Is mental health pretty low on your list of priorities for managing diabetes? This may change your mind.

Mental health affects so many aspects of daily life—how you think and feel, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. You can see how having a mental health problem could make it harder to stick to your diabetes care plan.

The Mind-Body Connection

Thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can affect how healthy your body is. Untreated mental health issues can make diabetes worse, and problems with diabetes can make mental health issues worse. But fortunately if one gets better, the other tends to get better, too.

Depression: More Than Just a Bad Mood

Depression is a medical illness that causes feelings of sadness and often a loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy. It can get in the way of how well you function at work and home, including taking care of your diabetes. When you aren’t able to manage your diabetes well, your risk goes up for diabetes complications like heart disease and nerve damage.

People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than people without diabetes. Only 25% to 50% of people with diabetes who have depression get diagnosed and treated. But treatment—therapy, medicine, or both—is usually very effective. And without treatment, depression often gets worse, not better.

Symptoms of depression can be mild to severe, and include:

• Feeling sad or empty
• Losing interest in favorite activities
• Overeating or not wanting to eat at all
• Not being able to sleep or sleeping too much
• Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
• Feeling very tired
• Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
• Having aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
• Having thoughts of suicide or death

If you think you might have depression, get in touch with your doctor right away for help getting treatment. The earlier depression is treated, the better for you, your quality of life, and your diabetes.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress is part of life, from traffic jams to family demands to everyday diabetes care. You can feel stress as an emotion, such as fear or anger, as a physical reaction like sweating or a racing heart, or both.

If you’re stressed, you may not take as good care of yourself as usual. Your blood sugar levels can be affected too—stress hormones make blood sugar rise or fall unpredictably, and stress from being sick or injured can make your blood sugar go up. Being stressed for a long time can lead to other health problems or make them worse.

Anxiety—feelings of worry, fear, or being on edge—is how your mind and body react to stress. People with diabetes are 20% more likely than those without diabetes to have anxiety at some point in their life. Managing a long-term condition like diabetes is a major source of anxiety for some.

Studies show that therapy for anxiety usually works better than medicine, but sometimes both together works best. You can also help lower your stress and anxiety by:

• Getting active: even a quick walk can be calming, and the effect can last for hours.
• Doing some relaxation exercises, like meditation or yoga.
• Calling or texting a friend who understands you (not someone who is causing you stress!).
• Grabbing some “you” time. Take a break from whatever you’re doing. Go outside, read something fun—whatever helps you recharge.
• Limiting alcohol and caffeine, eating healthy food, and getting enough sleep.

Anxiety can feel like low blood sugar and vice versa. It may be hard for you to recognize which it is and treat it effectively. If you’re feeling anxious, try checking your blood sugar and treat it if it’s low.

There will always be some stress in life. But if you feel overwhelmed, talking to a mental health counselor can help. Ask your doctor for a referral.

Diabetes Distress

You may sometimes feel discouraged, worried, frustrated, or tired of dealing with daily diabetes care, like diabetes is controlling you instead of the other way around. Maybe you’ve been trying hard but not seeing results. Or you’ve developed a health problem related to diabetes in spite of your best efforts.

Those overwhelming feelings, known as diabetes distress, may cause you to slip into unhealthy habits, stop checking your blood sugar, even skip doctor’s appointments. It happens to many—if not most—people with diabetes, often after years of good management. In any 18-month period, 33% to 50% of people with diabetes have diabetes distress.

Diabetes distress can look like depression or anxiety, but it can’t be treated effectively with medicine. Instead, these approaches have been shown to help:

• Make sure you’re seeing an endocrinologist for your diabetes care. He or she is likely to have a deeper understanding of diabetes challenges than your regular doctor.
• Ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health counselor who specializes in chronic health conditions.
• Get some one-on-one time with a diabetes educator so you can problem-solve together.
• Focus on one or two small diabetes management goals instead of thinking you have to work on everything all at once.
• Join a diabetes support group so you can share your thoughts and feelings with people who have the same concerns (and learn from them too).

Talk to Your Health Care Team

Your health care team knows diabetes is challenging, but may not understand how challenging. And you may not be used to talking about feeling sad or down. But if you’re concerned about your mental health, let your doctor know right away. You’re not alone—help is available!

