National Diabetes Week is an opportunity to increase awareness of the growing rates of diabetes, but sometimes it feels like diabetes is so common we become numb to its seriousness. This is particularly true in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia.   

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with diabetes experience stigma daily through comments, blame and shame for having diabetes and how they manage it.  

Diabetes is a chronic condition that has been linked to social and emotional health issues. With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia experiencing higher rates of diabetes and mental health, it’s important we are mindful of what we are saying to people about their diabetes, and to be compassionate and understanding of what it might be like for someone living with diabetes.  

This week is also a timely reminder for those living with diabetes and experiencing depression or anxiety to visit their local health service and seek support.   

Throughout my time working in health, I have come across multiple stories of the impact diabetes has had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s social and emotional wellbeing. Young people having to deal with amputations and locking themselves in their homes, being too ashamed to come out in case people judge them. A close family member who is terminally ill and also recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – I worry for him and about his mental health and wellbeing every day; for him it’s another condition he has to manage that restricts him from what is ‘normal’ life for him.   

For some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, finding out they have diabetes can be confronting, confusing and scary. If our environments don’t support people’s ability to manage their diabetes, then the condition can worsen, not because they don’t want to manage it but because they find it so difficult.  

We need to recognise how important environments are in managing diabetes, particularly in rural and remote areas. Limited access to affordable healthy foods and safe places to be active become issues for those living with diabetes; can you imagine how frustrating it must be? Shaming people for their inability to make and maintain changes can impact on our families and friends living with diabetes more than we realise.    

As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people some of our strengths are family and community and supporting each other when things seem tough. Eddie Fewings, speaking on the Heads Together forum this week, said how important peer support is in managing his diabetes. He and his mates who live with diabetes take time to check on each other and provide support. This is really important for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.  

Remember just as nutrition and physical activity are important for managing diabetes, so is social and emotional wellbeing.   

By Deanne Minniecon, National Manager Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement