In the eighteen years since I founded Divabetic, I have worked to help others overcome feelings of shame and blame related to a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. I have seen how self-loathing and isolation can undermine someone’s ability to rise to the daily challenges of managing their diabetes health. It is apparent to me that feelings of severe guilt or inadequacy can trigger episodes of depression and/or diabetes mismanagement.

There is a new group today being shamed and blamed.

People who have contracted COVID are being judged in a similar manner as those who suffered through it with HIV/AIDS, lung cancer and yes, type 2 diabetes. Why can’t we see how our righteous indignations are causing more harm than good? More and more reports indicate people who contract COVID are dealing with long-term health complications too. 

No one should be blamed for something for which they aren’t personally at fault, but for some reason it’s happening again. Whenever something goes wrong, there must be someone to blame, someone to be punished if necessary. 

Is that human nature?  Must people think in terms of cause and effect: if something bad happened, someone or something must have screwed up to cause it?

I’m wondering why.  Please tune to January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast to hear more on this topic.

Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Therapeutics CEO and Co-Founder Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., (the maker of Pendulum Glucose Control), Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

Tune in over 140 Diva TalkRadio podcasts available for free on i-tunes (search ‘Divabetic’).

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