So you’ve just been told you have type 2 diabetes. There’s probably a lot running through your head right now. Living with diabetes takes a lot of work and can take a toll on your physical and mental health. The good news is there are things you can do to help you cope so you can stay strong mentally and physically.     

While there’s no cure for type 2 diabetes, there are ways to manage it and thrive. There’s no one-size-fits-all diabetes management and treatment plan. Your doctor, diabetes education specialist, and other health care professionals can create a plan for your specific needs. A successful diabetes management plan will include healthy eating, exercise, medical support, and emotional support. Yes, emotional support. Getting emotional support is just as important as any other part of diabetes care and treatment.

You may not have all the answers on how to deal with diabetes right now, but over time you’ll figure it out. Many people with type 2 diabetes lead long, healthy lives. Just remember—whatever you’re feeling is OK, and you’re not alone.

Here’s what you should keep in mind as you take each step forward:

It’s Not Your Fault

The truth is, you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because your body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep your blood sugar at normal levels. There are many factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes. Some you have no control over, like your race and ethnicity, stress, and having a close relative (parent, brother, sister) with type 2 diabetes. While you can’t change those things, you can make lifestyle changes like eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise, and losing weight—if needed—to help manage type 2 diabetes. Now that you know you have diabetes, you can plan your next steps to help manage it and prevent serious complications.

You Can Live a Long, Healthy Life With Diabetes

If you’ve just been told you have type 2 diabetes and you’re not sure what that future looks like, that’s completely understandable. What you should know is that diabetes care and treatment has come a long way in reducing the impact of diabetes on people’s lives. People with diabetes are living longer, healthier lives with fewer complications. And with the help of diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services, you can gain the knowledge, skills, and support needed to successfully manage diabetes.

See a Diabetes Care and Education Specialist

A diabetes care and education specialist will be an important part of your health care team. They are licensed health care professionals who will work with you to develop a management plan specific to your health needs, lifestyle, beliefs, and culture. DSMES services provided by a diabetes care and education specialist have been proven to help people with diabetes. It can help improve A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. What’s more, it can even help reduce the risk of diabetes complications and hospitalizations. Ask your doctor for a referral to DSMES services to help you manage your diabetes.

You Don’t Need Special Foods

There is no such thing as a “diabetes diet.” Your doctor will most likely tell you that you should eat the same way everyone else should eat. Eating healthy foods that are lower in carbs, added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium (salt) will be key to managing your blood sugar. You can work with a diabetes care and education specialist to make a meal plan that works for you. With some small changes, you can still enjoy many of the foods that you love and grew up with and manage your diabetes too. And don’t be afraid to try new foods. For those of you with a sweet tooth, with a little planning ahead, you can still keep dessert on the menu.

Being Active Helps

One of the best ways to manage diabetes is to get regular physical activity. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym or run a marathon to be active. You can start small and take it at your own pace. Even little changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator are good ways to get your body moving. Best thing of all, you don’t have to spend money on a gym membership. You can go for a walk, ride a bike, blare your music and dance—all without spending a penny! Regular physical activity has many other health benefits as well, like better sleep, weight loss, stress reduction, and improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

You’re Not Alone

This can’t be said enough: you’re not alone, so don’t go it alone. It’s important to connect with others living with type 2 diabetes. Peer support is important. Whether in person or online, it allows you to connect, share stories, and find resources, everything from daily management to mental health. And don’t forget, your diabetes health care team is also there to support you. Talk with your health care team about your experiences, concerns, and any questions you may have about managing diabetes.

Hoping is Coping

Your diabetes diagnosis may come with big life changes. It will take time to figure out everyday diabetes care. Just know there are many resources available to help you cope. The main message here is don’t lose hope. With the right diabetes management plan, you’ll be able to live your best life while successfully managing your diabetes.

Ever had one of those days when you can’t seem to get motivated to make healthy choices? If so, you’re not alone. Many people think motivation is the same thing as willpower, but it’s more than that.  Willpower is only part of the puzzle and is usually a short-term solution. Lasting motivation comes from positive thinking and self-confidence.

You may have negative thoughts that stand in your way without realizing it. Find out how you can identify 5 common negative thoughts and change them into positive motivation.

