How Loved Ones Help Manage Diabetes: The Ups, the Downs and Everything in Between
Living with diabetes is a daily challenge, but no one has to face it alone. Friends, partners, parents, siblings, and even co-workers often play an important role in helping manage this condition. When you are living with diabetes, support can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling cared for. For those in a supporting role, the journey can bring both rewarding moments and its share of challenges and frustrations.
So, let’s take a look at both the person living with diabetes and the supporting individuals to better understand how love, empathy, compassion and teamwork shape this experience.
Feeling Supported
For someone managing diabetes, everyday tasks like counting carbs, checking blood sugar, or remembering medications can feel exhausting. Having a trusted support person makes things easier. These simple moments manifest themselves in all sorts of different ways. Sometimes it’s a spouse enthusiastically choosing to share in healthy meals. Other times it’s a discrete bag check to make sure you’ve packed your glucose monitor before leaving home or even simply sitting with you while you manage a low blood sugar episode just so you don’t feel scared.
These small acts of care send a powerful message: you don’t have to do this alone!
But there are also hard moments. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming when the person you share your life with is always asking “Did you check your sugar?” even when you have it under control. It can feel like a loss of independence.
Being There
For folks in a diabetes management support role, there are natural highs and lows; moments of joy and moments of stress. But ultimately, it’s about being present. It’s gratifying to see your partner’s A1C decline, in part, because of the support you’ve provided. It’s fun to celebrate milestones. And it’s even more fun to share new recipes and spend quality time together.
That said, it isn’t always easy. Feeling nervous when the person you’re supporting experiences a blood sugar drop is natural. You simply might not know what to say. Then you wonder if you’re doing too much… or not enough! And being the “watchful eye” can be emotionally and even physically draining.
Finding Balance Together
The healthiest relationships are built on communication. Supporters should ask: “How can I help without overstepping?” And people living with diabetes can share: “Here’s what really helps me.”
Here are a few tips for both sides:
- Talk openly about what kind of support feels good versus what feels like “nagging.”
- Celebrate victories, no matter how small. They remind everyone that the effort is worth it.
- Share knowledge with each other. Supporters can learn about diabetes, and people living with diabetes can teach their loved ones what daily life is really like.
- Practice patience. There will be good days and tough days – and that’s okay.
The Heart of It All
At the core, managing diabetes together is about love. For the person living with diabetes, it’s knowing someone has your back. For supporters, it’s knowing that you’re making a real difference in someone’s life. The journey isn’t always easy, but in those shared struggles and small victories, bonds grow stronger.
Because when it comes down to it, diabetes may be part of life, but it doesn’t define the love, laughter, and connection that make life worth living.
Author: Noelia Rivera-González, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES | CCS Health
This site is for educational purposes only. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health.
