Friendships and Living with T1D
Lia Pirazzi, Type 1 Diabetic • January 29, 2021
TL;DR
Living with type 1 diabetes can create hidden social and emotional challenges, especially for kids and teens navigating friendships. This personal story explores how T1D can sometimes make relationships harder, but also reveals how true friendships are strengthened through understanding, support, and acceptance. With the right people around them, individuals with type 1 diabetes can feel seen for who they are—not just their diagnosis.
The Hidden Social Challenges of Living with T1D
Living with diabetes can be tough for many reasons: having to be more responsible, having many doctor’s appointments, always having to stay vigilant over BGs, and so much more. The complications don’t end there. It comes with hidden challenges, things that take time to realize are even happening and follow you throughout your life.
Friendships are one such challenge, especially for those in their pre/early teens. Because type one diabetes is no easy task to not only live with but to be around as well, friendships can struggle. Much of the time there will be people not willing or able to deal with the challenges of this disease. I think younger kids especially struggle because new friendships are often not strong enough to have a friend who is living with type 1 diabetes. The disease may ruin the connection that kids have with one another, just because someone is different. This is rarely done on purpose, even with kids, and a lot of the time it’s completely subconscious.
Why Some Friendships Grow Stronger Through T1D
There is a positive to all of this though: living with type one diabetes shows people what a good relationship can look like. It allows a stronger friendship to be formed and grow because when you find the people that will stick by your side no matter what, you know it’s real and authentic. Finding people in life that can be friends with someone impacted by t1d can be hard, but when you have type 1 diabetes I think a truer friendship can form. When you find friends that are by your side no matter what you are going through, you become more than your type 1 diabetes. With
the right support around you, t1d won’t define you as a person but rather it will become another small fact about you – like nothing more than a birthmark.
