, that's just one type of mindset I can’t let go of completely. BUT it isn’t my primary mindset! I want my PRIMARY mindset to be just like every other normal woman in her mid 20’s.. So how do I or we approach and change this habit? I know there’s other diabetics out there who have the same frustrations and I hope it’s you and the community inside this post!!
EXERCISE #1
When do you feel the most alone?
What makes you the “Black sheep”?
What are 3 things you wish a non-diabetic could physically and mentally understand?
1.____________________________________________
2.____________________________________________
3.____________________________________________
Write yourself an uplifting letter from your future self.
Change your words: in one column put your initial choice of words on how you feel when doing daily diabetic activities. Then in a second column use the same example but change your words into anything positive/motivational/accepting. Rewrite it. Reread it. Repeat it out loud whenever your choice of words is hurting you mentally.
INITIAL WORD CHOICES CHANGE OF WORDS
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Personally, I have more physical complaints and worries when being a type 1 diabetic compared to my mindset. Although pricking my finger or injecting myself with insulin has been my version of a “normal life” for more than half of my life I’ve always felt uncomfortable and paranoid like, “I hope nobody walks in on me” or, “maybe I should give whoever is around a heads up incase they have a fear of needles/blood”.. Feeling insecure vulnerable and exposed especially in public or around strangers. My thought process goes straight to the most degrading thought and that is that they see me as a drug user… no not insulin “drug”, but illegal narcotics type of “drug”. This physically affects me the wrong way for the simple reason that I don’t want to be viewed or treated as a crackhead and in my past experiences it led to me neglecting my blood sugar levels because I would wait hours after eating to then get home to a high blood sugar level and inject myself with insulin.& Ya’ll know how that domino affects the rest of my day. (Feeling shitty like I’m going to get sick and correcting with insulin every 2ish hours for the rest of the day/night).
EXERCISE #2
Write about a physical experience where someone else made you feel shy/uncomfortable.
What do you do/say when a person who is unaware of your health condition sees you prick your finger or take insulin? Answer how you would react to 3 different interactions.
They see what you’re doing but don't say anything.
They notice what you’re doing and ask you personally.
They observe what you’re doing from beginning to end and say nothing toward you, but starts to ask others around them without being discreet.
3. What is affecting you more negatively? Your own thoughts and mental health or managing your physical health 24/7 365 days out of the year.
Bringing us back to our virtual world in Diabeticville I want to remind you again that this is a safe and welcoming place. The Diabetes Community Resource Center is where you will find your happiness and strength. Hopefully once the population of Diabeticville increases (My future followers) it will be everyones favorite resource center to be involved in and with time and a pinch of striking interest for my blog this platform will be BUSY and OPEN ALL HOURS to the Diabetic community!
COMMENT AND/OR WRITE TO ME YOUR EXERCISE ANSWERS OR ANY SORT OF RELATEABLE STORY YOU WANT TO SHARE! The frustrations, awkwardness, knowledge, funny, uplifting, and so on! & as always I would love to get your feedback on this blog topic and any future topic ideas you want to chat-chit about.
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