LiveFree with T1D

Let's be honest. Living with T1D is not easy. As much as you don't want to admit it, life with T1D can be downright challenging sometimes.

But honesty works both ways.

While T1D is not easy, most of the time, it is doable. If you make the challenges more complicated than they need to be, you aren't doing yourself any favors.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk about why being honest with yourself about T1D is critical to your mental health. I give you some ways to check yourself to make sure you are not sugar-coating diabetes or making it into something in your life that it is not. And if you find you have not been completely honest with yourself about T1D, I give you a step-by-step guide to help you see T1D for what it is - and nothing more and nothing less.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

Did you have a coach in high school who inspired you and encouraged you to do your best? Someone who held you accountable, pushed you out of your comfort zone, and gave you the tools you needed to succeed?

When we talk about high school sports, having a coach is normal. But what about a coach to help you manage diabetes?

My guest on this episode of the podcast is Lauren Bongiorno. Lauren is a T1D Health coach and the founder of Lauren Bongiorno Coaching. I talk to Lauren about what T1D coaching is (and what it's not) and how she coaches people with T1D to change their mindset, reduce barriers, and feel more confident in their diabetes management.

You can find Lauren on Instagram @lauren_bongiorno and on the web at https://laurenbongiorno.com.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

Every year on June 1, I go to the same restaurant I went to the day I was diagnosed to eat pizza and commemorate my diaversary. My diaversary is an opportunity to reflect on my experience living with T1D and look for ways I can improve. My diaversary tradition helps me stay on track with my mental health with T1D.

On this episode of the podcast, I tell you why I have pizza at the same restaurant every year on my diaversary and why this tradition is so meaningful to me. I also reflect back on my last year living with T1D and tell talk about what went well for me, and what I can improve. Finally, I give you some tips for how you can commemorate your diaversary, even if you never have commemorated it before.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

My listeners send me so many questions about T1D and mental health, and I want to make sure I answer as many of them as possible. So, I decided to do a whole podcast episode answering listener questions.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast,
I answer your questions about:

✔︎ How to be more patient with T1D
✔︎ How to feel less conscious about diabetes tech
✔︎ The impact of COVID on the mental health of people
with T1D
✔︎ How to deal with a spouse/partner who asks too many
questions about your blood sugar
✔︎Why low blood sugar anxiety can be helpful

Consider this your T1D & mental health audio advice column! I hope you find it helpful!

It's so easy to fall into the trap of only seeing what T1D has taken away from you. And there is no doubt that T1D has brought on some challenges. What if you could also think about what T1D has brought into your life? This way of thinking may be new for you, but it can also be valuable.

My guest on this episode of the podcast is Mandi Franklin. Mandi is a pediatric nurse practitioner who found her passion because she was diagnosed with T1D when she was three years old. Mandi talks about how diabetes led her into a career she loves and how having diabetes makes her even better at her job, even when she encounters challenges at work because of T1D. 

You can find Mandi on Instagram @mandithepetitenp and the web at https://www.petitenp.com/.

Does T1D hold you back and keep you from doing what you want to do in your life? Does T1D make you feel stuck?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL THIS WAY!

Click HERE to enroll in Get Unstuck with T1D, my 6-week program that will help you become more free, flexible, and confident in your life with T1D.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

This is the second episode in a 2-part series about boundaries and T1D.

I know you've been there. I know you've had that friend or family member - even a doctor - who tries to be helpful but crosses the line with you and your diabetes.

Maybe your friend asks you if you should be eating that dessert. Or your mom texts you as soon as she gets a CGM alert on her phone. Your doctor may even yell at you for not doing a good job managing your diabetes. None of these things are ok!

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about how you can set healthy boundaries with the people in your life, including your health care team. You are in charge of how you live your life with T1D, and healthy boundaries can help you get the support you need from other people. I'll give you some sure-fire ways to tell if someone has crossed your boundaries with T1D and strategies you can use to set and stick to these healthy boundaries.

Does T1D hold you back and keep you from doing what you want to do in your life? Does T1D make you feel stuck?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL THIS WAY!

Click HERE to enroll in Get Unstuck with T1D, my 6-week program that will help you become more free, flexible, and confident in your life with T1D.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

This is the first episode in a 2-part series about boundaries and T1D.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, we talk about your boundaries with T1D and with yourself. Do you let T1D take up too much energy, or do you not focus on it enough? What boundaries do you set for yourself around things like what and how much you eat? You don't want your boundaries with T1D and yourself to be too loose, but you also don't want them to be too rigid. We will talk about how you can use boundaries to find the balance between good T1D management and your quality of life.

Next week in the second part of this series, we'll look at your boundaries with other people and your healthcare team around T1D.

Does T1D hold you back and keep you from doing what you want to do in your life? Does T1D make you feel stuck?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL THIS WAY!

Click HERE to enroll in Get Unstuck with T1D, my 6-week program that will help you become more free, flexible, and confident in your life with T1D.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

Describe what low blood sugar feels like. Describe it in detail. Describe it in a way that someone who has next had a low will understand.

It's not easy, is it?

Words are powerful. And when you find words to describe what you are experiencing with T1D, it grounds you. This is especially true for low blood sugars.

You know low blood sugars don't feel good, but you almost always fall back on vague descriptions when you try to describe what they feel like. Icky. Tired. Slow. While accurate, these words do not capture the whole experience of being low.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk to  Ginger Vieira and Mike Lawson. Ginger and Mike are the author and illustrator of When I Go Low, a book written for children with T1D to help them put words to what it's like to have low blood sugar. Ginger and Mike share what inspired them to write this book and how they hope it can make kids feel less alone in their lives with T1D.

Here's where you can find more information about When I Go Low:

• Buy When I Go Low
• Video of Ginger Reading When I Go Low
• Diabetes Doodles

Does T1D hold you back and keep you from doing what you want to do in your life? Does T1D make you feel stuck?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEEL THIS WAY!

Click HERE to enroll in Get Unstuck with T1D, my 6-week program that will help you become more free, flexible, and confident in your life with T1D.

The only way to get unstuck with T1D is to move forward.

There are so many things that get in your way and keep you stuck with T1D. The big one is you put your emotions in charge of your behavior. You tell yourself you will start doing things differently when you feel a certain way. 

You'll start managing T1D when you don't feel so burnt out. You'll start being open about T1D when you are not so self-conscious. You'll start asking for the support you need when you feel more confident. Your emotions are calling the shots.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk about how leading with action is the only way to get unstuck with T1D. If you wait until your emotions 'let' you act differently, you'll probably be waiting a long time. When you take charge and lead with your behavior, no matter how you feel can do whatever you want. And that is the definition of getting unstuck. On this episode, I give you steps you can take to start leading with action today!

Ready to get unstuck in your life with T1D? Click HERE to sign up for my 6-week digital program Get Unstuck with T1D. This program is your step-by-step guide to getting unstuck and becoming more free, flexible, and confident in your life with T1D.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.

Whether you know it or not, you have a relationship with your diabetes. You may hate T1D and want nothing to do with it. That is a relationship. You may do your best to ignore it. That’s a relationship too. And your relationship with T1D may be keeping you stuck.

On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what it means to have a relationship with T1D. We’ll look at how your relationship with T1D develops and talk about some of the most common types of relationships people have with their diabetes. Finally, I’ll give you a framework to help you define what your relationship with T1D looks like right now.

Ready to get unstuck in your life with T1D? Click HERE to get your FREE guide on how to get unstuck and be more free and flexible in your life with T1D.

Find out more about The Diabetes Psychologist at www.thediabetespsychologist.com and on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist.