Friday, May 23, 2014

Been There.

I'm really encouraged to see attention being brought to the link between living with diabetes and living with mental health issues. In case you've missed some of them:

  • Diabetes Advocates issued a press release, raising awareness of "diapression"
  • The American Diabetes Association also issued a release specifically addressing depression in patients with T1D (though I didn't like the tone at the beginning; tastes a little blame-y)
  • You Can Do This Project has been sharing guest posts written by people in our community who balance the management of diabetes with mental health (if you'd like to write one, we'd love to feature it), and released that group video earlier in the month
  • Diabetes Blog Week instigated a flurry of blog posts from around our community about how diabetes impacts us emotionally

It's one of those really uncomfortable topics for a lot of us to talk about, but I'm so glad when we do. I've always admired the way people draw strength from the very things that supposedly make us weak. I know I'm cherry-picking the following quotes; forgive me:

"I know that the night is not the same as the day: that all things are different, that the things of the night cannot be explained in the day, because they do not then exist, and the night can be a dreadful time for lonely people once their loneliness has started. 

The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places." 

- Ernest Hemingway

I hope that by knowing we are not alone in the night, we will find some of that strength.




4 comments:

  1. Not feeling alone is a great way cure for loneliness, and I'm glad you're talking and doing something about it. Thank you.

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  2. Kim, I really like this and, like you, am glad so many in our community are talking more about mental illness. Hopefully, we'll reach a time when our kids won't be taught by society that it's weak to need a little help now and again. These conversations are the start. Thank you for being an advocate for all of us and being a friend

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  3. Hi Kim.
    I am Jerry. I was diagnosed with Type 1 (LATA) in March of this year. I would like to start a blog about my journey and perhaps get into Diabetic advocacy for Type 1. Do you have any hints or suggestions about how I could get started? I am a bona fide MD (OB/GYN), now medically retired (non-diabetic reasons). So I have a knowledge base, and can critically analyze products, political assertions, and Marketing releases.

    I have enjoyed information on your site and many of the other bloggers.
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    ReplyDelete
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