LiveFree with T1D

Why is managing type 1 diabetes important to you?

Answering this question is the key to holding yourself accountable with T1D.

Managing diabetes is a means to an end. Being healthy, lowering your A1c, and staying on your endo's good side are all great things to aim for, but they're probably not going to be enough to keep you motivated when things get rough. Instead, you need to figure out how managing diabetes will help get you to where you want to be in your life.

In this episode, Katelyn talks about her struggles with keeping herself accountable and pushing herself to lower her A1c. Dr. Mark coaches Katelyn on how she can change how she thinks about accountability by identifying the reasons why lowering her A1c is so important to her. Katelyn learns how she can use her 'why' as leverage to hold herself accountable for managing T1D.

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

Many people are looking forward to getting their COVID vaccine right now. They see this vaccine as their ticket to getting back to a normal life, where they can do things like visit friends, go out to eat, and go on vacation. Life in the COVID world makes us feel trapped.

In many ways, life with T1D is no different. The stress of diabetes can also make us feel trapped. What if there was a vaccine for the stress of T1D?

Maybe one already exists!

In this episode, Dr. Mark walks you through the steps you can take to vaccinate yourself against the stress of T1D. While you can't always avoid stress with T1D, you can do things to make sure the stress doesn't impact your life.

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

What do you do when your family doesn't understand the challenges of living with T1D?

We've all been there. You're cranky and irritable because your blood sugar is out-of-range. Your loved ones are annoyed with you because of the way you are treating them. When you try to explain what's going on, you don't have the words to describe how you feel. Then this tension leads to more misunderstanding and makes it difficult for your family to give you the support you need.

In this episode, you'll hear about the challenges Alex has had in getting the support he needs from his family around T1D. Then you'll hear Dr. Mark coach Alex on how he can help his family understand what life with T1D is like for him, so they can be better equipped to give him the support he needs.

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

In this episode I talk about the biggest mistake I make as a psychologist working with people with T1D so you don't make the same mistake.

I don't know about you, but I like to try to fix problems. I have learned that sometimes T1D brings on challenges that don't have an easy solution. Every time I try to fix my patients' problems, it usually backfires.

So how do you avoid making the same mistake as me? In this episode, I walk you through a step-by-step process to help you:

1. Figure out if there is a solution to your problem
2. Let go of control if there is no quick fix
3. Always keep the end goal in mind

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

Type 1 diabetes should never be a do-it-yourself condition. People with T1D need support from the people in our lives. But getting the support you need, isn’t always easy. Your friends and family probably want to be supportive, but they may not know how. 

On this episode, Dr. Mark gives 5 tips to help people with T1D get the support they need from their friends and family.

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

In this episode, I talk to Lauren Salko about whether T1D should be considered a disability. Lauren has lived with T1D since she was young, and she competes as a professional skier on the US National Ski Team. Traveling internationally with her diabetes alert dog has given her an interesting perspective on looking at T1D as a disability.

In our conversation, Lauren explains why she considers T1D to be a disability and we explore how calling T1D a disability can impact mental health – both positively and negatively. I am not sure I completely agree with Lauren’s point of view, she definitely opened my mind to a new way of thinking about disability and T1D.

You can find Lauren on Instagram @skiersalko.

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

Having a low blood sugar is no fun for anyone. But for some people with T1D, the thought of going low is terrifying. Fear of hypoglycemia is a condition where people with T1D keep their blood sugar high and avoid activities in order to avoid the possibility of going low. Not only does a fear of lows have a big impact on the person’s diabetes management, but it can also stand in the way of living their life.

In this episode, you’ll hear Oriana talk about how her fear of hypoglycemia is affecting her life. Then you’ll hear Dr. Mark coach Oriana on how she can implement strategies to bring her blood sugars back into her target range and gain the confidence she needs to deal with lows when they happen (and they will!).

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

In this episode, we talk to Mary Anderson about how using diabetes technology has impacted her mental health. Diagnosed with T1D in December of 2018 and dove into the world of diabetes tech right away and started using a CGM and a pump. After a while, her CGM started causing skin issues and she began feeling burnt out with the alarms. The tools that were supposed to make her life with T1D easier, were causing her stress.

Diabetes technology is awesome, but it does have some downsides. We need to be able to acknowledge the challenges of diabetes tech along with the benefits. Mary talks about how being flexible and finding the tools that work for her lifestyle have been the key for her emotional health with T1D.

You can find Mary on Instagram @mary.type1.

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

When we think about T1D, our thoughts usually go to the negative. But, have you ever considered what type 1 diabetes (T1D) has brought to your life that you are grateful for?

Research shows that gratitude increases happiness and reduces stress and depression – which can help everyone with T1D. We focus so much on the challenges of living with T1D that often we don’t even notice the positives that can come from it.

In this episode, we talk about how practicing gratitude can help you create a sense of balance and peace with type 1 diabetes. Finding gratitude with T1D does not mean ignoring the challenges. It means seeing that diabetes comes with positives and negatives and that these things can exist at the same time.

Dr. Mark will guide you through a 4-step process to help you find gratitude in your life with T1D.

Step #1: Be open to the possibility there are things about T1D you can be grateful for.

Step #2: Be intentional about looking for things to be grateful for.

Step #3: Be specific about what you are grateful for. Find something that happened today, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

Step #4: Keep a T1D gratitude journal that you can refer back to.

Check out this blog post for more tips on finding gratitude with T1D:  https://thediabetespsychologist.com/gratitude-with-t1d/

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

In this episode, we talk to Jen Hanson. Jen is the Executive Director of Connected in Motion (CIM). CIM works to create a culture of support & engagement in diabetes self-management through peer-based experiential diabetes education, sport, and outdoor adventure. Jen combines her love for the outdoors with her mission of improving the lives of people with T1D.

Connecting with other people with T1D can be a powerful experience. When you connect with other people with T1D, you have the opportunity to feel ‘normal’ and to be around people who ‘get it.’ But the benefits of connection go far beyond having friends who support you. Jen shares how CIM fosters connections and how these connections push people with T1D to do things they may never have thought possible.

You can find Jen on Instagram @j2hanson.

Check out Connected In Motion’s website or follow them on Instagram @connectedinmotion and Facebook @ConnectedinMotion.

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