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Feeling Type 1 Diabetes Burnout? This Listener Story Might Be Exactly What You Need to Hear
Living with Type 1 diabetes is a full-time job. It never offers time off. It never truly switches off and demands constant attention. Over time, that pressure can take a toll. If you’re reading this and quietly thinking, “I’m tired… I can’t do this like I used to,” you’re not alone.
This week’s episode of the We Are T1D podcast is dedicated to you. You’re the person who’s doing their best. However, you still feel overwhelmed. It features a deeply personal and relatable story from listener Meghan. Her honest account of Type 1 diabetes burnout might just help you find the words for what you’ve been feeling. It may even offer a path forward.
What Is Type 1 Diabetes Burnout?
Before we dive in, let’s get clear: burnout with Type 1 diabetes is real. It’s not just “laziness” or “giving up.” It’s emotional exhaustion from years of being hyper vigilant with your numbers, your carbs, and your insulin. You constantly check your alarms, all while trying to live a normal life.
Common signs of T1D burnout include:
- Skipping or delaying insulin doses
- Avoiding blood sugar checks or CGM scans
- Feeling detached or angry about diabetes
- Anxiety or guilt around eating
- Hiding your diabetes management from others
- Emotional outbursts, shutdowns, or isolation
Meghan experienced all of these. What made her story stand out was how normal it all felt. She slowly found her way back from the edge.
“I was the good diabetic — until I wasn’t.”
In the episode titled “Type 1 Burnout, Breakdowns & a Cat Called Harry: Meghan’s T1D Comeback Story,” Meghan opens up. She shares about her spiral into burnout. She experienced this after years of doing everything “right.”
“I prided myself on being the good diabetic. Carb counting was basically my love language. My HbA1c was always something to brag about. But slowly… burnout crept in.”
What started as one forgotten bolus turned into a week, then a month of slipping away from her routine. Her CGM became a source of anxiety. Her graph — “looked like sh*t,” she says. And her partner, sadly, didn’t get it. Cue the classic unhelpful comment: “Can’t you just cut out carbs?”
“This isn’t Slimming World,” she told him. “This is Type 1 diabetes, not a bloody salad bar, you twat.”
That moment is funny in the way only fellow T1Ds can appreciate. It highlights the deep misunderstanding many people face from their loved ones. Diabetes is invisible, and burnout often goes unnoticed — until it starts affecting everything.
How Burnout Affects More Than Just Your Numbers
One of the most important takeaways from Meghan’s story is significant. We highlight it throughout the episode. Diabetes burnout doesn’t just affect your glucose levels. It can seep into every part of your life. It affects relationships, self-esteem, and your energy. It can even impact your wish to take care of yourself.
Meghan’s journey saw her withdraw emotionally. She stopped listening to even our podcast. She relied on Deliveroo and oversized hoodies to get through the day.
But something changed — and it came with claws.
The Unlikely Hero: A Cat Called Harry
In a moment of full hypo chaos — shaking, sweating, disoriented — Meghan found herself barely capable of moving. That’s when Harry, her aloof (and once unbothered) cat, did something wild.
He launched himself onto her chest, claws out, and scratched her straight in the boob.
“It hurt — but thank God it did,” she says. The pain gave her the jolt she needed to grab the emergency juice stashed under her pillow. Harry didn’t leave her side until she came round.
And from that night, Meghan took one small step back toward herself.
“Support doesn’t always look like another human. Sometimes it’s a whiskered, food-obsessed legend who saves your life with a stab to the chest.”
If You’re Burnt Out with Type 1 Diabetes, You Are Not Alone
Meghan’s story — while funny, raw, and completely unique — is something we’ve both experienced in our own way. And it’s something we know many of you are dealing with right now.
Whether you’re in a full burnout or just starting to feel overwhelmed, this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen now: Type 1 Burnout, Breakdowns & a Cat Called Harry – on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
We promise you’ll walk away feeling seen and understood. Hopefully, you will have a little more energy to take that next step, even if it’s a small one.
How to Cope with Type 1 Diabetes Burnout (Tips from the Episode)
💬 Talk to someone — even if it’s a podcast inbox (we mean it!)
📉 Don’t obsess over “bad” numbers — they’re data, not judgment
😺 Find support, even if it’s unconventional (shoutout, Harry)
🧡 Know that burnout is part of the journey — not the end of it
🎧 Reconnect with voices that make you feel seen — podcasts, blogs, community groupsNeed Support Right Now?
👉 Visit www.wearet1d.com to get in touch
📩 Email us directly at wearet1dpodcast@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on Instagram: @t1d_mike & @t1d_jackYou don’t have to “fix” everything today. Just listen. That’s a step forward.
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