Diabetes Support is Crucial!
Do you feel alone with Diabetes?
Do you feel as if it is you against the world? You are not alone! Many people feel isolated and alone with a diagnosis of diabetes. “People who don’t have diabetes just don’t understand.” There are many resources for learning and support for Diabetes.
There are 3 main types of support for diabetes.
1. Professionals (Diabetes Health Care team)
2. Family and Friends
3. Peer Mentoring
4. Peer Support
This blog is going to focus in on peer support. What is peer support?
Peer support in diabetes is where people with diabetes assist each other using their own experience to help each other.
Do you know or interact with other people with diabetes? Peer support is one of the best kinds of support. Diabetes is a complex, chronic disease which is 24/7. A person with diabetes really “gets” diabetes. It’s reassuring to know you are not alone.
There are friends, family and your health care team who can be incredible support. This support is unique because you each know how it is to live with diabetes.
Reasons why to connect with a peer support or peer support communities:
· Give and get support.
· Offer insights and tips on managing diabetes.
· Share information such as recipes and how to manage a particular concern or problem.
· Share challenges and stresses.
· Be a referral and get referrals on how to learn more about diabetes research, technologies, treatments and other aspects of diabetes.
· Connect with a particular community in the same stage of life with diabetes you are in, Examples: College, new to diabetes, diabetes and women, diabetes and men, retirement, etc.
· Cohesiveness to advocate for Diabetes concerns and causes.
The amount of time a person with diabetes spends with a health professional is usually only a few times a year. With friends or family, the support is often social support.
A few resources for Peer support communities in-person and on-line:
https://community.diabetes.org/discuss
CDC Diabetes on Facebook
https://www.carenity.us/join/diabetes-type2
At Patients Like Me, no one is alone. No matter where you are on your health journey, you’ll find a safe place to ask questions, find answers from others who have gone before you, and thrive in a community of people who are helping each other live their best every day.
Research shows that people who participate in peer programs generally receive informational support through sharing experiences and seeing how others manage diabetes; emotional support, which provides encouragement and a decreased sense of isolation; and mutual support through giving and receiving help. https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/about-diabetes/diabetes-basics/peer-support-education-and-mentoring/
What kind of support do you find most helpful?
Connect with someone else who shares Diabetes just like you!