1. All-or-nothing thinking

All-or-nothing thinking happens when you believe there are only two possible outcomes: success or failure. This could lead you to set too many goals because you believe this is the only path to success. It could also lead you to abandon your goals when mistakes happen—you believe you’ve already failed. This is common during the holiday season or while on vacation. Thinking of your progress in black and white can be discouraging.

Try this instead: Remind yourself of your small successes and ways you’re making gradual progress.

Using Positive Self-Talk

Self-talk, that conversation you have in your own head, has a big impact on attitude. Positive self-talk can help you feel more confident in the face of challenges. You may be used to speaking more kindly to others than to yourself, so saying “I can do it” or “it’s OK to make a mistake” may feel forced at first. To practice positive self-talk, imagine you’re encouraging a loved one!

2. Overgeneralizing or labeling

Overgeneralizing is when you see a single event and assume it’s always true. For example, “I failed today, so that means I can’t do it.” Labeling is when you define yourself based on one instance, for example, “I couldn’t walk today, so that means I’m just not in shape.” Some people can also label or overgeneralize certain foods or activities as “good” or “bad” when in reality, a healthy lifestyle is about balance. Labeling and overgeneralizing can make you feel stuck, and this may make it hard to get motivated.

Try this instead: Ask yourself if you’ve made any labels or assumptions and if there’s another way to think about your situation. Be kind to yourself and remember that just because you haven’t succeeded yet doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t with time and practice.

3. Overlooking the positives

Do you have high expectations for yourself? This makes it easy to focus too much on the negatives. For example, if your goal was to walk 2 miles but you only completed 1 mile, you might tell yourself that it didn’t go well. But the big picture is that you got out there and did something physically active. Overlooking the positives makes it hard to stay motivated.

Try this instead: Remember not only how you’d like to improve, but also what’s going well!

4. Emotional decision making

Emotions, both positive and negative, can affect your attitude and your choices. It’s important to not let negative emotions drive decision making. For example, you might not feel like making a healthy choice after a long and stressful day, but sometimes that’s just the thing that could turn your mood around.

Try this instead: Practice mindfulness to check in with yourself. Understand how you feel now and think about how you’ll feel when you stick to your healthy habit. Make a mindful choice instead of reacting out of emotion, and remember to give yourself healthy rewards.

5. Blaming yourself or others

It’s very common to blame yourself or others when things don’t go as planned. Focusing on the blame game is distracting and leads to unhelpful negative thoughts. This makes it hard to see a way forward.

Try this instead: Many things in life are outside your control, so give yourself a break and focus instead on the positive things you can do to pursue your goals. Focus on problem solving and how you can keep moving forward.

You may have heard about the positive powers of journaling, from improving memory to boosting creativity. And if you’re like many other people with diabetes, you’re already keeping a food and activity diary. Recording your thoughts and feelings in a journal could help you manage other things about diabetes that aren’t as easy to measure.

For the Ups and Downs

A good example: stress can raise blood sugar. Regular journal entries could help pinpoint what’s causing the stress—and whether it’s a one-time thing or part of a pattern—and help point the way toward a solution you might not have thought of otherwise.

Journaling may also help you:

• Understand your challenges and strengths.
• Clarify your thoughts and feelings.
• Solve problems.
• Recognize successes.
• Manage information overload.

Journaling Tips

There’s no right way or wrong way to journal, but here are some ideas to think about:

• Set aside a few minutes every day to write. This will help it become a habit.
• Make it easy. Keep your journal nearby for easy access or use a journaling app on your phone.
• Write what you want. Your journal is your own personal place to use any way you like.

Keep in mind that journaling isn’t a substitute for getting treatment for a mental health problem. If you often feel sad, worried, anxious, or stressed, ask your health care team for a referral to a mental health counselor. Help is available!

There are many reasons to get a good night’s sleep. If you have diabetes, there are even more. Learn how sleep affects your diabetes management.

A good night’s sleep can feel like a luxury. Balancing school, work, physical activity, and your family may cause you to go to bed later than you’d like. One in three US adults isn’t getting enough sleep, and over time, this can increase the risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression.

If you have diabetes, too little sleep negatively affects every area of your management, including how much you eat, what you choose to eat, how you respond to insulin, and your mental health.

Proper rest isn’t just important for your diabetes management—it may also put you in a better mood and give you more energy!

