Diabetes Sucks AND You Can Handle It: Your Guide to Managing the Emotional Challenges of T1D

This book will help you understand and deal with T1 diabetes. It's a great resource for dealing and living with T1 diabetes. It's an easy read, and has a ton of great information. When my son (15) was diagnosed two years ago this booked helped up navigate and learn more about how to deal with T1 diabetes.

Living with Type 1D day in and day out takes its toll. There are many available books that discuss what to eat and how to manage your blood sugar, but this book stands out because it deals with the very really emotional struggles living with this chronic condition. The author Mark Heyman is a diabetes psychologist and is a T1D, himself, so he is uniquely qualified to identify the common challenges--and to offer solid steps you can take to become emotionally stronger and more able to live a hopeful, healing life. Reading this book helped me reorient my mindset and attitude about having adult onset T1, and I feel more empowered and positive about my ability to manage diabetes. It's a resource I'll return to often.

First couple of pages make you want to read on which is great for a reader... being T1D it is nice to be able to read a book about how people feel so you don't feel like the only person.. I would highly recommend for yourself or for anyone you know to help support them.

Having Type 1 for a few years, this book was very helpful in reflecting on the mental and emotional challenges that arise but are usually not discussed. The feelings that many of us face are normalized in this book and there are practical tools on how to address them, or sometimes accept. I've read a number of books on Type 1 and many have tools on how to manage the physical aspects of the disease (blood glucose, working out, etc.) but this book has a new perspective, and Dr. Mark Heyman is uniquely qualified to teach others. I'm asking my wife and parents to read this book to better understand the type of life someone with T1D may experience, and how they can support. If you've been newly diagnosed, have lived most of your life with diabetes, or have a someone you care about with Type 1, please read this book.

Lately I’ve found myself really struggling with anxiety related to my chronic illness and I was desperately looking for something to help me navigate my declining mental headspace. I found this book by watching an interview with Mark Heyman on the Diabetes Strong YouTube channel; the timing was impeccable!It’s a very digestible read, full of constant reminders that we can do hard things and thrive with this condition, but never forgetting the challenges along the way as to not diminish them or our feelings/experiences.It’s already helped me and I believe it to be a valuable resource for anyone living with T1D, or even diabetes in general. I’m going to have to go back and re-read certain chapters depending on the challenges I face, since they change as we grow, and the fact that the brain is very stubborn to rewire and requires work to change!Highly recommend.