It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 4 years since I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and about 7 years since I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Over those years I have heard a lot of negativity towards type 2 diabetes and often it has been directed right at me. The thing that gets me the most though is it’s not just by those who do not have the disease but a lot of the time it’s by people with type 1 diabetes which quite frankly has shocked me and made me feel less than a person sometimes.
Featured image by Mykenzie Johnson on Unsplash
That being said a lot of times the worst things do come from people who do not have diabetes or who do not know someone close to them that has diabetes and some of the things that some of us with type 2 diabetes(and honestly I am sure some people with type 1 get as well) hear is so annoying and ignorant and hurtful. As someone who has multiple family members with either type 1 or type 2 including both my parents, it frustrates me when people don’t take genetics into consideration as well as the many other factors involved. Not to mention that few other diseases carry the social stigma of diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes.
What Not To Say To Someone With Type 2 Diabetes
Here is a list of things not to say to someone with type 2 diabetes whether newly diagnosed or having been diagnosed for years!
It’s your own fault! Type 2 diabetes is preventable!
There is so much stigma, shame and blame around type 2 diabetes. Many of us are often accused of causing our disease and yes, in some instances type 2 diabetes may be preventable, but in many cases it’s hereditary and all you really can do is delay it since age and genetics play a huge part. Diabetes is such a complex disease and while no one with type 1 diabetes would have caused their disease, type 2 diabetes is not so straightforward as one might believe. If you would like to read a good article on the topic please read Stigma should not be a part of a diabetes diagnosis.
Should you be eating that?
When someone is diagnosed with diabetes (any type) we are generally given weeks, if not months, of diabetes education including how to take our medications and/or insulin, how to use a glucose monitor and also how, when and what to eat as well as being active and getting exercise. That being said there is no “diabetes diet” and we are encouraged to eat healthy and it does involve a lot of lifestyle changes typically unless we already eat the “right stuff”. Diabetes however does not mean that we can not enjoy the foods we love in moderation. Moderation being the key.
If you read [insert book title here] you’ll see that you can reverse your diabetes
While it is possible to go into remission with type 2 diabetes, meaning your blood sugar levels are healthy without having to take any medication, often people will tell you that if you follow this book or that diet that you can reverse your diabetes, which simply is just not true and provides a sense of false hope. People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes will always have diabetes. If you have type 1 no amount of control will cure it or reverse it. You simply do not produce insulin and will always have to take insulin.
People with type 2 diabetes typically do produce insulin however their bodies either do not make enough insulin or can not use the insulin produced efficiently, and the disease changes over time as well and some people with type 2 will stop producing insulin altogether and insulin will need to be taken no matter what (similar to type 1). If someone with type 2 diabetes does go into remission the chance of relapsing can be fairly high.
I could never have diabetes because I could never inject myself with a needle!
I am sure we all wish we could all say the same! I have even heard this from other type 2 diabetics in some of the Facebook groups I am in or people I know offline. Diabetes is not a choice though and if you have no other option believe me you will learn. I have to say I was one of these people myself and though I was able temporarily to get my diabetes under control enough that my doctor was comfortable taking me off of the insulin and leaving me only on pills this is something that can change over time and you may end up on insulin and if you have type 1, you have no other choice. You will die if you do not take insulin.
My [insert person here] had diabetes, [she/he] [died/lost a foot/etc]
Well, thanks. Just thanks. Yes, believe me, we know what can happen. It’s on our minds all the time. We know all to well the implications of not getting and keeping our disease under control and do not need this reminder. Don’t say this. Just don’t. We don’t need to hear it. We don’t.
Well, at least you can’t die from it
We can. Yes, we can. Hypoglycemia (also known as low blood sugar) is a serious medical emergency and requires prompt medical treatment or you can die. For those of us taking certain diabetic medications or insulin, hypoglycemia is an all to real threat. Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) can damage our bodies in the long run, but hypo (low blood sugar) is an immediate threat to our lives and can and has lead to death in diabetes of any type.
If caught quickly you can treat hypoglycemia with sugar tablets followed by a snack. Often though it may require hospitalization or even death if left untreated. One thing to note as well is typically when you get to this stage you can not treat yourself and are relying on those around you to help treat your hypoglycemia so it is important for your friends, family and co-workers to know what to do in the event of this happening. This is quite frightening when you think about it that your life could be in the hands of someone who may not even recognize what is going on never mind how to treat it.
Conclusion
If you don’t know much about any type of diabetes don’t be afraid to ask us to tell you more about it. A simple, “Oh I don’t know a lot about diabetes and the different types, can you tell me more?” is way better in the long run than saying something that comes off ignorant or rude or condescending. If you want to know more about diabetes you can find out more through Diabetes Canada or the America Diabetes Association.
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Thanks for a good informative post. Something that drives me crazy is all these people who come dragging with “if you follow diet x, read this book or use this magic super expensive product, it will solve all your problems” about all conditions out there, and think that EVERYTHING can be prevented with the right diet. My goodness, if life was that simple!!
I’m sorry for all the BS you have to listen to regarding your diabetes.
