Changing the Name of Type 1 Diabetes Probably Won't Help You

Changing the Name of Type 1 Diabetes Probably Won't Help You

While at a type 1 diabetes (T1D) event recently, I unfortunately heard more discussion about changing the name of T1D to something else so “no one confuses us with type 2s.”

Everyone in the room agreed, as evidenced by quiet nods and facial affirmations. This is where it starts.

Are We Really Talking About This?

I wish I had spoken up loudly about it, but I was blown away. I stayed quiet. I felt naive and ashamed. I can’t believe it still happens. But of course it still does.

And it drives me nuts.

Still, I understand it, because a much younger version of myself felt this way, too. I try to remember that in rooms like this. If you grew up around the term “juvenile diabetes” like I did, which came with its own issues for later-in-life diagnoses, we were taught somewhere along the way that T2D was “the bad type” and T1D was “the good type.”

Joke’s on us—there is no good type! And these diagnoses happen in our lives for different reasons.

Still, changing the name of T1D will make misdiagnoses, misconceptions, and stigma worse for people with all diabetes types. People with type 2 didn’t ask for it. No one asks for any type of diabetes. There are reasons beyond lifestyle alone that people are diagnosed with T2D.

Grace and accountability can coexist. They should be offered objectively.

People with Type 2 Diabetes Aren’t to Blame and Shouldn’t Be Shamed

Even when lifestyle is a factor, people with T2D don’t deserve blame or judgment. Shame motivates no one. This is a key lesson I’ve learned in the health sector over the years. You can’t bully someone into change. And frankly, that sort of energy is draining for the sender and receiver. It fuels no one.

Many socioeconomic factors affect the prevalence of T2D. Food deserts, a lack of access to health education and services, a lack of nutritional understanding, etc.

It’s never someone with T2D’s fault that you, as a person with T1D, are mistaken for having it. This is a decades-long systemic failure that perpetuates shame, blame, and fat phobia.

I say this as someone living with T1D who’s been working in the diabetes space for over a decade as a writer, editor, content marketer, and, most recently, a certified health coach. I’ve seen firsthand how this stigma impacts people of all types. It serves no one.

Differences in Diabetes Don’t Have to Equal Community Division

Both conditions severely impact the endocrine system. We are one diabetes community, even though we experience it differently. I am not suggesting we lump the conditions together. It’s okay to acknowledge their differences, but not to let them drive us apart.

Those are separate things.

We must support one another. We must try to understand and have compassion. If you wouldn’t want this treatment as someone with T1D, don’t do it to someone with T2D.

Medical and societal understanding won’t blossom overnight from a name change. Awareness, engagement, curiosity, time, and compassion will.

Everyone Manages Their Diabetes Differently

No two people manage T1D quite the same, either. All of our diabetes graphs, outcomes, and experiences vary, even when our medical charts say we’re the same type. We’re all our own type. Our bodies react differently. We exist in different bodies. Bodies of all sizes experience various forms of diabetes.

There are actually many more than two types of diabetes, according to scientists. Through my work in the diabetes space and as a writer, editor, and content marketer, I’ve read 13, and sometimes more than 20. This article says over 10, but you get the point.

It’s why, when we talk about cures in the space, some people predict we may have different versions of a cure for T1D, because our bodies respond so differently to different medications and treatments.

What Can We Do About This?

When it comes to this topic, I believe we must ask ourselves, “What’s the why behind our why?”

And, based on conversations with both sides of the issue, I’ve observed it’s something simple—understanding. I received an unprecedented response about this topic on my personal LinkedIn and Instagram channels.

We all want understanding. But changing the name may cause more confusion than consensus.

Steps to the Changes We Seek in Diabetes

To achieve the changes we seek, unity is the better path. I suggest the following steps:

1. Shame motivates no one: in much the same way we shouldn’t approach people with T2D with this, we shouldn’t shame people with type 1 into supporting them.

2. Talk to each other with open minds: Dexcom did a powerful series on this, actually, where people with T1D and T2D sat face to face and got to know each other (what we go through, differences, similarities, needs, goals, etc.). Just talk to each other with an open mind.

3. Don’t assume: You know what they say about assuming. I’m guessing many of us have been pressured by societal stigmas to feel this way. It doesn’t mean it can’t be undone. Many of us are a symptom of a larger systemic issue that requires much unraveling. We all have our own paths to this place of unity, grace, and understanding with one another.

We’re Better Together, as One Community

The stigma is something we can address together, not apart. Like many aspects of life, unity, finding common ground, and choosing compassion — even when we don’t fully understand — will always take us further.

We have to approach each other with open hearts and minds, not assumptions and finger-pointing.

Stopping stigma starts within our community — our one community. Let’s strengthen it from within so we can change it outside.

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Disclaimers

• At the time of publication, I am a contributing writer for Type1Strong.org and BeyondType1.org, and relevant articles have been linked throughout this post. The perspectives shared in this article are solely my personal opinions and do not represent the views or positions of any affiliated organizations. This content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

• I firmly believe in maintaining transparency, and at the time of publication, I have no financial relationships, affiliations, or endorsements with any of the other diabetes-related brands mentioned throughout this article, including Dexcom.

• Readers are encouraged to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for personalized diabetes advice and treatment options.