On this episode , I talk to Ceri about his journey with T1D over the past year. He talks about how his diagnosis last summer rocked his world and what he did to arrive where he is now—a place of freedom where he can live his life on his terms, and not on diabetes' terms. If you haven't read Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It , grab your eBook or paperback copy here. https://www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book Join the Conquer Your Fear of Low Blood Sugar Program HERE ....
May 02, 2024•30 min
On this episode I dive into my philosophy on T1D + mental health. I talk about why this seemingly counterintuitive approach to dealing with the stress of diabetes works so well, and how you can start using it in your life. If you haven't read Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It , grab your eBook or paperback copy here. https://www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book...
Apr 25, 2024•24 min
On this episode, I reflect on the 2-year anniversary of the release of my book, Diabetes Sucks, and You Can Handle It . I talk about how the book came about, the impact it has had on people with T1D, my favorite part of the book, and my biggest takeaway. If you haven't read Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It , grab your eBook or paperback copy here. https://www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book ...
Apr 18, 2024•21 min
My guest on this episode is Ginger Vieira, and she just wrote a new book called Stop Overtreating During Low Blood Sugar with Diabetes . We talk about all things low blood sugar. Ginger gives us some great tips on what you can do to avoid overtreating your lows, even if you feel like you're out of control. You can find Ginger's new book HERE You can connect with Ginger on Youtube and on Instagram Are you ready to break free from the fear of low blood sugar and take back your life? Join the next ...
Apr 11, 2024•30 min
Sometimes, the best advice I can give to someone for their mental health is "take off your CGM." My CGM makes me feel safe and secure. I like knowing that I'll get an alert if my blood sugar is falling fast. But I also don't look at it very often. I trust my CGM to do its job without micromanaging it. For other people (maybe you?), all the info you get from your CGM consumes you. You can't focus on the things that are important to you because you are paying SO MUCH attention to your blood sugars...
Apr 04, 2024•22 min
How do you regain control of your T1D management and mental health when setbacks happen? In this episode , I talk about how setbacks are a normal part of your mental health journey with T1D and give you some practical tips you can use to get back on track when you experience a setback (and you will!).
Mar 28, 2024•19 min
Mar 21, 2024•15 min
My guess is you do a lot of things to keep yourself "safe" in your life with T1D. At least, you think these things keep you safe. Things like... Checking your CGM every 5 minutes Reducing your bolus for your food when you feel uncomfortable Treating "low" blood sugars that are not really low, just to be on the safe side In this episode, I dive into safety behaviors for people with T1D. I talk about how to determine if your behaviors are actually keeping you safe or if they are keeping you stuck ...
Mar 14, 2024•17 min
There is one thing that I know for sure. If you are closed off the possibility that life with T1D can get easier, it's never going to get easier. Being open to the possibility of change greatly increases the likelihood of it happening. In this episode, I talk about what it means to be open to the possibility that things can get easier in your life with T1D. I explain why your mindset matters and I give you some strategies that you can use to change your thinking to be open to things that you may...
Mar 07, 2024•19 min
One question I always ask the people I work with is "What does success look like for you?". Their answer is almost always "I don't want to feel (insert negative emotion) anymore. The challenge here is that it's almost impossible to stop feeling one emotion without stopping feeling many, if not all, of your emotions. I try to challenge people—and I want to challenge you—to reframe what success looks like for you. Shifting your perspective to value progress over perfection can lead to a more fulfi...
Feb 29, 2024•17 min
With your mental health with T1D, avoidance doesn't work. In fact, when you avoid our negative emotions, it keeps you stuck in these emotions and you get the exact opposite results that you were hoping for. n this episode of the podcast, I talk all about avoidance and how it's the wrong strategy to break free from the stress of diabetes. You’ll learn why it's natural to avoid uncomfortable emotions, but also how this avoidance is counterproductive to living free with T1D. Ready to conquer your f...
