Diabetes Support Groups

Anybody who has ever been diagnosed with a chronic health condition will know just how shocking and isolating it can be right at the start of the journey. In these initial stages, it is incredibly unlikely that you have all of the knowledge that you need to be able to navigate your new circumstances effectively.

Diabetes, in particular, is a condition that requires someone affected by it to learn and understand a lot of information in order to manage and control it and maintain a decent level of health. It can be difficult for people with diabetes to find support in their immediate family or friendship group who can relate to what they are going through on a daily basis.

As well as receiving and following advice about diabetes from their primary medical care professionals, patients can turn to dedicated diabetes support groups in order to get the support, tips, and overall health advice that they most need.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest and best benefits that a person with diabetes can enjoy when they join a diabetes support group.

You Can Share Experiences And Information

Being in a support group filled with people who are all going through the same issues of diabetes as you can be rewarding and comforting, not only in the personal support that you receive in a friendly, human manner but also for all of the information and experiences that members will share.

Diabetes isn’t the same for every single patient – you might have some symptoms that others don’t and vice versa. All of you being in a space together to share your stories is a wonderful way to collect as much information as you can about the disease and improve your own knowledge of diabetes at the same time as making friends who can be genuinely empathetic to your situation.

Learn About Living With Diabetes

If you have no previous experience or knowledge of diabetes within your family, then it can be a shock to the system and hard to understand everything at first. Attending a diabetes support group can help you with discovering and learning how to live with this chronic health condition rather than thinking about how you wish you could simply ‘cure’ it.

Members in the support group will be happy to share their own tips and tricks that can help you to navigate your health with your diabetes in mind. Not only can you find support from a medical point of view, but you can also find support from a friendship point of view, making lots of unique connections with people you would otherwise have never met.

Make New Friends Who Also Have Diabetes

A support group does exactly what it says on the tin, it supports! You shouldn’t think of an invite to a diabetes support group as something to feel sorry about. You should instead treat it as a way to make new and interesting friends who are all going to be in the same state of health, both mental and physical, that you currently are.

When you can make friends with people who have the knowledge, tips and information that can help you to better manage your diabetes and therefore start to find a better, more positive way of life, that can never be a bad thing.

A sign of a good diabetes support group is finding people who you connect with and who you can begin meaningful supportive friendships with. There is nothing better than an email or two appearing in your inbox filled with not only information about diabetes, but also filled with friendly and positive messages from other members who are genuinely interested and invested in your diabetes journey.

Once you are member, you can then be the person to invite a friend if they ever get diagnosed with diabetes.

Discover More Help And Activities In Your State

A lot of people find themselves diagnosed with diabetes and then are left with no further information or direction other than being left to understand that they are currently unhealthy.

Finding a diabetes support group in your state is the key to unlocking all of the best tips and knowledge for how to best cope with your condition. When you find a diabetes support group in the place where you live, you can start to collect all of the relevant information about where to buy the best foods, where to seek further help if you need it, and what kinds of diabetes based activities there are in your area that you can choose to attend if you wish.

You Will Always Receive The Most Up To Date Knowledge and Facts about Diabetes

When you receive an invite to a diabetes support group, you can also think of it as an invite to receiving the most current and up to date news on the disease. Whether your diabetes support group is in person or more online via messaging and inbox emails, the most important factor is that you get support from like-minded people, and are always as educated and clued up as you can be on your own condition.

A diabetes support group means you don’t need to feel alone in dealing with your condition but it also shouldn’t be your only circle of trust. It is important to remain in contact with your professional healthcare and diabetes experts, especially before trying something tried and untested that lands in your inbox!

Written by

MyDiabetes Team

MyDiabetes is a team of experts, including dietitians and medical professionals, who review and fact-check all blog articles to ensure that prediabetes and diabetes patients receive accurate and up-to-date information on diabetes management. We are here to help you learn more about your condition and how to live a healthy and fulfilling life.