LiveFree with T1D

Remember being a teen, when all you wanted was to fit in? Living with T1D, or loving someone who does, can make feeling "normal" a real challenge. Emotions, friendships, and how we see ourselves can all get mixed up in it!

I won't pretend it's easy to be a teen with T1D. But, have you ever thought that the way you see things can make it harder? What if we could change how we see things?

I recently chatted with Kyra, who found out she has T1D at 17. She's been dealing with a bunch of feelings, many of which come from not wanting her diabetes to make her stand out.

In this week's LiveFree with T1D podcast, I help Kyra take a close look at how she talks about her life with T1D. We found that some words she often uses can create a negative view of herself that may not match up with her real life. Like adjusting the sails on her sailboat, we work together to help her rethink her journey with T1D.

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

On this week's episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I coach Catherine to pay attention to the words she uses when talking about T1D. It seems she has developed a habit of using certain words that, upon closer examination, aren't actually accurate. These words have shaped how she thinks about her diabetes. By focusing on the sails of her diabetes stress management sailboat, I help Catherine transform her language and her mindset, making her T1D easier to handle.

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

The numbers on the scale can be a big source of stress for people with T1D. It just adds to the mental and emotional load that diabetes already brings. But what can we do about it?

Meet Jeff. He's a former pro athlete. But since he retired and got a little older, he's been struggling to lose weight. Like many of us, when Jeff goes low, he tends to binge eat. And this cancels out any progress he's made towards controlling his weight.

This week on the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I'm working with Jeff. I'm helping him change his thinking about his weight and pay more attention to his overall health. We talk about how the number on the scale is just a number. And we discuss better ways to measure health.

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

Each month, I reflect on my biggest wins, learnings, and challenges over the past 30 days with type 1 diabetes. Come along for the ride as I give you a recap of the highs and lows of my diabetes management in June 2023!

Sign up now to get your FREE daily T1D + Mental Health tip! www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

Ever had folks ask you if you can eat certain foods because you have T1D? Or if eating too much sugar is the reason you have T1D? Yeah, we all have.

Having to educate people all the time about T1D, especially when it's people who should already know, like those insurance company reps is frustrating!

This week on the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I coach Rob. He's spent loads of time trying to get his insurance company to understand his needs. But most times, it's like they just don't get it. We talk about how he can cope with this frustration and keep going, focusing on his 'why', even when he feels like he's not getting anywhere.

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

Becoming more independent while managing diabetes is no small feat. Suddenly, you're the one in charge of ordering your own supplies, remembering to bolus, and dealing with your lows. With freedom comes responsibility, right?

For parents of young adults with T1D, the struggle is real too. Letting go is not easy, and if you're nodding along, you'll definitely resonate with Leslie's story.

Leslie's son, now 20, is stepping into a new phase of life where he is more independent, both in general and in his T1D management. This newfound independence is normal for someone his age, but it's also sparking concerns for Leslie. She's becoming increasingly anxious about his safety and well-being.

This week on the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I chat with Leslie about the challenges of letting go. We explore how her mindset might be amplifying these difficulties, and discuss ways she can adjust her perspective to ease her worries and give her son more room to grow.

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

Have you ever found yourself chasing after perfection in your diabetes management, only to be met with the humbling reality that your blood sugars don't always go according to plan? 

For someone with an analytic mind, this realization can be a harsh reality. In other areas of your life, things behave in a predictable manner. But T1D doesn't always play fair.

In this week's episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast, Dr. Mark coaches Josh—an engineer who discovers the art of accepting imperfection in the face of an unpredictable condition: type 1 diabetes.

In a world that often demands control and precision, Josh confronts the truth that diabetes, by its very nature, is a mystery waiting to be unraveled. 🕵️‍♂️

Get a FREE T1D + Mental Health tip delivered to your inbox each day. To subscribe, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

The hard truth is that you cannot control how others behave or think about you, no matter how hard you try. However, you have complete control over how you respond.

That's why having a mission in your life with T1D is crucial. By setting a clear intention for what you want to achieve and what you want your life to be about, you can keep moving forward, even when others attempt to hold you back.

In this week's podcast episode, I had the privilege of coaching Anita on how to deal with people who put her down because of her diabetes. We delve into Anita's incredible mission of empowering others with diabetes and how it helps her drown out the negativity, enabling her to stay focused on her goals.

Access to LiveFree with T1D is now open! To join, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com.

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

Each month, I reflect on my biggest wins, learnings, and challenges over the past 30 days with type 1 diabetes. Come along for the ride as I give you a recap of the highs and lows of my diabetes management in May 2023!

Sign up now to get your FREE daily T1D + Mental Health tip! www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.

I've heard countless stories from folks who try to explain what life with T1D is really like to their endocrinologists. They nod along, but sometimes you can't help but wonder if they truly "get it."

And let's be real, when your care team doesn't take the rest of your diabetes squad seriously, that's a whole new level of scary. 

Janice is a dietician and a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) who's been in the game for over 40 years. She's seen firsthand what happens when doctors don't give their patients with T1D the attention they deserve. In her current role at an eating disorder clinic, she's had to fight to make sure her T1D patients get the care and support they need.

In this episode, I had the honor of chatting with Janice. We dug deep into strategies she uses to make sure the rest of the healthcare team really understands what her T1D patients need. We even shared some tips for you and your support crew to advocate for yourselves effectively.

Access to LiveFree with T1D is now open! To join, go to www.thediabetespsychologist.com.

Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and join The Diabetes Psychologist Community on Facebook.