C
onnection. We all need it in order to
thrive, feel less alone and cope with
whatever curve balls life throws our
way. But if you’re facing the daily challenges
of diabetes, sometimes you need more
backup than just your nearest and dearest.
Enter diabetes support groups. Offered
online through organisations like the Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and
held in hospitals, community centres and
regional branches of Diabetes Australia, these
groups provide education, advice and day-to-
day management tips from experts. “Support
groups are designed to connect people who have
diabetes with health services, which in the case
of our new group, is Wollondilly Community
Health Centre and Campbelltown Hospital,”
says Professor David Simmons, an endocrinologist
at Campbelltown Hospital and Professor of
Medicine at Western Sydney University.
Importantly, they also connect you with
others who are living with diabetes. “Many
people who have diabetes rarely talk about
their illness and some have never talked to
anyone else with diabetes, which can be very
isolating,” says Prof. Simmons. “Peer support
groups can reduce that isolation by offering the
opportunity to share knowledge, experiences,
emotions and solutions with other people who
are living with the same condition.”
And the benefits
don’t stop there- according to
Diabetes Victoria,
people who attend
diabetes support
groups show
less stress and
symptoms of depression and have fewer
diabetes complications. “Some also report that
their quality of life has improved because of
the friendships and support they receive from
people within their support group,” says Craig
Bennett, CEO of Diabetes Victoria. Win-win!
Read on as three people share how joining
a diabetes support group has boosted their
day-to-day management, their health and
their happiness. It could be you.
Peer support groups
share knowledge,
EXPERIENCES
AND EMOTIONS
Neville’s Story:
“MY SUPPORT
GROUP REALLY
TOOK THE
STIGMA OUT
OF TYPE 2”
Neville Hockey, 74, was
diagnosed with type 2 three
years ago. After receiving a flyer
in the mail about the new
Wollondilly support group, he
went to the first meeting in the
hope he might pick up tips to
help him end his weight-loss
plateau – a plateau that put him
at high risk for heart attack.
“I was too heavy for exercise,
so I changed my diet and in five
months I dropped 12 kilos. But
then my weight wouldn’t budge,”
the grandfather of seven recalls.
At his very first meeting, the
former disability carer learned
something new from a
nutritionist. “She talked about
carb exchanges and the
importance of staggering the
intake of carbs during the day to
assist blood sugar,” he says. “I’ve
started doing that and hope it
will help me lose more weight.”
Neville is now such a fan of
support groups he’s training to
be a facilitator. “Support groups
make you feel less alone, which
is important for people with
type 2 who can feel stigmatised
by the condition,” he says. ➤diabetic living JULY/AUGUST 2017 115SELF care