These days even I have to hear certain things regarding IBD. The increased health awareness could be a good thing, but people have just become weird and obsessed with certain ideas. Interestingly, some of these are the same people who ignore Covid-19 recommendations. 🙄
I do wish that life was that simple, don’t you! 😀 But you’re right it’s not and it annoys me when people think it is. I can imagine the things you here with IBD. I have IBS and hear them too sometimes. Not as much as with diabetes but still there is always someone touting something “miraculous” out there. And it’s true so many of them are the same people who ignore Vovid-19 recommendations and who push all these silly conspiracy theories etc.
I have reactive hypoglycaemia, so I’m now at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes myself. I’ve been getting the one “should you be eating that” comments lately, which was weird. To be honest, I’m wondering if developing type 2 diabetes will get rid of my reactive hypoglycaemia, as I can’t stand the constant hypos
I am sorry to hear that your reactive hypoglycemia puts you at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Are you pre-diabetic? From my understanding, reactive hypoglycemia can happen to both those with and without diabetes and would not necessarily stop if you were to develop type 2 diabetes. I will occasionally get it followed after by going to high almost like a delay in going high after eating with a period of going lower first. Then there is always regular hypoglycemia that can happen when you are fasting or wait too long to eat. I am having an issue with that at the moment as well as something called Dawn Phenomena where my sugar is exactly where I want it to be before bed but in the middle of the night I go low (often without waking – I see it after I wake up on my libre) which is something a lot of people with diabetes (type 1 & 2 anyway, not sure about gestational or any other type). It’s a crazy balancing act sometimes!
I am not close to anyone who has never had type 2 diabetes tbh, only type 1, but wow I can’t believe that anyone would never say most of this and feel like it is somehow okay. I don’t know maybe because I am overweight and have heard similar things because of my weight, idk but I feel like this should be common sense. It reminds me of after I went vegan, I had been drinking diet coke, and someone who I had been working with when on a campaign to enlightment me how diet coke was going to kill me faster than regular coke and I should have never switched to diet to be healthier. I tried to explain which I shouldn’t have to that my choice was based on taste, and that the sugar in regular coke made my stomach unhappy. I explained that when my co-worker the same one shaming me was eating 2 big mac meals, an apple pie from mcds, and 2 either fish or chicken sandwich before buying more food.
I can’t really say I am surprised by some of the things that people say to each other and sometimes you’re just left wondering how and why anyone can say something so mean to someone 😡 I try my best to keep my opinions to myself unless I am asked for them (or if I am blogging) and even then I choose what I say carefully. I have always been one to think for a moment though before talking. The worst though is when people try to shame you for something as you said. Makes me so mad and annoyed.
My mom has type 2 I believe. She’s lucky and doesn’t have to take insulin.
It’s sad how rude people can be about these things. Try not to let it bother you.
That’s what I have too. I used to take insulin when I was first diagnosed, but haven’t for a few years. thanks for the comment I try not too 🙂
Sorry it took me so long to comment! I will change your blog link asap!
I know a few people with type 2 diabetes and they have told me about comments like this. I am guilty of having made some of these comments myself prior to them educating me. Sorry you have to deal with people saying those things!
I was tested for diabetes many times because I experience extreme episodes of low blood sugar. The doctors came to the conclusion that I have Hypoglycemia, which is extremely difficult to prove through tests and is rare to exist without diabetes. I have passed out from it in the past and used to cry and shake when I was a kid from it. I imagine having actual diabetes is much more challenging and people making ignorant comments certainly doesn’t help!
No worries! 🙂 Education is the key to stopping comments like this, sure some people are just mean and will do it anyway, but most people, like you said, just don’t understand and stop saying things once they do. Having hypoglycemia on its own must be challenging and frustrating! I hate the feeling when I am low! It’s so scary! I’m sorry you have to go through that. It sucks.
Diabetes runs in my family – on my moms side – my great-grandmother, my grandmother, my grandfather. I just can’t believe people still say these things to others. I’m actually very shocked at the fact that people don’t understand it is something you can die from. I hope a lot of people read your post so they can become a bit more educated on diabetes.
Thanks, I hope so too. Both my parents have type 2 and my grandmother on my dads side as well. I think your right I think a lotof people just don’t understand and also look at it as something We did to ourselves, which sometimes can be the case, but not always.
When I was diagnosed my doctors were very careful not to blame me or my diet. Something that has changed a lot over the years. Having lost my dad to diabetes, it is always hard when people mention lost libs or act like you can’t die from it. I have a constant reminder and live in a lot of fear from it. It depends on how you bring it up for me though, because I know many are just trying to empathize. Same with my food choices. There is a fine line between being helpful and caring about someone, or just being overly critical. I enjoy some cheat days and my diet is between me, my doctors and dietitians. All who agree that the more you deny yourself, the more difficult it will be to maintain a diet.
My doctors and dietitian all say the same. They encourage me to follow my diet, however they also understand that sometimes you need to not completely deny yourself in order to be able to maintain a diet. Both my parents are diabetic (type 2) and it concerns me when they don’t always take care of themselves, however I don’t always either. My doctors also were careful not to blame me or my diet. Some other people were not so careful though and it really hurt.