The Knot: How to untangle medication stigma associated with diabetes care
What can you do when clients refuse medication?
Many people are not interested in starting medication when they are diagnosed with elevated blood sugar. The question becomes, what do you say, and how can we keep the door open so that in the future, they don’t internalize the need for medication as a personal failure?
This is a tricky question because there is so much myth about diet as medication and the power of lifestyle change in diabetes. Untangling the knot of stigma is tough, and this short video digs deeper into how stigma intersects.
IDC wrote about this topic a few months ago.
Untangling Medication Stigma in Diabetes Care
We have all had a client who wanted to stop a diabetes medication. Like you, one day, I was listening to Mary, who explained, "Now that I am cancer-free, I just want to get off all of the medications." I nodded, knowing this strong woman had every reason to want to talk about polypharmacy. I asked if she had any specific concerns, “Cost or side effects?”
In this issue of the Knot, we explore seven types of stigmas.
The 7th stigma is the stigma of ignorance, which is explored here:
Belonging and Ease: Reducing Barriers to Diabetes Care
Clients with diabetes are looking for lifestyle changes and want to know how to evaluate these approaches without focusing on weight. A person’s diet is a foundational approach to glycemic control. There are many options for an individual to consider, including but not limited to research supporting intermittent fasting, keto, vegetarian dietary approac…
The Knot is a short video that explores these concepts in more detail. It is for paid subscribers.
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