You know that living with T1D is stressful, and you may be struggling with the emotional burden of diabetes. How do you know whether you can deal with this stress on your own or if you should see a mental health professional? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what a diabetes psychologist does. Then I give you some guidelines you can use to help you decide if you need to see a diabetes psychologist. I also talk about other ways that people with T1D can access supp...
Jan 13, 2022•21 min•Ep. 70
My listeners reach out and ask all kinds of great questions about T1D & mental health. I want to make sure my answers can reach as many folks as possible! I am going to answer some of your questions on the latest episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. In this episode of my podcast, I answer YOUR questions about: ✔️ Diabetes and sleep ✔️ How to deal with perfectionistic tendencies with T1D ✔️ How to find joy in your life with T1D For more information on diabetes and sleep, check out TH...
Jan 06, 2022•22 min•Ep. 69
It's time to look ahead and set some big goals for your life with T1D in the new year. Why is it helpful to set diabetes goals? Where do you even start? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I dive into how you can set T1D goals in the new year. You'll get to dream big, push yourself, and see what's possible for you in your life, even with T1D along for the ride. We'll talk about the three types of diabetes-related goals: Blood sugar, mindset, and behavior. And you'll see how the...
Dec 30, 2021•24 min•Ep. 68
2021 has taught me a whole new set of lesson and I want to share my biggest learnings with you! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I tell you the FIVE most important things I learned in 2021 about T1D and mental health. Learning #1: T1D doesn't live in a silo. Yes, diabetes makes life stressful, but T1D is not the only thing causing you stress in your life. You can't forget that your life affects T1D and T1D impacts your life. The stress works both ways. Learning #2: Quality o...
Dec 23, 2021•22 min•Ep. 67
The holiday season can feel like a landmine for people with T1D. You want to enjoy all your favorite foods, but you also want to keep your blood sugar in range. Doing both at the same time feels like an impossible task. That's when things start to get stressful. You start feeling out of control, and you may even want to give up on even trying to manage T1D until after the new year. Living with T1D during the holidays can be complicated. So I brought in an expert to help you navigate food and the...
Dec 16, 2021•27 min•Ep. 66
Both golf and type 1 diabetes can be frustrating and unpredictable. The similarities don’t stop there. There is a lot you can learn from playing golf that can help you deal with the emotional burden of diabetes. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist, I talk about what T1D and golf have in common. You'll hear how the four key lessons I've learned by playing golf can help you manage diabetes and reduce your stress. Follow The Diabetes Psychologist on Instagram @thediabetespsychologist and j...
Dec 09, 2021•20 min•Ep. 65
All of us with T1D experience burnout at times. Diabetes burnout is a normal part of living with T1D. But sometimes, you may start to expect to feel burned out. And this expectation can be what actually makes you feel burned out. You get so used to diabetes burnout, and it becomes a habit. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what causes diabetes burnout and how sometimes T1D burnout can get to be a habit. I give you some ways to tell the difference between real T1D...
Dec 02, 2021•27 min•Ep. 64
Everybody has an opinion about the best way for you to manage T1D. Your doctor may think a pump is the only way to go. Your friends with T1D might swear by using multiple daily injections (MDI). Your insurance company wants to know what is going to be the most cost-effective option. Which option is best for you? And most importantly, which diabetes management option is best for your mental health? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I break down the mental health advantages and...
Nov 25, 2021•26 min•Ep. 63
Nothing makes people with T1D more anxious than the thought of having a low blood sugar during exercise. Exercise with T1D can feel like a big black hole. You never know what to expect. Anxiety about exercise makes some people stop before they even get started, and other people tread very lightly with physical activity when they would rather go all out. What if you were able to exercise with confidence? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, you'll find out how! My guest on this e...
Nov 18, 2021•25 min•Ep. 62
People reach out and ask all kinds of questions about T1D & mental health. I want to make sure my answers can reach as many folks as possible! So I decided to answer some of your questions on the latest episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. In this episode of my podcast, I answer YOUR questions about: ✔️ The relationship between T1D and anger ✔️ Why T1D burnout doesn't go away ✔️ How to accept that T1D is forever ✔️ What to do if you don't want support Follow The Diabetes Psychologis...
