May 14, 2013
Diabetes Co-Stars
Newly diagnosed T1D (and well-loved actress) Elizabeth Perkins stars in this captivating documentary about the importance of a support system for those living with diabetes. Please take a moment to watch this and share it with your friends! When the documentary passes 10,000 views, The Diabetes Hands Foundation will receive a second $10,000 donation from Sanofi matching the first $10,000 they gave last year when the casting call for the documentary was announced!
May 6, 2013
Our Hero: Ginger Vieira
Certified Cognitive Coach, Personal Trainer, and record-setting Powerlifter, Ginger Vieira knows A LOT about Diabetes and exercise. Why? Because she is a type 1 diabetic herself. We have never read such honest and helpful information that WE CAN ACTUALLY USE to improve our relationship with food, exercise and diabetes acceptance. For a taste of Ginger's excellent and detailed advice, check out this article on how to treat your low blood sugars without it turning into a binge.
Ginger has also written two wonderful books on living well and living strong with T1D: Your Diabetes Experiment and Emotional Eating with Diabetes. We love all of the helpful information in both of these books and highly recommend them for any T1D who is searching for more balance in their BGs while living an active life. Gaining emotional acceptance of living with T1D and finding a healthy relationship with food isn't easy, but reading these two books certainly gives you a head start!
Want more? Ginger's website, living-in-progress.com, has great blog entries that range from her personal experiences in living daily with T1D, to features on other inspiring T1D athletes. Ginger also coaches people with health challenges of any kind, including: building healthier coping skills, nutrition and exercise habits, overcoming emotional eating, and rebuilding self-esteem. If you're interested in creating changes in your life and the way you view yourself and your diabetes, contact Ginger Vieira for a free, confidential, 30-minute consult by emailing ginger@living-in-progress.com.
May 3, 2013
Kayla Rachlin Small: "Assumptions and Cultural Norms"
A couple weeks ago I clicked on a link that read "Anne Hathaway's 'Pregnancy' Sign Is More Than the Usual Baby Bump." The article that I found began with the acknowledgement that any time a celebrity wears something oversize or shows a little bloat, pregnancy rumors begin to swirl. But in the case of Anne Hathaway, the article continued, there was a more reliable sign. "Anne was spotted strolling with her husband, Adam Shulman, in Los Angeles--and she sported a pink bandage around her arm, which means she most likely had blood drawn. Now, she could have just been giving blood I suppose. But since she doesn't look sick, there's another reason she may have had blood drawn and, of course, that's because maybe she BE BABY BUMPIN."
I have moments when I'm reminded just how far removed chronic illness is from the minds of the general public. This was one of them. I'm a woman around Hathaway's age who has more than one chronic illness. I had blood drawn last Wednesday. I had blood drawn today. I got a phone call a few hours ago asking me to come back in a week for a repeat test. If this author's ignorance is any indication, then there are people out there who believe the only reason a young woman would have blood drawn is a) she's pregnant, b) she has some sort of acute, visible illness or c) she has donated blood. Cultural norms tell us that chronic illness is abnormal and inconsistent with youth. The contrasting idea--that a young, healthy-looking woman could also have a disease or other medical issue that requires a blood test--falls outside the bounds of many imaginations.
What experiences have you, our readers, had where people have assumed things about you based on misinformation, ignorance, or basing their opinion purely on observation vs knowing the facts?
April 29, 2013
How to talk to your parents about your eating disorder.
While We Are Diabetes already offers a helpful "how to communicate" section on our website, we are always searching for more resources on this topic because it can be one of the most difficult conversations to have with a loved one; both for those who are struggling and for those who worry about that their loved ones may be suffering. This is an excellent article that addresses the sensitive subject of sharing your eating disorder struggles with your family. Jacquelyn Ekern and Crystal Karges (the powerhouse team over at Eating Disorder Hope) offer some great advice and wisdom: "The bright and hopeful prospects of your future will remain undiscovered while you dwell in the shadows of an eating disorder, but in reaching out for help, you are taking back your life and your future."
WAD offers a basic script that can be tailored to fit any individual's needs and circumstances to use as a guideline for this conversation. Please contact us at inf...@wearediabetes.org if you would like a copy, or if you need any kind of help strategizing the best way to have this conversation with your parents or loved ones.
