Talking to a PWD 101
Tonight on the OzDOC chat (thanks again to Frank at type1writes.com for introducing me to this!) we were discussing diabetes and mental health. I'm very passionate about this and was really excited to talk about it. The chat was wonderful and some really great points were raised, but it got me thinking about how we can help non T1s around us to support us. I usually don't discuss my diabetes and mental health with anyone besides my parents, psychologist and very few close friends. It's a tricky topic and it often makes people uncomfortable because they simply don't know how to respond. Usually when someone comes to us with a concern, we are able to draw from our experiences to listen with empathy and act as a sounding board/support. But when you add in diabetes, people start looking like a deer caught in headlights. Suddenly the link that helps them develop empathy vanishes, and it becomes a very awkward experience. Here's some strategies that I would find comfo