Introduction and Welcome

No matter what Type you have, or how long ago you were diagnosed, living with diabetes can be difficult – overwhelmingly so at times.

The support of those people closest to you (both family and friends) is important in helping you through those times when things seem out of control.  However, sometimes it can be difficult to open up about how you feel (or how diabetes is making you feel) because you’re scared that people won’t understand.

If you start to feel like diabetes is taking over your life or that you don’t know how to manage, then we’re here to help.

This blog offers you Peer Support – the chance to talk to someone with first hand experience of living with diabetes without fear of embarrassment or misunderstanding.  You can e-mail in questions you’ve always wanted to ask or write in with a problem you’ve been facing and we’ll post a response here on the blog.  We won’t reveal your name at any point.  We aren't experts, but we do have a wealth of experience in living with and dealing with diabetes so we're equipped to handle any questions you may have.

We hope that this allows you another outlet for you to talk about your diabetes and that by answering your questions or helping with your problems, we can also reach other people who may be feeling the same way.  You can also connect with us on Twitter or Facebook, and in some circumstances, we offer support via telephone.

If you want to talk to us then please contact us using one of the methods below:

E-mail:  andydiabetespsn@gmail.com or louisepeersupport@live.com

Twitter: @loupeersupport or @andypeersupport

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/southeastdiabetes/ or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diabetes-Peer-Support-Sheffield/534756433284902

This blog is part of a Peer Support project being run by Diabetes UK.  We can’t provide medical advice but do offer you the opportunity to talk about your problems and ask questions – we’ll offer up our own experiences in return. This is run on a volunteer basis and all volunteers have been through training run by Diabetes UK.