How To Talk To Friends And Family About Your Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most important pieces of your diabetes care plan involves surrounding yourself with good support. Your friends and family are likely your major social support system, and when you talk about type 2 diabetes with them, you set yourself up for success.

The people around you can either help you make healthy lifestyle changes to manage your type 2 diabetes or potentially make a healthy lifestyle difficult. While it’s common for people to feel awkward or embarrassed to admit they have type 2 diabetes, it is essential to be open and honest about it.

Your friends and family have your best interest at heart. As you talk about type 2 diabetes with them, you can together build an environment of support and care that will improve your health and prevent future complications.

How To Talk About Type 2 Diabetes

Your health care team knows: one of the best predictors of how well you control your diabetes is how much support you receive from your family and friends.

Managing your diabetes is a lifelong journey and something you will need to be on top of every day. Building a caring support system can relieve some of the mental and emotional burdens you may be feeling.

When you talk about type 2 diabetes with your loved ones, they can help you stay healthy and safe.

Here are some tips for how to talk about type 2 diabetes with your family and friends:

Start By Telling Your Closest Family

The more you talk about your type 2 diabetes, the easier it will become. Start by having honest conversations with the people closest to you who you know will be kind and caring. These could be your partner, children, parents, or best friends.

It’s Ok To Keep Some Information Private

There might be a few people you share everything with, but know that it’s ok to choose to keep some information to yourself.

Decide in advance what details you are happy to share and what feels personal. If you get asked a question that feels uncomfortable, politely say, “I’d rather not get into that.”

You are in charge of the conversation and only have to share the details that you are comfortable sharing.

Be Specific With How They Can Help

While you don’t have to go into every aspect of your care plan, let your family and friends know how they can best support you. This could include:

Taking walks or exercising with you
Not bringing sweets or junk food into the house
Helping you find stores and restaurants that provide diabetes appropriate options
Planning fun outings to help you de-stress and have fun
Cooking healthy meals together

Have Resources You Can Share

Some of your friends and family may have questions about type 2 diabetes. Arm yourself with good information sources you can share.

Here are some of the best websites for diabetes information:

And, of course, your diabetes care team is your best resource for quality information. If you feel comfortable, take a trusted friend or family member along to your next visit and get them involved in your diabetes care.

Diabetes Management Begins With Good Support

You don’t have to manage your diabetes alone. Your loved ones want to be there for you and help you feel your best.

When you talk about type 2 diabetes with friends and family, you are taking an important step in your diabetes journey. The more support you have, the easier it will be to care for yourself and prevent future complications.

Just as you would support and care for your loved ones, your friends and family can do the same for you. Be brave and share your diabetes journey with the important people in your life. Good support is key to diabetes management.

Tannen Graham