Nov 11, 2021•20 min•Ep. 61
Does T1D make you feel stuck? Does the stress of T1D hold you back and make it difficult for you to do what you want? It doesn't have to be this way! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I give you the five secrets to getting unstuck with T1D. This framework will help you move from feeling stuck to feeling free and flexible in your life with T1D. After listening to this episode, you'll see how even though T1D is stressful, you can have an easier time with it!. Follow The Diabete...
Nov 04, 2021•24 min•Ep. 60
If you are like many people, the stress of T1D holds you back. What would you do if the stress of T1D didn't get in your way? You can get unstuck with T1D - I promise! Before you can get unstuck, you have to believe you can do it. If you buy the common myths about what it takes to get unstuck with T1D, you'll never even try! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I help you dispel the FIVE most common myths about what it takes to get unstuck with T1D. Myth #1: Your blood sugars ha...
Oct 28, 2021•21 min•Ep. 59
When I ask someone why they are willing to work hard to manage diabetes, the answer is almost always 'I want to be healthy.' Wanting to be healthy is NOT a good enough reason! Managing T1D is a lot of work. If you are going to put in the effort, you need more than a vague reason. You need something that will keep you motivated right now. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I give you five steps to find the real reason you want to work to manage your diabetes. After listening to...
Oct 21, 2021•11 min•Ep. 58
This week marks ONE year of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. And what a year it's been! When I launched the podcast on October 15, 2020, I had no idea what to expect. I knew this podcast was something the T1D community needed, but I had no idea how big of an impact it would have. I have been reflecting on my biggest takeaways from putting out a new episode every week for the past year. My biggest surprise is how much I've learned about myself, diabetes, and about the diabetes community. I have...
Oct 14, 2021•23 min•Ep. 57
You are the captain of your diabetes care team, and you get to set the agenda with what you talk about at your appointments. With T1D, your emotional health matters just as much as your blood sugars, and you need to be able to talk to your endocrinologist about both! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I tell you how you can talk to your diabetes care team about your mental health needs. You'll learn helpful strategies you can use to set the agenda for your appointments so you ...
Oct 07, 2021•22 min•Ep. 56
Do you have a vision for your life? What do you want to be able to do in your life that you think you cannot do? How does T1D get in your way of achieving this vision? With T1D, we often talk about what we don't want rather than what we do want. You don't want to feel anxious. You don't want to feel burnt out. You don't want to have diabetes anymore. But where does getting rid of these feelings leave you? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I give you a 6-step process for ident...
Sep 30, 2021•23 min•Ep. 55
Type 1 diabetes should never be a do-it-yourself condition. We all need support to help us navigate the stress of living with T1D. Unless you live at a diabetes camp full time, you are around people who don't have T1D every day. Many of these people try hard to support you when T1D gets stressful. But what do you do to support them? And how can supporting your support system benefit you? This episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast is all about why it's critical to support the people in you...
Sep 23, 2021•21 min•Ep. 54
People with type 1 diabetes tend to be perfectionists. We don't like it when things do not go as planned. But if you live with T1D, you know that perfection is not always possible. When you set expectations for yourself around T1D that you can't meet, you set yourself up for failure. You not only get frustrated with yourself, but you also don't let yourself see how well you are actually doing. You get stuck thinking that no matter what you do, it won't be good enough. In this episode of The Diab...
Sep 16, 2021•21 min•Ep. 53
It's time to answer more of your questions on T1D & Mental health. Consider this your T1D & mental health audio advice column! I hope you find it helpful! On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I answer your questions about: Why T1D does not have to be your top priority How to deal with a fear of food with T1D Ways to take a 'break' from the stress of T1D Tips for overcoming T1D imposter syndrome Do you have questions that you want me to answer on a future diabetes & m...
Sep 09, 2021•17 min•Ep. 52
If you are like most people, you have a vague, stock answer that you always use to describe your emotional state with T1D. Fine. Tired. Burnout. But that does not tell the whole story about how you are doing. And it certainly doesn't do anything to help you improve your situation. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about how to do an inventory of your mental health with T1D. A mental health inventory looks at how you are doing in different areas of your life with T1D. Y...
