Let’s Just Say It: This Is Hard
Still being strong? Living with type 2 diabetes is a full-time job — except you never applied, can’t quit, and the hours are terrible.
And yet, how often do we hear…
- “Just stay strong.”
- “You’ve got this!”
- “It could be worse.”
🙃 Cool. Thanks for the unsolicited pep talk, Karen.
Because here’s the truth:
Anger is normal. Necessary, even.
Especially when you’re juggling medications, managing your food intake like it’s a military operation, and constantly second-guessing your own body.
The Myth of Being Strong
When people say “be strong,” what they really mean is “don’t make me uncomfortable with your feelings.”
But guess what?
Strength isn’t pretending you’re fine.
Strength is screaming into a pillow when your blood sugar spikes out of nowhere.
It’s choosing spinach when you really want chips — and sometimes choosing the chips, too.
It’s waking up, again and again, to fight a battle you never signed up for.
Diabetes and Anger: What’s Really Going On
Blood sugar swings mess with your brain.
Highs make you irritable.
Lows can make you feel shaky, confused, and panicked.
Now add to that:
- Burnout
- Shame
- Fear of long-term complications
- People minimizing your experience
Is it any wonder you sometimes feel like throwing your glucometer out the window?
You are not a “problem.” Your body is trying to cope.
Why You’re Not Broken (Even If It Feels Like It)
You’re allowed to feel furious.
You’re allowed to want a break from constant decisions.
And you’re allowed to say, “This sucks,” without following it up with a silver lining.
Feelings are not a failure of mindset.
They’re a signal that you’re human.
💡 If anything, your anger is proof that you care.
So, What Can You Do With Being Angry and Diabetic?
Here’s what I coach my clients to do:
- Acknowledge it.
Don’t shame yourself for it. - Track it.
Start noticing when it shows up — is it around meals, stress, exhaustion, high readings? - Talk about it.
With someone who gets it (not someone who says “just be positive”).
Because once you stop pretending to be strong, you can actually start to heal.
You Deserve Support That’s Real
If this post hit home, I want you to know:
You don’t have to do this alone.
My Diabetes Mindset Coaching is built for people exactly like you — those who are done with toxic positivity, “being strong” and want real tools for the emotional side of type 2 diabetes. See Below:
No pressure. No fluff. Just the truth, support, and a space where you don’t have to be “strong” to belong.
Speak to you soon 🙂