April 22, 2013
Children's Congress 2013
Every two years, JDRF International Chairman Mary Tyler Moore, and over a hundred children with type 1 diabetes, gather in Washington, D. C. to meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. government. The children, ages 4 to 17, represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As participants in JDRF's Children's Congress, they have a unique and empowering opportunity to help members of Congress understand what life with type 1 diabetes is like and why research to find the cure for diabetes and its complications is so critical. Children's Congress will take place on July 8-10, 2013 in Washington, D.C.
One of our WAD Community Members, Kathlin, is proud to share that her daughter Emmalyne is one of the 2013 Children's Congress delegates for Virginia! We invite you to watch both of their stories here: http://youtu.be/TSnYg4g0awM. We are so proud of both of them!
April 16, 2013
Jamie Lindell: The Psychology of Illness
This is a fantastic article that addresses many of the physical and emotional obstacles that someone living with a chronic illness (like Type 1 Diabetes) must face. Thank you Jamie Lindell for contacting We Are Diabetes and sharing your publication with our community!
April 8, 2013
Dr. Bev's books!
We Are Diabetes (more specifically our founder, Asha) recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Beverly Adler, PhD, CDE. Known as "Dr. Bev" to her patients, she specializes in treating the emotional issues of living with diabetes. Dr. Bev is uniquely qualified to treat patients with diabetes, as she has had Type 1 diabetes for the past 37 years! We could go on and on about all the cool stuff Dr. Bev does, but we figured you could also just check out her website and read more about her work at askdrbev.com.
We have also added Dr. Bev's two books to our Resources page and we highly recommend them for anyone living with T1D! "My Sweet Life: Successful Woman with Diabetes" and "My Sweet Life: Successful Men with Diabetes" are both collections of stories from diabetic women and men who share their insights and inspiration of living "the sweet life" with this chronic illness. Check them out!
April 2, 2013
Recovery is just a shot away!
We Are Diabetes is excited to announce a wonderful new resource available for any type 1 diabetic who may be struggling with an eating disorder. DieOrBeatThis was recently founded by our good friend Emilee Wilson in Canada! Please take some time to check out this great site; it's full of wonderful information, support and inspiration! We fully support the amazing work of Emilee and her organization and are proud to recognize DieOrBeatThis as an official WAD Partner in the fight to spread awareness and support to those who are struggling!
March 21, 2013
We Like These Guys: O'Connor Professional Group
The O'Connor Professional Group (OPG) team helps individuals and families navigate options in the behavioral health field, including addiction, mental health and eating disorders. If you are trying to figure out which inpatient setting would be the best match for a loved one, if you need help getting someone into treatment or are interested in aftercare services post-treatment, O'Connor Professional Group can be a resource to you and/or your family.
O'Connor Professional Group offers the following services across the country: family coaching, consulting, intervention and live-in companions. In the Northeast, O'Connor Professional Group can coordinate a team of clinical professionals, provide meal supervision and support, recovery coaching and transitional services to home, work or school (eg. support with grocery and clothes shopping). All services are private pay. O'Connor Professional Group was founded to help coordinate appropriate treatment services, create long-term recovery plans for the person struggling with a behavioral health issue and his or her family system, and create better health outcomes.
March 19, 2013
Invitation to participate in research about Diabulimia!
Please read Cathy's invitation to share your story. We need more information out there about Diabulimia and the struggles that T1D's experience. This is one of the best ways to make that happen!
My name is Cathy Siddiqi, M.A., and I'm a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, Orange County. I am seeking participants willing to be interviewed about their experience with type 1 diabetes and insulin restriction/omission. This is part of my doctoral project, a qualitative study on the common reasons women with type 1 diabetes restrict or omit insulin.
To be eligible to participate, you must be a female with type 1 diabetes who is over the age of 18. Participants must have restricted or omitted insulin at least 5 times during a 6-month period. Participating in the research involves a 60-90 minute interview. If you are near the Los Angeles, CA area, I will try to meet with you in person. If not, we can arrange to talk via Skype. A $5 donation will be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for every individual who participates in the study.