How Much Do You Need?

Being well rested is important for people of all ages to stay in good health. How many hours of sleep you need changes as you age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults should get at least 7 hours of sleep per night. Children and teens need more.

Learn more about how much sleep you need.

Complications From Lack of Sleep

If you get less than 7 hours of sleep per night regularly, your diabetes will be harder to manage. Too little sleep can:

• Increase insulin resistance.
• Make you hungrier the next day and reduce how full you feel after eating.
• Make you more likely to reach for junk foods—those that are high in carbs and sugar.
• Make it harder to lose weight.
• Raise blood pressure and seriously increase the risk of a heart attack.
• Make your immune system less able to fight infections.
• Increase your risk of depression and anxiety.

Get Good Sleep

Sleep quality is as important as how many hours you get. Signs you aren’t getting good sleep may include:

• Not feeling rested even after sleeping enough hours.
• Repeatedly waking up during the night.
• Having symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air).

Tips to Get More Zzz’s

It’s common to stay up late and get up early during the week, then sleep in on the weekend. You may hope to catch up on the hours you missed, but your brain can’t use these added hours.

One of the best things you can do is to wake up and go to bed at around the same time every day, even on weekends, making sure you get enough quality sleep consistently. These tips can help:

• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, relaxing, and cool. Experts recommend a temperature of 65 degrees for your best rest.
• Remove electronic devices such as TVs, computers, and smartphones from the bedroom.
• Get some physical activity during the day.
• Mentally unwind and relax before bedtime.
• Have a routine that gets you ready for bed, like taking a shower, reading, or writing in a journal.
• Get in bed only when you’re tired.

And here are a few things to avoid:

• Afternoon and evening caffeine. It can affect your body for up to 8 hours.
• Alcohol in the evening. It can affect how you breathe when you sleep. It can also wake you up and affect your sleep quality.
• Large meals late at night. Eating late can cause indigestion and higher blood sugar levels overnight.
• Naps after 3 p.m. This can make you less tired when it’s time for bed.
• Nicotine. It acts like caffeine.

If you still have problems getting a good night’s rest, talk with your doctor.

Managing diabetes can be hard. Sometimes you may feel overwhelmed. Having diabetes means that you need to check your blood sugar levels often, make healthy food choices, be physically active, remember to take your medicine, and make other good decisions about your health several times a day. In addition, you may also worry about having low or high blood sugar levels, the costs of your medicines, and developing diabetes-related complications, such as heart disease or nerve damage.

When all of this feels like too much to deal with, you may have something called diabetes distress. This is when all the worry, frustration, anger, and burnout makes it hard for you to take care of yourself and keep up with the daily demands of diabetes.

The good news is that there are things you can do to cope with diabetes and manage stress. Here are 10 tips that can help.

1. Pay attention to your feelings. Almost everyone feels frustrated or stressed from time to time. Dealing with diabetes can add to these feelings and make you feel overwhelmed. Having these feelings for more than a week or two may signal that you need help coping with your diabetes so that you can feel better.
2. Talk with your health care providers about your feelings. Let your doctor, nurse, diabetes educator, psychologist, or social worker know how you’ve been feeling. They can help you problem-solve your concerns about diabetes. They may also suggest that you speak with other health care providers to get help.
3. Talk to your health care providers about negative reactions other people may have about your diabetes. Your health care providers can help you manage feelings of being judged by others because you have diabetes. It is important not to feel that you have to hide your diabetes from other people.
4. Ask if help is available for the costs of diabetes medicines and supplies. If you are worried about the cost of your medicines, talk with your pharmacist and other health care providers. They may know about government or other programs that can assist people with costs. You can also check with community health centers to see if they know about programs that help people get insulin, diabetes medicines, and supplies (test trips, syringes, etc.).
5. Talk with your family and friends. Tell those closest to you how you feel about having diabetes. Be honest about the problems you’re having in dealing with diabetes. Just telling others how you feel helps to relieve some of the stress. However, sometimes the people around you may add to your stress. Let them know how and when you need them to help you.
6. Allow loved ones to help you take care of your diabetes. Those closest to you can help you in several ways. They can remind you to take your medicines, help monitor your blood sugar levels, join you in being physically active, and prepare healthy meals. They can also learn more about diabetes and go with you when you visit your doctor. Ask your loved ones to help with your diabetes in ways that are useful to you.
7. Talk to other people with diabetes. Other people with diabetes understand some of the things you are going through. Ask them how they deal with their diabetes and what works for them. They can help you feel less lonely and overwhelmed. Ask your health care providers about diabetes support groups in your community or online.
8. Do one thing at a time. When you think about everything you need to do to manage your diabetes, it can be overwhelming. To deal with diabetes distress, make a list of all of the tasks you have to do to take care of yourself each day. Try to work on each task separately, one at a time.
9. Pace yourself. As you work on your goals, like increasing physical activity, take it slowly. You don’t have to meet your goals immediately. Your goal may be to walk 10 minutes, three times a day each day of the week, but you can start by walking two times a day or every other day.
10. Take time to do things you enjoy. Give yourself a break! Set aside time in your day to do something you really love; it could be calling a friend, playing a game with your children or grandchildren, or working on a fun project. Find out about activities near you that you can do with a friend.

