LiveFree with T1D

In week's episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I'm talking to Jamie, another warrior in our T1D community. The convoluted pre-approval process required by her insurance company to cover her diabetes supplies has become a relentless source of stress.

In this episode, we tackle the challenge head-on. I coach Jamie on how to manage her stress while continuing her battle with her insurance company. We delve into strategies and tools that will help her - and indeed anyone in a similar predicament - to gain access to the diabetes supplies necessary for maintaining health, all while keeping stress at a manageable level.

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.

A lot of people tell me they feel out of control in their life with T1D. They feel like diabetes has taken control of their life and they are just along for the ride. They also tell me they do things to try to take back control, but it feels like it's never enough.

Can you relate?

Sarah definitely absolutely feels this way. As the mother to a 7-year-old with T1D, Sarah wants her daughter to be a normal kid. She also wants to make sure her daughter is healthy and safe. At times, Sarah is finding these two desires to be in conflict.

In this episode, I coach Sarah to reframe how she thinks about control in her family's life with T1D. We talk about how her desire to control situations helps her, and also how it holds her (and her daughter) back. Then I give Sarah some practical advice her help her keep her daughter safe and healthy and find the relief from her anxiety that she is looking for.

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.

As with so many other things in the world of type 1 diabetes, the experience of a low is impossible to understand unless you've actually had one. To top it off, some people have low symptoms that are not listed in a textbook or on any website.

Edwin is one of those people. In addition to all of the "normal" low symptoms, Edwin also experiences some dark thoughts when he is low and his mind takes him to some scary places. These thoughts affect his mood, even after his physical symptoms are gone.

In this episode, I coach Edwin on how he can deal with these dark thoughts when he is low. We talk about some practical strategies he can use to help him recover quickly, both physically and emotionally, from his lows.

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.

For some people with T1D, the thought of international travel is terrifying.

The good news is, there are lots of people who have gone on exciting international adventures with T1D and had no issues. We can learn a lot from each other about how to navigate international travel + T1D safely and with ease.

Melissa has a teenage son with T1D and he is going on a school trip to Europe this summer. She is trying to figure how how to support her son manage his blood sugars while he is abroad, while also managing her own anxiety about his safety.

In this episode, I coach Melissa on how she can stay calm and let her son enjoy his time in Europe with his teachers and friends. We talk about how her son is managing T1D well at home, and there's no reason to believe that he will behave any differently when he is traveling (even if his blood sugars do not cooperate). I also give Melissa some practical tips she can use to help her son plan for a fun and safe international adventure.

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.

Do you ever put off changing your pump site or CGM because it's "too much of a hassle"?

The truth is, changing your site or your sensor just takes a couple of minutes, and most of the time it's completely painless. However, you've told yourself a story that makes changing your site a lot more challenging than it is in reality. Then this story becomes a habit that is hard to break.

In this episode, I coach Christina on how she can change the story she tells herself about changing her CGM sensor. By keeping a journal, she will have a record of what the sensor-change experience is actually like. Then, when she starts telling herself about how she doesn't want to change her sensor, she can refer to her journal to keep herself honest about what's most likely to happen.

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.

The stories we tell ourselves about what having T1D means about us, and what others think of us are powerful.

However, there's a problem. Most of the time, these stories are not completely (or even close to being) accurate. That's why it's critical to test and, if necessary, adjust these stories.

That's the guidance I gave to Lauren as she tries to support her son with T1D who is in middle school. He is worried about what his teacher, and the kids in his class, think about him when his CGM alerts go off, so he just turns them off so he doesn't have to worry about it.

In this episode, I coach Lauren on how she can help her son test the stories he tells himself about diabetes. Testing his stories will help him to make adjustments to his thoughts and T1D management behavior, and set him up for success in his life with diabetes.

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.

In this episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I talk about why building a support crew is an essential part of managing the stress and exhaustion of T1D. You'll learn about the different types of support that others can offer you, as well as some best practices for getting the right support, from the right person, when you need it.

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.

My guess is, there are a lot of things you want to be able to do in your life T1D, but you don't do them because your fear gets in the way. Maybe you want to go hiking, or go camping, or travel to a foreign country.

But... You've convinced yourself that these activities are too scary or dangerous. And because you have T1D, they're off-limits. What if, just maybe, this isn't true?

The only way to change the story is to prove yourself wrong and lead with action.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk about how your behavior impacts your emotional health with T1D. Most people allow their emotions to control their behavior, and they won't change their behavior until their emotions change. These are the folks who feel stuck in their lives with T1D. When you lead with action, you take back control of your behavior (safely of course) from your emotions. In this episode, you'll learn about the Lead with Action framework and how to use it in your life with type 1 diabetes.

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.

In this episode, I discuss the importance of your T1D mindset. By identifying the stories you tell yourself about T1D and understanding their impact, you can start rewriting them and even transform them into helpful narratives. You'll learn about the anatomy of a story and how to use it to reframe your perspective, reduce stress, and better handle the challenges of life with T1D.

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.

Learning what T1D, and how to manage YOUR diabetes is a critical part of emotional health. Because once you start feeling steady on your feet, life with T1D gets a lot easier...

AND...

You are going to have an easier time managing the inevitable stress that comes along with T1D.

So where do you start???

You need a T1D Management Playbook!

In this episode, I talk about why diabetes education is so important for your mental health with T1D. When you don't understand what T1D is and how it's managed, it will be impossible not to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But when you have a solid foundation in your management with T1D, everything will change. When you listen to this episode, you'll learn all about the T1D Management Playbook. You'll find out how you can use this playbook to reduce your stress and handle any blood sugar T1D throws your way.

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.