I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) around the age of 5 and have been constantly fighting this chronic illness for about 21 years. The constant ongoing daily battle with T1D is not only physically exhausting but it can also mentally draining.
As a mental health professional and on a personal level, I understand that there's a correlation between individuals living with chronic illness and being at a higher risk for mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, and OCD just to name a few. There are many factors that contribute to mental health risk. The truth is that being diagnosed with a chronic illness is life-changing, for some there is grieving their old life and trying to transition into their new more difficult one. Both chronic illnesses and mental health illnesses such as T1D and anxiety are also known as "invisible disease" since there's no physical "tell" letting the world know that you don't feel well. This can leave you feeling misunderstood and alone.
This has inspired me to successfully graduate with a Masters in Social Work and become a licensed social worker. As a social worker, I focus on helping those suffering with mental, chronic, and terminal illnesses make it through the toughest days, and realize that they are much more than just their diagnosis. My everyday work allows me to remind myself and others the importance of staying strong and fighting through all of the challenges to come! In the past years I have realized that with all the highs and lows, sometimes you just gotta laugh and be grateful for insulin, juiceboxes, water, and your support system.
Why Write A Blog?
I know how it feels when a client says that I can't truly understand what they are going through. Everyone's experience is different but that feeling, the feeling of being alone, is the same. Living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for almost 21 years, I'm quite aware of that feeling that no one truly understands what you are going through; or that was at least what I thought for most of those 21 years. In the past 5 years, i found social media groups that had thousands of type 1 diabetics all sharing their own stories, sharing that same feeling. That's when I started to not just understand, but also feel that I'm not alone, even when I thought I was. Within those 5 years Social Work found me, I knew that that is what I was meant to do. As a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) I have the opportunity to empower others and help others not feel so alone at their lowest points. That's why I decided to write this blog. Sometimes sharing personal stories can help others realize that they are not alone; that even if our situation differs whether it's living with a chronic illness or living with depression, that sentiment of isolation is the same. Writing this blog is an outlet to allow me to combine my passion of social work and my goal to at least make one reader feel like they are not alone.
In this blog, I will be sharing insight on topics relating to both Type 1 Diabetes and Mental Health. These topics include discussions on mindset, positive thinking, importance of support, letting loved ones in, living gluten free, and many more daily challenges that are faced. If you have a question regarding a topic you would like to see discussed please feel free to leave me a comment using the contact me page!