If you're interested in participating in this study, or able to forward this message to others who may be interested in participating, it would be appreciated. Please feel free to contact me at cathysiddiqi@gmail.com or at 657-464-7836. Thanks for your assistance!
Regards,
Cathy Siddiqi, M.A.
March 15, 2013
New recovery resource and one amazing woman!
Inner Door Center® is a Joint Commission Accredited and Licensed Partial Hospitalization Program that treats eating disorders across the spectrum including Anorexia, Bulimia, Compulsive Overeating and Diabulimia, while interweaving traditional and holistic modalities. We Are Diabetes has been praising the benefits and the importance of yoga for Type 1 diabetics who struggle with eating disorder issues (and actually, just all T1D's in general) for years so we are very excited to feature Inner Door Center® as one of our highly recommended programs in our Recovery section!
But wait, there's more! We want to shout this next part from the rooftops!
Who better to treat a Type 1 diabetic than other diabetics? At Inner Door Center®, Type 1 diabetics who are seeking treatment have the opportunity to work with two insulin dependant diabetics on staff! Both the Program Coordinator and the Yoga Therapist have Type 1 diabetes and can relate to those who suffer from diabulimia or diabetes burnout in a way that only another fellow Type 1 can understand.
This amazing facility was founded by Beverly Price who is a nationally renowned Registered Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist, Registered Yoga Teacher and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. Beverly is recognized for her innovative approach to mindfulness-based eating disorder recovery using yoga therapeutics as a tool. She is an author, newspaper columnist and national presenter. Beverly is featured regularly on local and national television, newspaper, online and in print and has also developed a very helpful DVD to help those who may be struggling with body image, stress, or eating disorder behaviors. To see a preview of the Reconnect with Food® DVD, click here. You can also read more about Beverly and the Reconnect with Food® program at the Inner Door Center® by clicking here.
March 13, 2013
Thank you!
The past few days have been nothing less than incredible; borderline unbelievable. The wonderful article that ABC News published last week has, for lack of a better phrase, placed this tiny organization's thumbtack on the map. From the community support, the open hearts and kind words, the desire to help We Are Diabetes in whatever way a person can, to especially the individuals who decided now was finally the time to try stepping out from behind their struggles. It has been the best kind of overwhelming.
We Are Diabetes would just like to say thank you.
Overflowing with gratitude,
Asha and Erin
March 11, 2013
ABC News features Erin Williams and We Are Diabetes.
Last Friday, ABC News published an excellent article focused on Diabulimia. It featured numerous important individuals from the diabetes healthcare industry, as well as our very own Erin Williams! Erin tells her story of frustration, struggle and ultimately her successful road to recovery. This article does a wonderful job of not only telling Erin's journey, but in outlining a lot of the "whats" and "whys" of this difficult to understand, difficult to explain eating disorder.
"Diabulimia can be terrifyingly easy to hide. Williams could eat as much as she wanted and lose weight. Her other symptoms of fatigue and irritability could be explained as the normal behavior of a teenager."
"Another problem is that common eating disorder treatments can conflict with basic diabetes care. For example diabetic patients have to pay careful attention to what they eat and how their body reacts to food, while eating disorder patients are encouraged to ignore food labels."
Please, please read and share this article with anyone you think may be struggling. Help us spread the much needed awareness that people struggling with Diabulimia need.
March 4, 2013
Theravive! We like this!
Theravive offers a great search engine for finding therapists available in your specific location. Theravive is a network of licensed and professional counselors, therapists and psychologists who uphold clear values in counseling. The therapists featured on this site specialize in every form of counseling, including anxiety, trauma/PTSD, depression, families, relationships, career, addictions, children and eating disorders. We Are Diabetes decided to give it a try and we have been very happy with the results!
February 28, 2013
Let the Healing Begin: Hynes Recovery Services
ANAD's website has some sobering statistics about students who suffer from eating disorder behaviors. Teenagers and college students are highly susceptible to the body image crisis our nation is facing, and the parents and loved ones of the student who may be struggling with an eating disorder are often frustrated at how to approach their concerns. How do you instigate one of the hardest conversations imaginable with someone you love so dearly? How do you find the right doctors and facilities to help your loved one? What if they won't agree to get help?