Feb 22, 2024•20 min
You are going to have setbacks in your mental health journey with T1D. As much as I wish that you won’t, the path to emotional health is never a straight line. Expect there to be bumps along the road. The issue isn’t experiencing setbacks; it’s about being prepared for them and recognizing the progress you’ve made when facing setbacks. In reality, the path to emotional health with T1D is a lifelong journey; it’s not a destination. Setbacks in your mental health with T1D are an important part of ...
Feb 15, 2024•17 min
Most of the folks I talk to feel like a prisoner of their blood sugars. They feel their glucose numbers dictate what they can and can't do, and they tell me they feel trapped—and like there's nothing they can do about it. It's true that managing T1D can feel overwhelming, and sometimes, your blood sugars do hold you back. But, do they have to hold you back all the time? I know that they DON'T! How can you break free from being a Blood Sugar Prisoner and transform into a LiveFree Warrior? That's ...
Feb 08, 2024•16 min
Raise your hand if you ever over-treat your low blood sugars! 🙋♂️ If you tell me that you don’t, you either have a tremendous amount of self-control, or you’re lying! Your brain is telling your body “I need food or else…” and it’s really hard (sometimes even impossible) not to over-treat. But you know that when you eat the entire refrigerator when your glucose is low, you usually skyrocket your blood sugar and end up on a rollercoaster. 🎢 And we all know that never feels good. But what can yo...
Feb 01, 2024•17 min
Your emotions about T1D play a important role in your life, but here’s a surprising revelation… Their role is NOT to tell you facts. 😮 Emotions are designed to keep you safe, even if it means believing things that aren’t entirely true. The good news is, if your emotions aren’t facts, they don’t have to control your life! 🎉 In this week’s episode of the LiveFree with T1D Podcast, I talk about the role your emotions should play in your life with T1D. You’ll discover that when you see emotion...
Jan 25, 2024•17 min
Life with T1D can be demanding, testing our patience and resilience in ways that many others might not fully understand. It's a journey filled with ups and downs, and it's easy to focus on the challenges. However, I want to invite you to shift your perspective and consider the incredible growth that can emerge from these challenges. You see, a growth mindset is all about believing in your ability to develop and improve. It's about understanding that challenges and setbacks are opportunities for ...
Jan 18, 2024•20 min
How motivated are you to manage your blood sugars? I'm sure you know that motivation is a tricky thing. It isn't possible to just snap your fingers and have motivation appear out of thin air. And even if you feel motivated to manage your diabetes one minute, it's not uncommon for that motivation to disappear the next. While motivation can be fleeting, there's another tool in our arsenal – discipline. Discipline is the unwavering commitment to show up, work hard, and make the right choices every ...
Jan 11, 2024•17 min
Instead of setting “resolutions” for 2024, I decided to set T1D + mental health intentions for myself — and I want to encourage you to do the same thing for yourself. We all want to be more free and flexible in our lives with T1D, and this requires being intentional in how we think about and interact with our diabetes. My intentions for 2024 are: Focus on the big picture. Don’t get caught up in my negative stories about T1D. Ask for help when I need it. Do hard things. Practice self-compassion. ...
Jan 04, 2024•19 min
Low blood sugar sucks for many reasons. Of course, it makes your body feel pretty awful, but it also brings up some really uncomfortable emotions. The other day, I was talking to someone about low blood sugar, and a light bulb came on for them. 💡 They realized that they were actually more scared of the feeling of being scared than they were of going low. They knew they could bring up their blood sugar. However, they were unsure if they’d be able to handle their own fear. Uncomfortable emotions ...
Dec 28, 2023•22 min
Dec 21, 2023•21 min
Learning to sit with discomfort is a skill that can be learned, and over the next couple of weeks on ths podcast, I'm going to teach you how. I'll start by sharing a simple, five-word trick to help you deal with annoying and uncomfortable thoughts about T1D. To discover what these five words are, and how you can use them to your advantage, tune in to the latest episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast. In this week's episode, I discuss the importance of learning to tolerate unhelpful thoughts, e...