Remember that it’s important to pay attention to your feelings. If you notice that you’re feeling frustrated, tired, and unable to make decisions about your diabetes care, take action. Tell your family, friends, and health care providers. They can help you get the support you need.

So far, you’ve had diabetes; it hasn’t had you. You’ve been watching what you eat, making time for physical activity, taking meds, checking your blood sugar, checking your blood sugar again. But then something takes the wind out of your sails. Maybe you’ve been trying hard but not seeing results. Or you developed a health problem related to diabetes in spite of your best efforts.

When you feel discouraged and frustrated, you may slip into unhealthy habits, stop monitoring your blood sugar, even skip doctor’s appointments. It happens to many—if not most—people with diabetes, often after years of good management. You’re in the land of diabetes burnout. How can you get back to healthy living as soon as possible?

Get Your Team Involved

Call on your primary care doctor, eye doctor, podiatrist, dietitian, diabetes educator—anyone and everyone—to help you refocus on your goals. It’s easier for you to see what’s not working instead of what you’re doing right. Your team can remind you of the progress you’ve made and help you with new ideas and strategies.

Don’t Let Perfect be the Enemy of Good

Perfect blood sugar control isn’t necessary and may not even be possible. And sometimes seeing the little picture is better than the big one. Try taking small steps—such as lowering your A1c by 1%—instead of focusing on big goals. You’re still headed in the same direction, but you’ll have more successes along the way.

Connect with People Who Get You

Tap into encouragement, insights, and support from people who’ve been there. Online communities for people with diabetes such as the American Diabetes Association’s Community page and the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ Diabetes Online Community are great ways to connect with others who share your experience. If you prefer to get involved in person, this directory of diabetes support groups will help you find one nearby.

Diabetes can lead to a lower-limb amputation (or LLA – removal by surgery of a toe, foot, or leg). After an LLA, it’s important to consider not only your physical recovery, but also your mental recovery. Some people may have feelings that are hard to cope with.

Diabetes Burnout or Feelings of Failure

For some people, amputation feels like the worst that could happen. They may wonder whether it’s worth it to continue managing diabetes. This is known as diabetes burnout— feeling overwhelmed or defeated by diabetes care. Some people also have feelings of failure. But it’s important to know that some things happen outside a person’s control, even despite their best efforts. Having an LLA may feel like a setback, but it is possible to still live an active and healthy life with time, practice, and help.

Identity, Body Image, and Self-Confidence

An amputation is a big change, and some people may feel it changes who they are. It can also affect their body image, or how they feel about their appearance. Both body image and sense of identity can have a big impact on self-confidence. It’s natural to feel disconnected after an LLA, but these feelings are usually temporary. Having diabetes or an LLA is a part of someone’s life; it doesn’t define who they are. A mental health counselor can provide support during this life transition.