Sep 02, 2021•21 min•Ep. 51
You are the chief executive officer (CEO) of your life with T1D. As the CEO, you get to define your mission and vision and decide on what short- and long-term strategies you want to use to get there. Being the CEO of your life with T1D is a lot of responsibility, but it also comes with some benefits. You get to call all the shots. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what it means to be the CEO of your life with T1D and the steps you can take to own this role. I loo...
Aug 26, 2021•23 min•Ep. 50
The decisions involved in managing T1D are complicated, and they go beyond the logistics of healthy eating and taking insulin. The choices you make about T1D do not live in a silo. Sometimes they involve making trade-offs between your blood sugars and living life the way you want to live it. How do you make these decisions? Without a system in place to make these decisions, it is easy to feel lost. These decisions become haphazard, based on your blood or whatever has the most immediate payoff. I...
Aug 19, 2021•24 min
Your questions about T1D and mental health keep pouring in! These questions are fantastic, and I want to make sure I can share the answers with all of you. That is why I am doing another episode answering YOUR questions. Consider this your T1D & mental health audio advice column! I hope you find it helpful! On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I answer your questions about: How a pump break can be good for your mental health Tips for accepting the fact that you have T1D How ...
Aug 12, 2021•23 min•Ep. 48
In Episode #44, I gave an overview of the three pillars of emotional health with T1D. You can listen to Episode #44 HERE . In Episode #45, I did a deep dive into pillar #1: Diabetes Eduction. You can listen to Episode #45 HERE . In Episode #46, I did a deep dive into pillar #2: Mindset. You can listen to Episode #46 HERE . In this episode, I do a deep dive into pillar #3: Behavior. Type 1 diabetes is an anxiety-provoking condition. And a lot of times, this fear gets in the way of taking action. ...
Aug 05, 2021•23 min•Ep. 47
In Episode #44, I gave an overview of the three pillars of emotional health with T1D. You can listen to that episode HERE . In this episode, I do a deep dive into pillar #2: Mindset. Your mindset matters with T1D. You may not be able to change anything about diabetes, but you can change how you approach, think about, and respond to whatever T1D throws your way. Changing your T1D mindset allows you to control how you experience life with diabetes. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podc...
Jul 29, 2021•22 min•Ep. 46
On Episode #44, I gave an overview of the three pillars of emotional health with T1D. You can listen to that episode HERE . On this episode, I do a deep dive into pillar #1: Diabetes Education. Diabetes education can have an enormous impact on your psychological well-being. If you don't understand T1D and how to manage it, you will feel lost and overwhelmed. Once you get steady on your feet with your diabetes, you will be in a much better place. On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podca...
Jul 22, 2021•22 min•Ep. 45
Most people think about emotional health with T1D in the wrong way. Emotional health does not mean never feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out with T1D. It means being able to handle these feelings and not let them get in your way. If you have challenging T1D-related emotions, but they don't get in your way, my guess is they won't bother you too much. What do you have to do to become emotionally healthy with T1D? On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I introduce the three ...
Jul 15, 2021•21 min•Ep. 44
Living with type 1 diabetes on your own is difficult enough. But what happens when you have T1D, and you also have a child with type 1 diabetes? My guest on this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast is Chelsea Lugone. Chelsea was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 23 years old, and she is a nurse practitioner caring for people with T1D. She has three children, two of whom have T1D. Chelsea talks about the challenges and the bright spots of having two children with T1D while livi...
Jul 08, 2021•29 min•Ep. 43
Restful sleep with T1D can be hard to come by. You wake up when your blood sugar is high. You wake up when your blood sugar is low. You may have trouble falling asleep because you are worried about high or low blood sugar in the middle of the night. And let's not even talk about the alerts and alarms that wake you up! You can sleep well with T1D, and you'll learn how on this episode of the podcast. My guest on this episode is Dr. Nancy Lin. Dr. Nancy is a psychologist who specializes in helping ...
Jul 01, 2021•24 min•Ep. 42
Do you have someone with type 1 diabetes who you look up to and admire? Someone who has done incredible things without letting T1D get in the way. We all need role models in our life. These are people who show you what is possible. People you can learn from and who you can use as models as you push beyond your limits with T1D. Your T1D role model may be someone you know, or it may be someone who you admire from afar. Either way, people who have done amazing things with T1D are an inspiration! My...
Jun 24, 2021•30 min•Ep. 41