Dec 14, 2023•23 min
Being aware of when it's particularly important to be mindful of your emotional health can empower you to act proactively. Here are three key times when you should pay special attention to your emotions and mindset: When starting a new treatment During the holiday season Whenever your stress level is generally high In this episode I talk more about each of these scenarios and give you examples from my own life about why it's been important to take time out when these situations come up....
Dec 06, 2023•15 min
My goal is to make sure that you're set up for success with your mental health around T1D, especially if you are dealing with a fear of low blood sugar. To do this, it's helpful to look at the top 3 mistakes you're probably making to deal with your fear of lows: You define success as getting rid of your fear: It makes sense, right? You want your fear to go away. But what if, instead, you focused on doing the things your fear stops you from doing? You overthink and over plan: Your goal is to thin...
Nov 30, 2023•14 min
Is it possible to be thankful for diabetes? I believe the answer is yes. But to be thankful for diabetes means holding two opposing concepts in your mind at the same time - gratitude and T1D. Imagine for a moment: If you didn’t have T1D, what would you not have that you have because you have T1D? On this Thanksgiving episode of the LiveFree with T1D Podcast, I’ll dive into this question and consider the possibilities. Remember, being thankful for diabetes doesn’t mean you want to have it, and yo...
Nov 23, 2023•10 min
The blood Sugar Cycle of Avoidance is a common pattern for people with T1D, and it might be holding you back. The cycle often starts with a simple decision, like turning down an invitation due to the fear of low blood sugar. But this avoidance can snowball, causing you to miss out on more activities and experiences. Why is it a big deal? It limits your life, keeps you stuck in your comfort zone, and your brain, trying to keep you safe, only makes it worse. But here’s the good news: You can break...
Nov 16, 2023•17 min
You may be wondering if you have a fear of low blood sugar. Today I want to give you THREE signs that you may be experiencing a fear of lows. Sign #1: You Under-Bolus You take less insulin to cover the carbs you eat because you worry about what might happen in your blood sugar drops low. Sign #2: You Stay in Exercise Mode All the Time You feel safe(r) when the target blood sugar on your pump is on the higher side. Sign #3: You Avoid Activities You would rather stay away from activities you enjoy...
Nov 09, 2023•19 min
There’s no way around it: low blood sugars are no fun. Actually, to put it more accurately, low blood sugar SUCKS. But the question always arises—what can you do to deal with lows when you have them, without letting them get in the way of your diabetes management or your life? It’s something I often think about, and I’ve been considering it even more over the past month, as I’ve had my fair share of lows. In this episode, I dive into my diabetes management journey during October 2023, including ...
Nov 02, 2023•19 min
My guest on this episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast is Falyn. Not only does she live with T1D, but her three-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed as well. In this episode, I coach Falyn on how to let go of her beliefs about her own diabetes so she can be there for her daughter. Sign up now to get your FREE daily T1D + Mental Health tip! www.thediabetespsychologist.com/tip Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It can now be purchased on my website, www.thediabetespsychologist.com/book . Fol...
Oct 26, 2023•27 min
What if it was possible not only to experience joy but to live a joyful life with T1D? I believe it's possible and I want to show you how. On this episode of the LiveFree with T1D podcast, I talk all about joy and how you can experience joy, even with T1D is challenging. I give you some tools and strategies you can use to intentionally find joy in your life with T1D, and I invite you to a special event I am hosting next week on joy. ReImagine T1D is on October 26, 2023. Click HERE to register no...
Oct 19, 2023•17 min
When was your last appointment with your endocrinologist? Did you feel that your doctor allowed you to set the agenda for the appointment and genuinely listened to your concerns? While there’s no excuse for a subpar diabetes care team, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. With a little advocacy and asserting your own agenda, it’s possible to ensure your needs are met by your endocrinologist. Laura’s daughter was diagnosed with T1D in 2020, and since then, they’ve encountered challenges in gett...
Oct 12, 2023•29 min
