Word Diabetes Day 2024! If you knew...

[Anna DUK]

This year to mark World Diabetes Day, Diabetes UK is highlighting the voices of the diabetes community to open up a conversation around the impact of diabetes stigma and start changing the mindset.

Find out more using the link below:

What are we doing to tackle stigma, and what’s next?

Since then, we’ve been doing a lot of work to better understand how stigma (or stereotypes and misconceptions) about diabetes present themselves and how they impact people living with diabetes. We’re now funding two research projects into diabetes-related stigma, in our biggest investment in...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Anna DUK]

If you feel comfortable to share more detail about how misconceptions, prejudices or negative attitudes have affected you personally, you can use the link below.

This will help us as an organisation to understand more about the impact of stigma, and to ensure your voices are heard as we break down the stigma associated with diabetes.

Will you help us change the mindset and tackle diabetes stigma?

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[helli]

If you feel comfortable to share more detail about how misconceptions, prejudices or negative attitudes have affected you personally, you can use the link below.

This will help us as an organisation to understand more about the impact of stigma, and to ensure your voices are heard as we break down the stigma associated with diabetes.

Will you help us change the mindset and tackle diabetes stigma?

www.diabetes.org.uk

I am happy to complete this survey.
However, the question "Can you tell us where you’ve experienced stigma?" does not include the cases where I have experienced most diabetes stigma - travelling and sport. Unfortunately, there is no option for "Other".
Is this because Diabetes UK want to focus on the areas listed or were others not considered?

 

[Anna DUK]

Thanks for your support with our new campaign @helli. I think the intention is to list the most common areas so that we don't end up with a very long list that people have to scroll through. Appreciate the feedback for an 'other' option though so I will feed this back. However, any other areas you have experienced stigma can be captured in the free-text box.

 

[JITR]

What are we doing to tackle stigma, and what’s next?

Since then, we’ve been doing a lot of work to better understand how stigma (or stereotypes and misconceptions) about diabetes present themselves and how they impact people living with diabetes. We’re now funding two research projects into diabetes-related stigma, in our biggest investment in...

www.diabetes.org.uk

@Anna DUK
The article says:
"This week we published more information on the causes of type 2 diabetes, fuelled by years of research we've funded into this area, as we know that helping people to understand the complexity of type 2 diabetes is an important step in tackling the harm and discrimination that comes from stigma."

The link looks very interesting but does not lead anywhere. Please let us know where it should go.

 

[JITR]

@Anna DUK
The article says:
"This week we published more information on the causes of type 2 diabetes, fuelled by years of research we've funded into this area, as we know that helping people to understand the complexity of type 2 diabetes is an important step in tackling the harm and discrimination that comes from stigma."

The link looks very interesting but does not lead anywhere. Please let us know where it should go.

@Anna DUK

Is this it?
- https://www.diabetes.org.uk/our-res...impact/discovering-new-causes-type-2-diabetes

 

[Anna DUK]

Hi @JITR, thanks for flagging that - yes looks like you've found the correct webpage that should be hyperlinked in that paragraph. I've let our web team know of the error and to rectify asap. Once again, thanks for letting us know.

 

[Wendal]

Evening FYI if you are on X or have access type “World Diabetes Day” in search bar and you will see lots of people’s stories about Living with Diabetes.

 

[Anna DUK]

Evening FYI if you are on X or have access type “World Diabetes Day” in search bar and you will see lots of people’s stories about Living with Diabetes.

People sharing their story sends out a powerful message to those newly diagnosed that they're not alone.

Stigma is such a huge issues across many different conditions, but when it comes to diabetes, it's something that can have such a detrimental impact for years and years to come. Here's a link to some diabetes stigma stories for those who are interested in hearing others' experiences:

Your stories of stigma

We are highlighting stories from people with diabetes to raise awareness of life with diabetes and the impact of diabetes stigma and start to change the mindset. Diabetes is a complex and serious condition, and oversimplifying what it means to live with diabetes – and why it develops – can...

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[Satan’s little helper]

Hello, I’ve just taken a look at the survey. I’ve never really experienced stigma either in my personal life or work setting. But I have experienced it from either parents of younger ones (one mum I was involved with personally with raising money for JDRF was outright inappropriate & weird.) & even people my own age with different insulin regimes? I “celibrate” world diabetes day the same I do every day. Dealing with this alone & thankful it could be worse than second guessing my personal metabolism.

