How Common is Diabetes Distress, Really?
The actual 7 questions researchers use to measure diabetes distress, explained in plain English. Neil explores the research, shares practical insights, and provides tools for managing the mental load of T1D. What You'll Learn • The 7 core...
The episode, word for word
I'm Neil Greathouse, I've been living with type 1 diabetes since 1992, and this is Your Best T1D Year.
This is Episode 101. Triple digits now, which basically makes us veterans. Some people celebrate a hundred episodes by bringing on celebrity guests or throwing confetti. Me? I'm here to tell you that diabetes distress is about as common as iced coffee orders in October. Spoiler: a lot of us have it.
We're in Week 33 of this podcast, and in October we're breaking down diabetes distress, pulling the curtain back so it's less mysterious, less stigmatized, and a little easier to talk about.
Let's level with each other. If you've ever thought:
"I cannot deal with another CGM alarm today."
"These supply bills are crushing."
"I'm tired of thinking about carbs 24/7."
"Does anyone around me actually get what this feels like?"
That's diabetes distress talking. And if you've felt that, you're not unusual. You're not dramatic. You're in really, really common company.
For me, there have been seasons where it felt like diabetes was just running me into the ground. Not because I didn't know what to do, but because I was just tired of doing it all the time. I've felt that at 3am during stubborn lows, I've felt it staring at an endless pile of medical bills, and I've felt it in moments where my head was just tired of calculating all day long.
So, how common is this really?
Studies show that about 40% of adults with type 1 diabetes are living with moderate to high distress at any given time. That's almost 4 out of 10 people.
And it's not just a one-time thing. Distress tends to stick around unless it's addressed, it doesn't just "go away" when you get a good night's sleep or one perfect blood sugar line.
It cuts across age groups, too. Teens, young adults, parents, older adults, no one's off the hook.
This isn't a small side issue. This is one of the most common emotional realities of type 1 diabetes.
Here's why knowing this matters:
If you've been feeling distressed, you're not alone. You're actually in the majority.
Sometimes just knowing you're not the "only one" already takes some of the weight off.
It reframes the problem: this isn't about you being weak or unmotivated. It's about a disease that places an enormous daily load on people, and most of us feel that load.
The danger is when you don't name it, you start to think you're the only one struggling. And that's simply not true.
So here's where we're going this month. We're going to keep naming diabetes distress for what it is. In the next few episodes, I'll walk you through where you can actually take the diabetes distress quiz, what the different versions look like, from the 7-question quick check to the longer forms, and what you can expect when you see your score.
We'll talk about ways to manage distress, and we'll be honest about how much of this is normal, common, and shared by people all over the world who live with T1D.
This podcast is here to pull the curtain back, not to hand out gold stars. I want you to know you're not failing, you're doing a difficult job.
Type 1 diabetes is exhausting. But managing it every single day doesn't have to be. You've already built 33 weeks of habits with me, and I couldn't be prouder. Nobody remembers easy. And I'm right here alongside you, carrying this load together.
This episode is supported by Blue Circle Health, they're helping people with type 1 diabetes navigate the system, find real support, and stop feeling like they're fighting alone. Check them out at BlueCircleHealth.org.
This is Your Best T1D Year. New episodes drop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This is Episode 101, and next time, we're going to walk through the actual questions researchers ask when they measure diabetes distress. Trust me, it's eye-opening.
102 - October 8
This is the script as read on the mic, lightly tidied for reading. Education, not medical advice. Talk to your care team before you change anything about your insulin.