Stigma

[matildabonner]

Diabetes stigma is something that significantly impact us living with the condition, creating barriers to understanding and support. Many people often hold misconceptions about diabetes, often confusing type on and type two, and attributing blame for the disease to personal choices or lifestyle factors. This can lead to feelings of shame and isolation among individuals with diabetes, who may feel judged for having this condition or their management choices. This stigma can also discourage open conversations about diabetes, making it harder for those affected to seek help or share their experiences. Raising awareness and foresting empathy are essential steps in breaking down these barriers and creating a more supportive for everyone living with diabetes. people who choose to join into this stigma are often the most irrelevant people and that is just simply the truth. if you are in any sort of relationship with anyone who contributes to this stigma I would request thinking about how important your relationship is with them as we all deserve freedom from it.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @matildabonner

I’ve moved your thread to our new ‘Stigma’ section. Tackling stigma around diabetes is a topic that Diabetes UK as a charity is increasingly focussing on, and forms a significant part of planned work over the next 5 years.

Is stigma something you have experienced yourself? How long have you been living with diabetes?

 

[Alan44]

Hi @matildabonner and welcome to the forum

Please ask as many questions as you wish and we will try to answer them as best we can

Alan

 

[matildabonner]

Welcome to the forum @matildabonner

I’ve moved your thread to our new ‘Stigma’ section. Tackling stigma around diabetes is a topic that Diabetes UK as a charity is increasingly focussing on, and forms a significant part of planned work over the next 5 years.

Is stigma something you have experienced yourself? How long have you been living with diabetes?

Hi! ive experienced diabetes stigma practically the whole of my life as I got diagnosed when I was just two.

 

[rebrascora]

I am not sure I have experienced stigma at all other than the guilt and shame I applied to myself when I was first diagnosed. That I was responsible for having done this to myself. I don't regret those feeling or wish I hadn't felt like that because it helped give me the motivation and determination to change and without it, I don't think I would be nearly as healthy as I am now. I knew my disordered and comfort eating was bad for me and that I was carrying too much weight and I was eating far too much sugar, but it needed a diabetes diagnosis to kick me up the backside to make those necessary changes. I don't feel like a victim, I feel empowered by it, so it was a good thing for me.

 

[matildabonner]

I am not sure I have experienced stigma at all other than the guilt and shame I applied to myself when I was first diagnosed. That I was responsible for having done this to myself. I don't regret those feeling or wish I hadn't felt like that because it helped give me the motivation and determination to change and without it, I don't think I would be nearly as healthy as I am now. I knew my disordered and comfort eating was bad for me and that I was carrying too much weight and I was eating far too much sugar, but it needed a diabetes diagnosis to kick me up the backside to make those necessary changes. I don't feel like a victim, I feel empowered by it, so it was a good thing for me.

that's good you haven't experienced it! but for a lot of us that's not the case. I know for me as a girl going through high school I get constantly bullied for it and made fun of. that's the thing with diabetes its not the same story for everyone.

 

[Inka]

that's good you haven't experienced it! but for a lot of us that's not the case. I know for me as a girl going through high school I get constantly bullied for it and made fun of. that's the thing with diabetes its not the same story for everyone.

Type 1 diabetes is covered by the Equality Act @matildabonner as you might know. This means your school should treat bullying relating to it as seriously as they treat other protected characteristics, eg race. If you haven’t already, you need to make a formal complaint.

 

[rebrascora]

Children can be cruel and will tease and bully other children about anything that is different, be it red hair or freckles or being really tall or really short or fat or thin and I can see how diabetes would also attract similar unwanted attention. Have you experienced stigma since school, as clearly that is a long time ago.
I am extremely lucky in that I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid 50s, so I thankfully didn't have to go through that school experience with diabetes, but there were times I took stick at school for other stuff.

 

[matildabonner]

Type 1 diabetes is covered by the Equality Act @matildabonner as you might know. This means your school should treat bullying relating to it as seriously as they treat other protected characteristics, eg race. If you haven’t already, you need to make a formal complaint.

Trust me I have many times! at the start of high school I was bullied for my insulin pump, when I brought this up to my pastoral care and head of year I was told to give them the 'benefit of the doubt' and that comment really killed me inside. a month ago or so I broke down to my health teacher and she has been the only one to truly help me in the slightest. ive tried everything but the school seem to not care as much.

 

[matildabonner]

Children can be cruel and will tease and bully other children about anything that is different, be it red hair or freckles or being really tall or really short or fat or thin and I can see how diabetes would also attract similar unwanted attention. Have you experienced stigma since school, as clearly that is a long time ago.
I am extremely lucky in that I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid 50s, so I thankfully didn't have to go through that school experience with diabetes, but there were times I took stick at school for other stuff.