Hynes Recovery Services is an organization dedicated to supporting students who may be struggling with body image and/or eating concerns and providing guidance and support to their families. "We work very closely with these students, their families and current providers in order to ensure that they are receiving the most appropriate treatment available, based on their current medical and/or psychological issues. In addition, HRS is also available to provide the guidance needed for those individuals in the following critical areas: transitioning between home and their campus setting, as well as support during the often challenging period after students leave a residential or inpatient facility."
We Are Diabetes fully supports and encourages those who may be struggling with eating disorder behaviors to contact organizations like Hynes Recovery Services. They are there to help however possible. You are not alone.
February 24, 2013
Everybody Knows Somebody: NEDAwareness Week 2013!
NEDAwareness Week 2013 starts today and We Are Diabetes is honored to be an official partner with NEDA for this life-changing awareness campaign! It's not too late to get involved with this very special week; visit NEDA's "get involved" website to see what you can do to help spread the message of hope and recovery in your own community!
The awareness of diabulimia and of the hardships so many T1D's face with body image and the struggle to find a healthy balance between control and obsession is on the rise! Recently our good friend Maryjeanne Hunt (author of the book Eating to Lose) shared her story in CommonHealth's superbly written article highlighting the risks of diabulimia. CommonHealth even refers to the inspirational article that Maryjeanne wrote for We Are Diabetes last spring!
If you or someone you know is struggling with any type of an Eating Disorder, it's time to stop existing and start LIVING! Go to www.nationaleatingdisorders.org or call 1-800-931-2237 to find help and information.
February 13, 2013
We Are Survivors - Emilee: Celebrating three years of recovery!
Emilee Wilson knew she needed help, but when she was finally ready to receive support and guidance for her struggles with diabulimia she soon realized that there were very limited resources available in Canada to help her. Emilee was not able to access the eating disorder inpatient treatment she needed due to her Type 1 Diabetes, but she refused to give up. Although We Are Diabetes highly recommends inpatient treatment for those who suffer from Diabulimia, sometimes it just isn't an option. Emilee’s inspirational story will truly hit home with those who may be facing the unyielding obstacle of getting inpatient treatment; the will and the courage to change is more valuable than anything else! Click here to read about Emilee's brave journey.
February 4, 2013
This T1D actress isn't letting her illness slow her down!
At 22 years old, Madeline (Maddy) Trumble is learning how to manage her diabetes with the fast paced life of a starring actress on a national tour! She was diagnosed with T1D when she was only four years old and has been performing most of her life while living with her chronic illness. Maddy is an inspiration to anyone living with T1D: "It's still something I struggle with every night. But it has never made me question doing what I love. If anything, it's helped my drive." We couldn't agree more, Maddy! Read Maddy’s full story here!
January 21, 2013
Research Opportunity for the Life-Partners of Type 1 Diabetics
The Behavioral Diabetes Institute is looking for partners of people with Type 1 Diabetes to complete an online, anonymous, 15-20 minute questionnaire. They will use these results to help understand how partners are struggling, how they can help, and to help build the final online program. When completed in early 2013, this program will be available to partners of T1D's all over the world at no cost! If you are in a relationship with a Type 1 Diabetic please consider taking a few minutes to check this out!
January 15, 2013
We Are Survivors - Jade: Fighting back!
Jade's struggle with Diabulimia finally came to a turning point when she asked herself the following question: "What would my happy 16 year-old self say if she looked at what I have become?" It was at that point that Jade knew she had to make some very big changes. She is currently in recovery and is an inspiration to anyone who might be thinking they don't have the courage to fight back! Click here to read Jade's inspiring story!
January 7, 2013
The VIAL Project
We know that managing Type 1 Diabetes isn't just about A1c values and eye exams. There's more to managing this disease than lab work. T1D can have serious emotional and psychological aspects, and keeping tabs on those parts of the condition can be key with staying tuned in and on task with what needs to be done physically.
With that being said We Are Diabetes would like to promote and support a new social media site specifically for T1D’s who struggle with disordered eating, food and weight issues. WAD is a big fan of Lee Ann who is an amazing advocate for the T1D community! Below is a personal invitation from Lee Ann Thill and we invite all of you to join this new community!