Grief

Some people compare having an LLA to losing a loved one. It’s natural and understandable to grieve the part that was lost. Knowing and expecting the different stages of grief can help. These stages can happen more than once and in a different order:

• Denial, or acting like it didn’t happen. Sometimes people in denial will try to go back to their old routines too quickly, without addressing the loss they’ve experienced.
• Anger is an extremely common feeling after a loss. Some people feel angry at themselves, and some feel angry at other people or their situation.
• Bargaining is when someone wishes to make a deal with fate or a higher power to change circumstances. In this stage, people often try to see a permanent situation as temporary, giving themselves false hope.
• Depression happens when someone feels lost, empty, hopeless, unmotivated, or uninterested in even their favorite activities. These feelings are expected after an amputation, but if they last, a doctor or mental health professional can help. The earlier depression is treated, the better likelihood of managing symptoms.
• Acceptance is when someone has processed the loss they’ve experienced and is figuring out how to move forward.

Healthy Coping

Healthy coping means having a positive attitude towards managing a health condition and having positive relationships with others. People recover better when they’re honest with themselves and others about how they’re feeling so they can move forward. It helps to return to routine or create new routines after an amputation. Having realistic goals and plans for the future allows many people to feel like themselves again.

Many people find it helpful to journal or talk to a loved one about how they’re feeling. Others benefit from talking to a mental health professional.

Physical activity may be the last thing you feel up to if you have diabetes burnout. But getting and staying active can provide some immediate rewards to help get you back on track!

Since being diagnosed with diabetes, you’ve tried your best to manage your condition. You eat well, take your medicine as prescribed, visit your doctors, and regularly check your blood sugar—but something still isn’t working. After all the time and energy you’ve put into staying healthy, you’ve developed a complication or just can’t seem to keep your blood sugar balanced. You’re over it—fed up with diabetes and everything that comes with it. It’s official: you have diabetes burnout.

If you’ve felt this way, you’re not alone. Many people with diabetes have periods of diabetes burnout. And while you may not feel up to it right now, becoming more active is one of the best ways to help yourself feel better. Physical activity can immediately reduce anxiety, improve mood, and boost your energy. And it may be the first step in getting your motivation back!

See the Benefits Right Away

If you’re feeling down, being active can brighten your mood and help you feel better physically. The immediate effects of physical activity include:

• Improved well-being – Physical activity can improve mental and emotional wellness. It’s been found to help reduce feelings of anxiety.
• Lower blood sugar levels – If you check your blood sugar before and after you’re active, you’ll likely see that your blood sugar has gone down after your activity. Pay close attention to make sure that it hasn’t dropped too low. Learn the symptoms of low blood sugar and how to treat it.
• Improved blood pressure – If you have high blood pressure along with diabetes, being active can lower your blood pressure immediately.

Regular physical activity can also lead to long-term health benefits that can help you manage your diabetes. You’ll find that physical activity can:

• Improve blood sugar control – Regular physical activity can make it easier for your cells to absorb blood sugar, which means that you may need less insulin. This is called insulin sensitivity, and over time, it can lead to better blood sugar control. A great indicator of long-term blood sugar control is your hemoglobin A1C. Keep an eye on it to find out your average blood sugar level.
• Support weight management – Regular physical activity reduces your risk of weight gain, can help keep your weight at a healthy level, and can even help you lose weight.
• Lower your risk of diabetes complications – Regular physical activity can lower your risk of serious diabetes complications like heart disease, a stroke, or nerve damage.

With all of these benefits, it’s clear that you should be active. But you may wonder, “What’s the best way to be active?”

Be Active Your Way

There is no single best way to be physically active. You don’t need a gym. You can be active anywhere—even at home—and with little to no equipment. Just do what feels good to you and gets your heart pumping! While there’s no “best” activity, there are recommendations on how much physical activity you need. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity. That’s activity that makes your heart beat a little faster than usual, like walking at a pace that increases your heart rate and causes you to sweat. On two or more days per week, add in activities that work your major muscle groups like your legs, shoulders, and back. If it’s been a long time since you’ve been active, it’s best to start slow.

Looking for ideas? Try some of these everyday activities to get moving:

• Walking briskly
• Dancing
• Playing sports
• Doing housework
• Riding a bicycle
• Gardening and doing yard work
• Doing yoga
• Doing online workout videos

Even moving briskly while doing housework can deliver immediate benefits to help you manage your diabetes. Find something you enjoy and get moving. You’ll renew your motivation to take on diabetes in no time!

Always consult with your doctor before starting any physical activity. Learn more about how you can increase physical activity and remain safe and healthy, including special considerations for people with diabetes.

