Where Type 2 Diabetes Denial Comes From + How to Move Past It

You might think one of the first steps after a type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis is learning how to lower your blood sugar levels, and while that’s important, there’s a step everyone deals with first—acceptance or denial. Or, sometimes thought of as the stages of grief, because accepting a new diagnosis can be that heavy!

If you’re struggling with denial over your new diagnosis, you’re not alone. Accepting a T2D diagnosis is challenging for a couple of reasons that don’t come with many other diseases. In this guide, we take a closer look at why denial is a common challenge in T2D and what you can do to move past it.

Diabetes denial can be fueled by stigma and misconceptions

“There are several factors behind diabetes denial in people with T2D,” says Mark Heyman, PhD, diabetes psychologist, certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), person with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and author of “Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It: Your Guide to Managing the Emotional Challenges of T1D.”

The first and biggest factors fueling denial are often:

• Fear
• Shame
• Guilt

“If people do not acknowledge they have diabetes, then it makes it easier to avoid having those difficult emotions,” Heyman says.

With mainstream media’s (often) inaccurate portrayal of diabetes, it comes as no surprise that living with it means you feel an overwhelming sense of shame and guilt. Too often portrayed as the result of eating one too many donuts, a T2D diagnosis is far more complicated if you look at the real science behind beta-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance in T2D.

Living with T2D means facing constant ignorant judgment, not only from friends and family, but from your healthcare team too.

What are the physical consequences of denial? Diabetes complications

“Another factor is that many people with T2D don’t experience any symptoms,” adds Heyman. “This makes it difficult to believe that something is wrong. It’s easy to think, ‘Well, I feel fine, so there is no problem.’”

The earliest complications of T2D and chronically high blood sugars are silent. For years, your eyes, fingers, toes, kidneys, and more can be damaged little by little until bigger symptoms develop.

4 steps for moving past type 2 diabetes diagnosis denial

Accepting this diagnosis isn’t going to happen overnight if you find yourself stuck in a phase of denial, but remind yourself that that’s all it is—a phase. You can change it by doing just one thing different today than you did yesterday.

Step 1: Write down what you’re feeling

Are you scared? Sad? Embarrassed? Whatever it is, write it down and let yourself think about it. Be present with your feelings! Getting those feelings and thoughts out of your head and onto paper can be extremely helpful as you move forward.

Then, ask yourself:

• How is that feeling affecting your life right now?
• And how will it affect your future if you let it determine how you handle your diagnosis?

It’s okay to be afraid. It’s okay to feel ashamed of your diagnosis. Your feelings matter. But then what? You can feel a tough emotion and move forward at the same time.

Step 2: Do a little reading on living with diabetes

By reading T2D community stories and connecting with people who understand what it’s like, you might change a few beliefs you had in your own mind about T2D.

Take a minute to read stories about other people living with T2D to realize you’re not alone and you have a full life ahead of you—especially if you accept the diagnosis and begin to manage it. It may even teach you that you can thrive with this disease! You absolutely can.

Speaking of management, reading about what real life with T2D really looks like can help you get a better idea of why it’s important to embrace your diagnosis.

“Take some time to learn about diabetes and how it’s managed,” Heyman says. “This could help you understand that even though you feel fine, there is still damage being done to your body.”

Step 3: Reach out to your healthcare team

Next, schedule a diabetes eye exam to understand better how your high blood sugars may be affecting your health. The earliest stages of diabetes-related eye diseases often carry no symptoms, but the sooner you catch them, the sooner you can stop them from worsening and protect your vision.

This step can be scary, but it’s important to truly understand just how much you can prevent the scariest things about diabetes—blindness and amputations—by taking care of yourself. These complications aren’t guaranteed; they mostly result from chronically high blood sugars.

Work with your health care team to get your blood sugars down so you can live a full, healthy life with this disease.

Step 4: Focus on one small change at a time

You certainly don’t have to change your entire diet or start running five miles every day overnight. In fact, a few small new habits can go a long way. Taking them one step at a time and slowly stepping into them can help them last. Make sure your “one small change” is clear and specific.

Here are some examples to help you think of your own:

• Cutting your soda intake down from four cans a day to one can a day
• Going for a 30-minute walk on Monday/Wednesday/Friday
• Dancing to your favorite playlist for 15 minutes in the morning before you start your day
• Incorporating more vegetables into your lunch
• Eating only one “helping” of dinner instead of going back for seconds

Diabetes denial is normal and you can work through it

“People often get stuck in a rut of denial, which makes it hard for them to try new things,” Heyman says. “Be intentional about behaving in a new way and see how it feels. It is usually much easier than people think it’s going to be.”

Accepting a new diagnosis—whether it’s diabetes, cancer or depression—is always going to be scary. Denial is a normal part of the process, and you don’t need to stay there forever. Move through it, reach out for help to family, friends and your health care team and remember that you’re definitely not alone!

When you’re ready to go beyond your diagnosis and move into the acceptance phase, use our Beyond Diagnosis guides to help. Download your free copy today.