"This is a social media site for people with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating, food & body concerns, and eating disorders to interact and submit creative self-expression (art, writing, anything original that reflects the experience of having diabetes and food and body issues). Please help promote it. My research depends on people registering and participating. All user-submitted content will become my data, shedding light on the experience of people with diabetes and disordered eating, and how creative expression and social media might help them." - Lee Ann Thill
Sign up for the VIAL Project here!
December 31, 2012
30 Days of Growth
It takes years to change the habits and the mindset that one can develop when living with an eating disorder. Those who are in recovery will all agree it takes time; baby steps.
The staff here at We Are Diabetes wishes you strength, hope and joy while celebrating the holidays this week. With 2013 right around the corner, we want to share this helpful article that offers simple yet powerful tools for taking small steps toward living a more joyous, intuitive and self-empowered life.
Start the new year with the right attitude! Whether you're in recovery from diabulimia or you are still in a daily struggle with your eating disorder, you will find this article helpful.
December 17, 2012
Reasonable recovery goals.
Setting goals is important; not only for your recovery journey but also for your life in general! However, it can be easy to get discouraged if we set up unrealistic expectations for ourselves in this realm. Whether suffering from diabulimia or not, most T1D's can relate to this issue. How often have we seen our "endo" and made some new goals for our diabetes management; whether it's testing a few more times a day, making sure we're going in for more of those annoying labs visits, or maybe it's just getting better at covering our meals with the proper amount of fast acting insulin, only to fall short of those goals?
No matter what the goal is, we have to be reasonable. Otherwise we inevitably fall short of our well-intended promises which oftentimes leaves us with feelings of failure and resentment towards ourselves. This can create a cycle that can last a lifetime and can be one of the number one factors that prevents a T1D suffering from an eating disorder from recovering and finding a better emotional relationship with their chronic illness.
Our friends at Eating Disorder Hope have a great article contributed by Michelle Morand, MA, Founder and Director of The CEDRIC Centre, that offers some fantastic insight and advice on this topic! Check it out here!
Click here for past news and updates.
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| Newly diagnosed T1D (and well-loved actress) Elizabeth Perkins stars in this captivating documentary about the importance of a support system for those living with diabetes. Please take a moment to watch this and share it with your friends! When t... (more) |
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| Certified Cognitive Coach, Personal Trainer, and record-setting Powerlifter, Ginger Vieira knows A LOT about Diabetes and exercise. Why? Because she is a type 1 diabetic herself. We have never read such honest and helpful information that WE CAN A... (more) |
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This guest post has been written by Kayla Small...
A couple weeks ago I clicked on a link that read "Anne Hathaway's 'Pregnancy' Sign Is More Than the Usual Baby Bump." The article that I found began with the acknowledgement that any time... (more) |
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| While We Are Diabetes already offers a helpful "how to communicate" section on our website, we are always searching for more resources on this topic because it can be one of the most difficult conversations to have with a loved one; both for those... (more) |
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| Aww thanks Katie. We will be there for you every step of the way! |
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| I agree! I think you both are in every sense of the word for me...life savers!! Thank you times a billion. I really hope you know how much you both have positively effected/affected (spelling?) my life! |
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| Every two years, JDRF International Chairman Mary Tyler Moore, and over a hundred children with type 1 diabetes, gather in Washington, D. C. to meet face-to-face with some of the top decision-makers in the U.S. government. The children, ages 4 to ... (more) |
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| This is a fantastic article that addresses many of the physical and emotional obstacles that someone living with a chronic illness (like Type 1 Diabetes) must face. Thank you Jamie Lindell for contacting We Are Diabetes and sharing your publicatio... (more) |
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Jessica,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I am going to send my response to you in a private email because it's going to include some numbers. Some of the people who visit these forums are still struggling with their eating disor... (more) |
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Hi Asha,
I am new to the Forum and have a few questions about weight gain. I am getting married June 22, 2013 and have recently been trying to lose weight. I am 24 Type 1 diabetic and have pretty good control (a1c 6.7)...I did injections ... (more) |
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