January 25, 2020
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As Canada continues to break its silence on the discussion around mental illness, this #BellLetsTalk Day we thought it was important to shed light on the power and resilience of the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community, who navigates the emotional challenges of living with a disease that has no cure, every day.
This past November, we launched an awareness campaign for National Diabetes Awareness Month called Dear Type 1™. We asked the community to write an open letter to their disease, and the responses we received were overwhelming. As we riffled through hundreds of entries, we learned of the struggles and emotional burdens you face on a day-to-day basis, either as someone living with the disease, or as a friend or family member of someone living with T1D. Some called their diabetes names — cursing its existence — while others explained how they turned their adversity into strength and motivation, in order to live a healthier life.
Type 1 diabetes is a disease that requires 24/hour attention, constant check-ins with your physical and mental self, poking and prodding and so much more — resulting in high levels of anxiety, which can also lead to depression.
#BellLetsTalkDay is a day dedicated to breaking down the stigma that comes with mental illness, and we wanted to share some of the #DearType1 stories that spell out the emotional burden of living with this disease in such a raw and honest way.
We thank those of you who took the time to submit your letters, helping us raise awareness, break down some of the misconceptions often associated with T1D and drive action in mental health and T1D. Your candid insights and honest thoughts about this disease are what makes us work harder for a cure every day.
Until we find that cure, we will continue to advocate for you and fuel leading-edge research to create a world where everyone touched by T1D can live healthier, safer and easier lives.
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This #BellLetsTalk Day, help fight the stigma, reach out to friends and family and offer your support…
Are you newly diagnosed and struggling with how to manage it all? JDRF offers programs that connect you with the T1D community to find emotional support and helpful resources to tackle the daily challenges of living with type 1
Learn more about it here.