Chances are you know someone with diabetes. They could be a friend, coworker, neighbor, a family member, or even you. And unfortunately, chances are the person you know with diabetes has experienced stigma, or negative attitudes, about having diabetes. Much of the stigma comes from people not knowing enough about diabetes. Reducing diabetes stigma starts with education and raising awareness. Keep reading to learn more.

Diabetes is a serious health condition that millions of Americans live with today. Some people think that people with diabetes make poor decisions or have bad habits, and that’s why they have diabetes. The truth is that diabetes is caused by either the body not being able to make insulin (type 1 diabetes) or because the body doesn’t use insulin well (type 2 diabetes).

Experiencing diabetes stigma is a challenge that many people with diabetes face. In fact, did you know that more than half of people with diabetes report that they have experienced diabetes stigma? Diabetes stigma can exist anywhere: in the family, school, workplace, and even in health care settings. You may not realize it, but stigma can prevent people from getting the care they need, make diabetes management more difficult, and affect one’s mental health. Learning about diabetes stigma can help you recognize it and reduce it.

What is Diabetes Stigma?

Diabetes stigma is defined as negative attitudes, judgment, discrimination, or prejudice against someone because of their diabetes. It comes from the false idea that people with diabetes made unhealthy food and lifestyle choices, which resulted in their diagnosis. Diabetes stigma can particularly affect people who have diabetes and are overweight. These false beliefs do not consider key factors that can cause diabetes, such as genetics (traits you inherit from your parents) and social determinants of health.

This type of stigma can be experienced internally and externally. Internal stigma is a belief that a person with diabetes has about themselves. It can include feelings of self-blame, shame, and guilt. External stigma is blame and judgment that comes from other people and society. It can include awkward or mean looks, rejection, exclusion, and difficulty maintaining relationships and friendships.

Learning about diabetes is a great first step to help reduce stigma. If you know someone with diabetes, start a conversation with them.

How Does Stigma Affect People With Diabetes?

Experiencing stigma and discrimination can affect diabetes self-care and self-esteem, and ultimately lead to serious health complications for people with diabetes. The negative emotions that people with diabetes feel from being stigmatized can cause depression, anxiety, and embarrassment. In fact, it can negatively affect how someone manages diabetes. Stigma can discourage people with diabetes from performing important day-to-day diabetes care, such as injecting insulin, checking blood sugar levels, wearing diabetes devices, or even seeking treatment altogether.

And unlike many health conditions, diabetes is managed mostly by the person with diabetes. To better understand this, imagine riding a bike. The bicycle—like diabetes management—will successfully get from point A to point B by the person (someone with diabetes) pedaling it. Now, imagine that person going up a steep hill. The steep hill here is the experience of diabetes stigma. The person pedaling—or the person with diabetes—must work much harder to get to their destination. Being able to remove the stigma barrier for people with diabetes can make their journey to successfully manage their diabetes that much easier.

How people think and talk about diabetes can be key to improving health outcomes among people with diabetes and to reducing the negative attitudes and judgment surrounding the condition.

What Do People With Diabetes Want You to Know?

Diabetes is more complicated and far-reaching than you may know. Here are a few things that people with diabetes may want you to know:

• Blaming or shaming someone with diabetes isn’t helpful. Instead, show empathy, and be a source of encouragement and support. A little support and understanding can go a long way.
• Language matters. Avoid calling someone with diabetes a “diabetic.” Calling someone a diabetic implies that they are nothing more than their disease. Instead, say “person with diabetes.” It’s also important not to call someone without diabetes “normal.” This can make someone with diabetes feel abnormal or different and can be stigmatizing.
• Managing diabetes is a full-time job. There’s no clocking out with diabetes. Day-to-day care for people living with diabetes means monitoring blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and meal plans, as well as keeping up with doctor’s visits.
• Diabetes can be expensive. People with diabetes spend twice as much money on health care costs as someone without diabetes. With doctor visits, diabetes supplies, and medicine, diabetes care can quickly add up and cause financial strain.
• Support is critical. Letting someone with diabetes know that you’re there to support them if they need you can make a difference.
• At the end of the day, “I’m still me.” Diabetes doesn’t define a person. The person they are now is no different from the person they were before their diabetes diagnosis.

