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 ...
Jun 17, 2021•24 min
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 ...
Jun 10, 2021•26 min•Ep. 39
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 ...
Jun 03, 2021•24 min
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 question...
May 27, 2021•25 min•Ep. 37
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 dia...
May 20, 2021•26 min•Ep. 36
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 T...
May 13, 2021•25 min•Ep. 35
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 bounda...
May 06, 2021•23 min•Ep. 34
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 w...
Apr 29, 2021•23 min•Ep. 33
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 emotio...
Apr 22, 2021•21 min•Ep. 32
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...
Apr 15, 2021•25 min•Ep. 31
Diabetes burnout. It’s a term we throw around all the time. But what does diabetes burnout really mean? And maybe even more importantly, what does diabetes NOT mean. There are many myths about burnout and T1D, and these myths are not doing us any favors. On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk about five of the most common myths about diabetes burnout. I give you some background about where these myths come from and show you evidence that these myths are not valid. I’ll also...
Apr 08, 2021•22 min•Ep. 30
There's no way around it. T1D is stressful All the work, the erratic blood sugars, the inconsiderate comments from people in your life are less than fun. You can use this stress to your advantage! On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, we look at T1D-related stress from a whole new angle. First, we'll take a closer look at what stress is and what it is about T1D that causes stress. Then we'll talk about three specific ways you can turn the stress of T1D on its head, and use it to ...
Apr 01, 2021•22 min•Ep. 29
People with T1D feel stuck. T1D gets in the way and makes it difficult for you to do the things that are important to you. You feel like T1D holds you back, which only makes life with T1D even more stressful. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk about what it means to feel stuck because of T1D and why feeling stuck is such a big challenge. Then I outline the four reasons why T1D is keeping you stuck. For more information on how to get unstuck with T1D, go to www.thediabet...
Mar 25, 2021•23 min•Ep. 28
We know mental health support should be an integral part of treatment for T1D. But what does this really mean? If we only think about mental health support and treatment as sitting in a therapist's office once a week, we are doing everyone with T1D a great disservice. We have to get creative and think outside the box when addressing the mental health needs of people with T1D. On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk about how we can reimagine mental health treatment support f...
Mar 18, 2021•23 min•Ep. 27
Have you ever thought that taking a medication for depression anxiety might help you, but then you thought again because you were worried about how these drugs might impact your blood sugars? Or maybe you don't like the thought of taking another medication, even if it could help you. On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I talk to an expert about psych meds and T1D. My guest is Dr. Roy Collins. Dr. Roy is a resident physician at Stanford University, and he has been living with ty...
Mar 11, 2021•27 min•Ep. 26
Telling someone you just started dating that you have T1D can be scary! When do you tell someone you're dating that you have T1D? People tend to overthink everything in new relationships. When to introduce your new partner to T1D can definitely be one of those things. You may worry they'll see you differently when they find out, or worse, the news you have T1D will extinguish any sparks they feel in the relationship. The fact you have T1D probably won't bother most people you're dating. And if t...
Mar 04, 2021•28 min•Ep. 25
Type 1 diabetes doesn't know race, it doesn't know your economic status, and it doesn't know where you are from. We don't live in a bubble with T1D. Everyone living with T1D has a story, with different experiences and backgrounds they bring to their life with diabetes. Everybody's story is going to be different, and everybody's story matters. In this episode, I talk to Brandon A. Denson about the unique mental health challenges for people with T1D from underserved communities. Brandon grew up in...
Feb 25, 2021•33 min•Ep. 24
Resilience is the key to psychological health with T1D. We all know that living with T1D is not always easy, and sometimes it can be downright challenging. We all want to strive to bounce back from these challenges and become stronger in the process. My guest on this episode is Asha Brown. Asha is the Founder and Executive Director of We Are Diabetes, a non-profit organization that offers hope and support to people with T1D-related eating disorders. This episode is about so much more than eating...
Feb 18, 2021•35 min•Ep. 23
Every time I give a presentation to people with T1D or health care providers, I start by talking about all the reasons why living with T1D is so stressful. I tell them about the constant work, the complex thinking involved, and the fact that there are no breaks and no vacations from T1D. I describe T1D as having a second job. This is a great story, and it captures some of the challenges of living with T1D. But I've realized that talking about T1D as a second job is the wrong way to characterize ...
Feb 11, 2021•23 min•Ep. 22
If you want to live well with T1D, you have to come to a place of acceptance. Accepting T1D is a journey. Acceptance doesn't mean you like diabetes or that you want to have it. But it does mean putting your guard down and doing your best to live well with the hand you've been dealt. The opposite of acceptance is avoidance. And we all know avoiding diabetes never turns out well. In this episode, Basma Adams talks about her journey to acceptance with T1D. When she was younger, Basma did everything...
Feb 04, 2021•40 min•Ep. 21
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...
Jan 28, 2021•31 min•Ep. 20
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 ste...
Jan 21, 2021•23 min•Ep. 19
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 ...
Jan 14, 2021•37 min•Ep. 18
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: Figure out if there i...
Jan 07, 2021•19 min•Ep. 17
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 ....
Dec 24, 2020•22 min•Ep. 16
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 positi...
Dec 17, 2020•36 min•Ep. 15
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 ...
Dec 10, 2020•34 min•Ep. 14
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...
Dec 03, 2020•30 min•Ep. 13
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 sens...
Nov 26, 2020•19 min•Ep. 12
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 opportu...
Nov 19, 2020•40 min•Ep. 11