I'm still in high school and its not changed the slightest. even walking through corridors is humiliating to me as I constantly get comments and laughed at for my pump. I resulted in hiding my pump not long ago because it is the worst to be made fun of but it's not all that easy to hide. I don't know what else to do.

 

[Inka]

Trust me I have many times! at the start of high school I was bullied for my insulin pump, when I brought this up to my pastoral care and head of year I was told to give them the 'benefit of the doubt' and that comment really killed me inside. a month ago or so I broke down to my health teacher and she has been the only one to truly help me in the slightest. ive tried everything but the school seem to not care as much.

They can’t choose not to care. They’re breaking the law. A formal complaint by you or your parent or carer is the way to go. You need to copy in the Head of Governors too, aswell as the Academy Trust, if it’s an academy. You’ll find a very different response then!

 

[Inka]

I'm still in high school and its not changed the slightest. even walking through corridors is humiliating to me as I constantly get comments and laughed at for my pump. I resulted in hiding my pump not long ago because it is the worst to be made fun of but it's not all that easy to hide. I don't know what else to do.

That’s disgraceful @matildabonner and makes me angry on your behalf. You might also want to seek support from Diabetes U.K. as well as making a formal complaint.

 

[matildabonner]

They can’t choose not to care. They’re breaking the law. A formal complaint by you or your parent or carer is the way to go. You need to copy in the Head of Governors too, aswell as the Academy Trust, if it’s an academy. You’ll find a very different response then!

I will try that if it gets any worse. thank you.

 

[Inka]

I will try that if it gets any worse. thank you.

They should have their Bullying Policy online and their Equality and Diversity policy too. You/your parent/carer can then refer to those and show how they’re breaching them. If you’re able to list incidents and the school’s (non) response that will help too.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you’ve had such a negative school experience, and that the school hasn’t been very effective at addressing it.

As @Inka says, there is a binding responsibility under law for schools to put procedures in place to prevent discrimination, just as there would be around race or sexuality (though unfortunately stigma and bullying still happens about those things too).

DUK have some resources for schools to improve their approaches around supporting people with diabetes.

Diabetes in Schools

We believe that every child with diabetes

www.diabetes.org.uk

You might also want to give a quick call to the DUK Helpline (9-6pm Mon-Fri) toseeifthey have any specific resources or support materials to help with stigma in schools?

Are the negative experiences you are having contained to a fairly small group, or small number of individuals? What do you think would help matters, rather than making them worse?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I resulted in hiding my pump not long ago because it is the worst to be made fun of but it's not all that easy to hide.

Did you hear about Sierra Sandieson from a few years ago? A US beauty contestant who started the “show me your pump” meme/hashtag to attempt to destigmatise medical devices, and won competitions with her pump proudly on display.

Diabetic beauty queen attempts to inspire other sufferers

Empowering pictures appear across social media after Miss Idaho put her pump on show during swimsuit competition

www.independent.co.uk

 

[matildabonner]

Sorry to hear you’ve had such a negative school experience, and that the school hasn’t been very effective at addressing it.

As @Inka says, there is a binding responsibility under law for schools to put procedures in place to prevent discrimination, just as there would be around race or sexuality (though unfortunately stigma and bullying still happens about those things too).

DUK have some resources for schools to improve their approaches around supporting people with diabetes.

Diabetes in Schools

We believe that every child with diabetes

www.diabetes.org.uk

You might also want to give a quick call to the DUK Helpline (9-6pm Mon-Fri) toseeifthey have any specific resources or support materials to help with stigma in schools?

Are the negative experiences you are having contained to a fairly small group, or small number of individuals? What do you think would help matters, rather than making them worse?

Thank you for offering advice I really appreciate it. Im currently talking with my new pastoral care for help and hopefully it works out. Its harder to give those individuals in trouble when it comes to reporting it as its mainly people in the halls ive never even seen before (I go to one of the biggest schools in europe) so it docent stop them completely. In the past I have gotten other people reported as its been direct to me i.e like through texts or on calls. There's nothing I haven't heard at this point like I have even been asked why haven't I died yet but although ive been getting these comments for near 12 years it still affects me more. Im getting help for it and hopefully I can find a way to stop these stupid people for it. thanks again.

 

[matildabonner]

Would you say it’s the same people instigating this discrimination?

Mainly yes.

 

[matildabonner]

Did you hear about Sierra Sandieson from a few years ago? A US beauty contestant who started the “show me your pump” meme/hashtag to attempt to destigmatise medical devices, and won competitions with her pump proudly on display.

Diabetic beauty queen attempts to inspire other sufferers

Empowering pictures appear across social media after Miss Idaho put her pump on show during swimsuit competition

www.independent.co.uk

Ive never seen this before and has actually made me feel slightly better thank you!!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

There are a bunch of high profile people who live with T1, including sports stars, rock stars, and high profile actors.

Hopefully they’ll give you some inspiration to persevere in the face of Big Stupid