Should I Tell My Friends I have Diabetes?

After a diagnosis of Diabetes, life feels like it has done a 360 on you and you suddenly must learn so much about your body. Most often, patients feel overwhelmed by the amount of information available out there and more so from those close to them who have the same condition.

Therefore, most times, people shy away from speaking about their Diabetes diagnosis especially to friends or colleagues at work. It’s the same mental process people go through in other kinds of grief.

Let’s all remember that information about your health is yours to decide whom to give and when to do it. Below are some major advantages of informing those close to you about your Diabetes diagnosis.

1.Lifesaving

Regarding the above question though, we believe informing people close to you could be lifesaving. For a child who is in school most hours of the day, their teacher and close friends should be aware and trained on the management of certain complications of Diabetes such as low sugars. Same goes for colleagues at work. These are people you spend almost 8 hours every day with, longer than you spend with those at home.

Any time you develop a hypo (low sugar) and they are aware immediate action can be taken that can save lives.

2.Moral support

Having your close friends knowing your diabetes diagnosis is also important for moral support. One of my type 1 patients has friends who know she has diabetes, and they are very supportive of her when it comes to choosing where to go eat out. They ensure they go to places that will offer healthy meal options and do not peer pressure her into taking soda and the likes. For a teenager, peer pressure is a big issue when it comes to making daily choices.

In another different scenario, another 13-year-old patient has not informed her lose friends of her diagnosis and she is having great challenges when they hang out. She feels shy saying no to the unhealthy foods they hand to her and therefore her sugars spike during their outings.

All in all, being diagnosed with any chronic illness can be unsettling for most people and you should take time to go through the process at your own time and pace.