 

[mashedupmatt]

I am happy to complete this survey.
However, the question "Can you tell us where you’ve experienced stigma?" does not include the cases where I have experienced most diabetes stigma - travelling and sport. Unfortunately, there is no option for "Other".
Is this because Diabetes UK want to focus on the areas listed or were others not considered?

I have completed the survey but agreed - sport has been the main case where I have experienced stigma, but didn't have an option - I did include stuff in the free form text box though

 

[rebrascora]

I would just like to say that whilst I can't recall any personal incidents of direct stigma, I am of course well aware of the media and general social attitudes towards diabetes, so when I was diagnosed, yes I felt shame and guilt that I had done this to myself, but I used those feelings to effect changes to my lifestyle that I should have done long before, but sadly without that shame and stigma I hadn't been sufficiently motivated, so I personally feel that the stigma had a positive impact on my life and my diabetes management. It keeps me on the straight and narrow most of the time, doing my best manage it as well as I can so that I minimize the cost to the NHS and I feel that it is important for people to take some responsibility themselves, so maybe stigma is not always a bad thing.

I do feel very strongly that there is an unfair two tier/class system between the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 patients which should be addressed, but I do feel that we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our health. One of the massive benefits of this forum is that it can educate and motivate and inspire people to manage their diabetes well too.

 

[JITR]

I do feel that we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our health.

+1. How can the body of HCPs and experts help everyone do that?

 

[rebrascora]

@Anna DUK Thanks for the "Care" emoji. It is kind of you but I certainly don't feel it is warranted or necessary. I am confident and determined in my diabetes management and those negative feelings of shame and guilt have catalysed and empowered me to find some very positive ones, so I do not feel sad or vulnerable or depressed about them. They helped me to get to where I am now and that is a much better place, so they had a positive impact on me and therefore I am not sure that fighting against stigma is necessarily helpful to everyone. I needed to feel those negative feelings in order to make a positive change.

 

[CliffH]

I would just like to say that whilst I can't recall any personal incidents of direct stigma, I am of course well aware of the media and general social attitudes towards diabetes, so when I was diagnosed, yes I felt shame and guilt that I had done this to myself, but I used those feelings to effect changes to my lifestyle that I should have done long before, but sadly without that shame and stigma I hadn't been sufficiently motivated, so I personally feel that the stigma had a positive impact on my life and my diabetes management. It keeps me on the straight and narrow most of the time, doing my best manage it as well as I can so that I minimize the cost to the NHS and I feel that it is important for people to take some responsibility themselves, so maybe stigma is not always a bad thing.

I do feel very strongly that there is an unfair two tier/class system between the treatment of Type 1 and Type 2 patients which should be addressed, but I do feel that we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our health. One of the massive benefits of this forum is that it can educate and motivate and inspire people to manage their diabetes well too.

It's so difficult, isn't it? As someone who was diagnosed later in life (eight years ago), I'm full of admiration for people on here who've struggled for years or decades. My diabetes is well controlled, so I can only imagine how difficult it is for people who have to watch everything they eat and monitor their blood glucose constantly - and live with the risk (or reality) of serious health issues or disability. Also, my heart breaks when I read the desperate posts on here by people newly diagnosed, who are struggling to get help or advice.

As you say, we all have some repsonsnbility for our own health. However, as with all things in life, the more privileges one has, the easier it is. What about people don't have the time or money or energy to buy and/or cook healthy meals? I can drive: what if I couldn't and were reliant on public transport? What if I didn't have the facilities or computer skills or confidence to ask for help on this forum? What if I were a teenager and not wanting to be different from my friends?

So, as I think you're implying, we have to be compassionate towards ourselves and everyone else with diabetes (whatever type) and other serious health conditions, whilst enabling people to receive good 'healthy living' advice in varied, accessible formats.

 

[trophywench]

There's a LOT of advice about, re being kinder to yourself and giving up the things that stress you, stopping seeing the people that upset you etc etc. Definitely cease habits that are no good to you.

Er, hang on - I'm personally very fed up by 50+ years of counting carbs, measuring my blood glucose, watching this that and the other - it was much the same as I felt about irregular periods and I assumed that would stop with menopause, well that turned out to only partially be correct - FFS, just gimme a day off!