For Diabetes Week (10 to 16 June) charity JDRF is focusing on how a lack of understanding of Type 1 diabetes has led to myths and misconceptions, which can impact on emotional wellbeing for people living with the condition. It will be encouraging people who have a connection to Type 1 diabetes to debunk these myths and misconceptions by sharing a quiz, which provides the facts about the condition, and the reality of living with it. The quiz covers some of the most common myths, including: “It’s not that serious, you just have to inject and you’re fine”; “Insulin is the cure for type 1” or “Children can grow out of it/ adults can’t get it.”
The hope is that this quiz will help to reduce the negative impact this lack of understanding can have. Join them in raising your voice for everyone with #T1D. As Karen Addington, CEO of JDRF in the UK explains, “Type 1 diabetes can be a tough condition to live with. It can sometimes be made harder because there are a lot of myths about what it is and how a person develops it. This can have a negative impact on emotional wellbeing and cause feelings of frustration, guilt, isolation and even depression.”
Over the course of Diabetes Week, JDRF will also report on Jonsel Gourkan, a former footballer who claims he lost a professional contract abroad due to ignorance about the condition, as well as how a lack of knowledge about the symptoms can sometimes lead to more serious and traumatic diagnosis scenarios. #SeeDiabetesDifferently
Take the short quiz and share it with your family, friends and colleagues. Click the link: www.jdrf.org.uk/mythbusting-quiz
