Telling My Friends
Deciding whether and when to tell your friends about your diabetes is your own, very personal decision. It may depend on how close you are with certain friends, and how comfortable you feel talking about yourself around them.
Do you agree more with the statements in the Pro column or the Con one?
| Pro | Con |
|---|---|
| Talking about it makes it easier. | I don’t want people to treat me differently. |
| If my friends know they can help me if I’m hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic. | I don’t want people to see me testing my blood glucose or taking my medicine/insulin. |
| My friends will support me and my diabetes management. | I don’t know these friends well enough to know how well they would support me. |
| Diabetes management is tough. I need all the support and help I can get. | I can manage diabetes on my own. |
| People I know all have their own problems that are different than mine, but just as bad—if not worse. | I’m not sure whether others will understand what I’m going through. |
If you chose more pros than cons, than you probably feel confident enough to tell your close friends about your diabetes. If you chose more cons, it’s ok. You may want to wait until you’re more comfortable after having adjusted to living with diabetes for a while. When you’re ready to talk, here’s some advice on how to make it less of a big deal:
Letting the conversation happen
You don’t always have to make a big deal about telling your friends you have diabetes. Sometimes diabetes will just come up in conversation and provide you with a natural segue into talking about it. Someone might see your medical ID and ask you what it’s for. Or ask about your blood glucose meter. All you have to say in response is simply “I have diabetes.” Your friend will either ask you more questions about it or leave it at that.