John, the subject on everyone’s mind. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was only 4 years old, and back then, he needed people around him to help him manage his diabetes. He believed that adults had his best interest at heart and didn’t mind suggestions about what to eat. As he got older, his…… Continue reading John & The Diabetes Police
Category: Relationships
Raising Children with Diabetes!
It happened to me. It could ha happen to you. In fact, it could happen to any insulin-dependent person living with diabetes. When the smoke cleared, I couldn’t believe what I saw. I saw it all! It was overwhelming at first to take it in: the clarity, the focus, the emotional stability and even my […]
Halloween Past II
“Halloween night was great!” My client recalled his first Halloween as a child living with diabetes, where he got tons of candy, and since he could no longer have it every day, he was looking forward to it more than ever. In denial, he had made himself believe he would be able to keep it.…… Continue reading Halloween Past II
Family Conflict: Frustration or Blood Sugars
How does anyone understand the complexities of diabetes? Isn’t it as simple as following a routine? Unfortunately not! The emotional roller coaster that is diabetes abounds every which way you look. There are many reasons people with diabetes seem to have emotional problems. Some individuals have legitimate mental health issues, and if you are having…… Continue reading Family Conflict: Frustration or Blood Sugars
Diabetes: Walk In My Shoes!
Diabetes is a complicated illness to live with and even more burdensome to explain. Issues that loved ones have trouble understanding are vast and complex. So complex that is not possible to address all of them in one blog. Over the next few blogs, we will look at some of the most common ones that tend…… Continue reading Diabetes: Walk In My Shoes!
Diabetes & The Pitfalls of Support!
Support is hard to find even misleading at times. The family is supposed to be supportive but, what some people think is supportive, may feel just the opposite. Here is the dilemma at hand: Friends, family, and loved ones may believe that they’re supportive but, instead, they may be overly protective or punitive towards the…… Continue reading Diabetes & The Pitfalls of Support!
Diabetes Impact: Brothers & Sisters
So it came to my attention recently that siblings have a difficult time after their brother or sister gets diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. All the attention for the siblings not living with diabetes disappears, as the family rallies around the child living with diabetes. Although, attention around being sick is not…… Continue reading Diabetes Impact: Brothers & Sisters
Change, Deceit & Diabetes
36 years ago in the hospital, I had just turned six years old and was diagnosed that same day with Juvenile diabetes. The doctor was nice! After being diagnosed, I learned that I could die. I put up a good front in those days. It looked like I accepted the diagnosis and dealt with the…… Continue reading Change, Deceit & Diabetes
Diabetes Care or Codependency?
“Jane, own ” a Codependent Person with Diabetes Meet Jane. Jane is 25 years old, and got engaged last year. She has Type 1 diabetes, and is currently on medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Jane came to me to address her fear of checking her blood sugar. She also expressed concerns about her…… Continue reading Diabetes Care or Codependency?
Diabetes: Don't tell me what to do!
A few years back, a parent came to me in crisis. The parent’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Kristen, was struggling to care for herself, and didn’t seem to care. Kirsten was failing school, on the verge of being held back, not checking her blood sugar or taking her insulin consistently, and contemplating suicide. Kristen had Oppositional Defiant…… Continue reading Diabetes: Don't tell me what to do!
Parenting Children with Diabetes 