Explaining Type 1 to Other People

Almost everyone you explain Type 1 to will already have a picture of diabetes in their head, and it will be Type 2. Correcting that repeatedly is part of living with the condition.

The confusions worth having an answer ready for:

• That it was caused by eating too many sweets. It was not — Type 1 is an autoimmune condition, and nothing about diet caused it.
• That it can be managed with diet, exercise or a herbal remedy instead of insulin. It cannot. The body makes no insulin at all.
• That the person will grow out of it. They will not.
• That insulin means the diabetes has become severe. In Type 1, insulin is the treatment from day one, not an escalation.
• That sugar must never be eaten. Fast-acting sugar is what treats a low, and carrying it is a safety measure.

A short version that usually works: my pancreas does not make insulin, so I inject it. It is not the same condition as the diabetes you are thinking of, and it was not caused by anything I ate.

For employers and colleagues, keep it practical rather than educational — you need to be able to test and eat when required, and someone should know what a low looks like.

You are not obliged to explain yourself to everyone. But the difference between the types is worth insisting on with anyone who has a say in your care or your child's.