Offer your support

Managing diabetes is not easy, whether a person has just been diagnosed or has been living with diabetes for many years. Family support can help a person with diabetes manage everyday tasks and deal with changes in care over time.

But if you live far away from your loved one with diabetes, you may worry about how you can help. Being prepared with the right information can help you provide support, even from a distance. This short guide offers tips that can help.

Learn about diabetes.

Learning about diabetes can help you understand what your family member is going through, find ways to help them prevent emergencies, and manage their health care. It can also make talking with your family member’s doctor easier. Here are some tips:

• Learn as much as you can about your loved one’s diabetes medicines, supplies, and equipment, including their blood sugar monitor and test strips.
• Go to Living with Diabetes to learn more about managing diabetes. See Resources for Everyone section for other ideas.
• Ask your loved one to teach you about how they are managing their diabetes and what kinds of support they may need. For example:
  • Do they just need someone to check on them now and then?
  • Do they need someone to take them to appointments or help make medical and financial decisions?
  • Remember—it’s their health, so it’s up to them how much they want to share with you. Let them know that you’re there to support them if they need you.

Gather information and keep in one place.

Gather important information about your loved one’s health care, and keep it up to date. Put it in a place that is easy for your loved one or a caregiver to find. Keep copies for yourself. Here are the kinds of information you should collect:

• With your loved one’s consent, make sure that at least one family member or close friend gets written permission to receive medical and financial information from the doctor or hospital. Choose one person to talk with all health care providers, if possible.
• Write down the following medical information:
  • Names and phone numbers of your loved one’s care team.
  • Names and doses of your loved one’s medicines.
  • Names and phone numbers of emergency contacts.
• Make sure your loved one or a caregiver knows how to contact you (or an emergency contact) in an emergency—but tell them to call 911 first.
• Create a list of resources in your loved one’s community (see the Resources for Everyone section for ideas). This list can include information about:
  • Social support: Check with your loved one’s health care provider for support groups, social services, and other resources in the community.
  • Financial support: Look for community discount programs for medicines, blood sugar monitors, diabetes education, nutrition assessment, and counseling.
  • Practical support: Ask your loved one’s health care providers or diabetes care and education specialist if there is someone who can help them get supplies and learn to use equipment, if needed. Caregivers can also learn to use equipment.

Find resources.

Different kinds of organizations can help with different kinds of resources—like meal planning, diabetes care, diabetes camps for children, housekeeping, or emotional support. Here are some places to go for help:

• Local diabetes groups, senior centers, faith communities, and other community groups that provide support services. Your loved one’s health care provider may have a list of local services. You can also check the Resources for Everyone section for ideas.
• Local pharmacies. Many pharmacies offer individual and group counseling.
• Your loved one’s health insurance company or Medicare. Ask what diabetes education and support services are covered. For example, Medicare Part B covers a wide range of diabetes education and training.
• State health and social services. Look for information on the state government website where your loved one lives. Ask about community programs for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.
• Your loved one may need a referral from a health care provider to get services from some organizations. You can help them work with their doctors to get what they need. Remind your loved one that asking for a referral to a diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program might be helpful.
• To find a DSMES program recognized by the American Diabetes Association or accredited by the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists, go to the Find a Diabetes Education Program in Your Area website.

Plan your visits.

• When you visit your loved one, you may worry that you don’t have enough time to do everything you want to. Talk with your loved one ahead of time about the kind of help they may need. You may feel less stressed if you can focus on a few important errands or chores during your visit.
• Research your company’s leave policies. Some companies allow sick leave to be used to care for a relative.
• Remember that your loved one may need help with things like home cleaning and repairs, shopping, or other tasks that are not directly related to their health.
• Check with your loved one or a caregiver to learn what medical care they may need. This information will help you set clear, realistic goals for your visit. For example:
  • Do they need to see specialists, such as a foot doctor (podiatrist) or eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist)?
  • Do they need more testing supplies?
• Try to make time to do things that are fun and relaxing with your loved one. Suggest taking a walk together. Offer to play a game of cards or a board game.

Stay in touch.

From time to time, ask your loved one how they are coping with their diabetes and how you can help. With your loved one’s permission, try to find people in the community—like other family members, friends, or neighbors—who can visit and provide support if needed.

Check in regularly with the people who are providing care to your loved one. Find out how they are coping and how you can help them.