How to tell people you have diabetes

A diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming. If you're unsure how to break the news to family and friends, here's straightforward advice to get you started.

• When you call a family meeting to break the news about your diabetes, carefully explain what diabetes is and what you can do to manage the disease. Share pertinent books and pamphlets and, if you are explaining diabetes to a child, use age-appropriate language.
• A child will probably become more at ease about your diabetes if you discuss it a little at a time in incidental conversations rather than in one long conversation.
• Be specific about what you need to change about how you eat and exercise. Eating well and living healthy shouldn't be a burden for you or your family. In fact, it should be a source of joy and pride.

• Diabetes is not something to be held secret. You need family and friends to know and help.
• Here's a helpful script, developed by a certified diabetes educator. Study it and then, in your own words, sit down with your family and relay your news calmly.

"My doctor tells me I have type 2 diabetes. What this means is that the insulin in my body isn't working as well as it used to, and I have to help it out by being more active, eating differently and taking drugs to help my pancreas and liver work a little better. One of the things I'm happy about is that it's a disease I can remain involved in, and there's a lot I can do to prevent complications."

• "Look, I know that if I'd managed my life differently, maybe I'd have been able to keep my diabetes at bay. But from what I'm learning, diabetes is a physiological disease and I might have gotten it anyway. What's done is done. What I need now is support."
• "When you blame me, I want to do exactly the opposite of what's good for me—how crazy is that? Here's how you can help me: I need to keep unhealthy foods out of sight. I need to have our meals served from the stove, not from big platters on the dining table. And it would be great if we took long walks together."

• Just as importantly, make a conscious effort to take good care of yourself. Remember, your life wouldn't run very well without you in it.
• Schedule pleasurable activities: plan lunch with a dear friend, book a manicure, enjoy a movie by yourself, or spend a whole Saturday morning working in your garden.
• At the same time, schedule 15 to 30 minutes each day for yourself. Use it to read, play music, meditate, talk with a friend, walk or merely enjoy your fireplace. Each of us deserves at least 15 minutes a day to ourselves, no matter how time pressed we are!