Every November, my Instagram feed turns blue. Posts and hashtags like #T1DStrong and #DiabetesAwarnessMonth starts popping up. As someone living with type one diabetes, it’s both comforting and frustrating to see. Comforting, because people are finally talking about something that affects millions of us. Frustrating, because, honestly, there’s still so much misunderstanding about what diabetes actually is. 

Let’s start with the big one: No. I did not “eat too much sugar” and cause my diabetes. Type one diabetes isn’t something you can prevent. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means my immune system attacked the insulin-producing cells in my pancreas. Now, my body can’t make insulin at all, the hormone that helps convert food into energy. So, instead of my body regulating blood sugars naturally, I have to do it manually every single day with insulin injections or what most use, an insulin pump. I also have to constantly do blood sugar checks, and math that would make any other teenagers head spin. 

People often confuse type one with type two diabetes, which is much more common and usually develops later in life. Type two involves insulin resistance, not total insulin absence. The two types are very different, but both deserve awareness and compassion—not judgement. Unfortunately, jokes about “too much candy” or “sugar problems, ” blur the line between fact and stereotype.

Living with type one diabetes means constantly walking a tightrope. Every meal, snack, sports practice, and even a simple cold can throw my blood sugar out of balance. Too low, and I can shake, sweat, or even pass out. Too high, and I risk long-term damage to my organs. There’s no break—not even at 3 a.m. when my blood sugar alarms go off, and I have to drink juice half-asleep just to keep my body functioning. 

But here’s what people don’t see: diabetes doesn’t stop me from living my life. I still play sports, hang out with friends, and go to school like everyone else. The difference is that behind the scenes, I’m doing mental math, checking my glucose levels, and carrying emergency snacks like a pro. It’s not always easy, but it’s made me resilient. 

Diabetes Awareness Month isn’t just about posting a blue circle or wearing a ribbon—though those things matter. It’s about recognizing the real people behind the diagnosis. It’s about listening when someone says they’re struggling with their numbers or feeling burnt out from the constant responsibility. It’s about asking questions instead of assuming you know what diabetes is. 

So, if you have a friend with diabetes, here’s what helps: don’t treat us like we’re fragile, and don’t make weird food comments like “can you eat that?” (yes, I can). Instead, just be supportive. Understand that managing diabetes is like running a marathon every day—except there’s no finish line.

To me, November is a reminder that awareness goes beyond a month. It’s about empathy, science, and fighting the myths that make an already condition even harder to live with. And maybe, if enough people understand that, we’ll move closer to a world where diabetes isn’t joked about or misunderstood—it’s respected, researched, and hopefully someday, cured.