Blog - Diabetes Management
4 Ways to Get Involved with the Diabetes Community
If you’re living with diabetes, it may not always be easy for people to see or understand the impact of the condition on your everyday life. Meeting other people with similar experiences can be a valuable part of your self-care, allowing you to access diabetes resources and feel more connected. While everyone’s journey is unique, you can likely find someone who relates to what you’re going through and get support and advice when needed.
Why the diabetes community is important
Even if you already have a strong support system, it’s often helpful to connect with other people living with diabetes as well. This can provide emotional support from a place of genuine understanding in a way that close friends, family or healthcare professionals living without the condition may be unable to offer in the way you may sometimes need.
Diabetes communities can ease loneliness and provide a safe space for you to get thoughts and feelings off your chest. Some connections may share useful tips and advice for managing diabetes and share information about treatment options and research.* Getting involved in the diabetes community is also a good way to meet people living with diabetes who may have other things in common with you, like your life stage, interests or LGBTQ+ identity.
Some research suggests that community engagement can have a positive impact on health in general1 and may improve your blood glucose levels and diabetes self-care habits.2,3
4 ways to connect with the diabetes community
There are a growing number of diabetes communities that can support you on your journey, both online and in person. Keep in mind that while these connections can contribute to your self-care, it’s always best to talk to your healthcare team when making treatment decisions.
1. Diabetes support groups
Joining a diabetes support group can be helpful if you’re processing a diagnosis or simply want to connect with other people living with the condition. Support groups can provide information about diabetes resources in your local area. They’re also useful for friends or family members who want to learn more about diabetes to better support you.
Ask your diabetes care team if they know about any support groups nearby. You can also start your own through a platform like MeetUp. Diabetes UK organises local support groups across the UK, hosting monthly sessions as well as diabetes awareness, fundraising, campaigning and social events.
2. Diabetes events
Diabetes events bring the community together and raise awareness, with many offering self-management education and support. Dexcom has hosted several meet-ups, such as the No Pricks Parlour and Dexcom Yoga, to foster community and educate people about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology and the role it can have in their diabetes management. Subscribe to the Dexcom UK social media channels to stay updated on new events. You can also find events through:
- The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The JDRF funds type 1 diabetes research and hosts virtual and in-person information events. The foundation also organises the One Walk fundraiser.
- The Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation (DRWF). DRWF runs fundraisers and diabetes awareness events and programs, like the Diabetes Dawdle, Dance for Diabetes and Skydive for Diabetes.
- Diabetes UK. Visit the Diabetes UK events page to view and sign up for events, including the TCS London Marathon.
Your diabetes care team or support group may have more tips about local events. Sites like Eventbrite are also useful for finding smaller diabetes community happenings around the UK.
3. Social media and online forums
Consider engaging with online communities as a way to stay connected if you can’t attend face-to-face events or if your usual support circle is unavailable. Social media can be a valuable source of empowerment, as well as emotional and technical support when living with diabetes.4 It also serves as a powerful platform to spread awareness about diabetes since it can reach larger audiences than offline events.
If you’re unsure where to start, the Dexcom UK Facebook and Instagram pages are great places to find and engage with other people’s diabetes stories. Diabetes UK, Diabetes.co.uk, and JDRF also have social media pages. Following diabetes influencers is another way to access the online diabetes community, along with searching the hashtag #DOC (diabetes online community).
If you want to ask questions, request support or find other people living with your specific type of diabetes, consider visiting online forums. Carenity has separate forums for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes.co.uk forums have mobile app support and cater to different diabetes types and age groups, including one for children and teens. There’s also the Diabetes UK forum, as well as r/diabetes, r/type2diabetes, and r/diabetes_t2 on Reddit.
4. Dexcom Warriors
The Dexcom Warrior program provides a community for people living with diabetes to share their experiences—but it also offers a supportive network for members to spread awareness about the benefits of using Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Systems. Warriors represent a diverse group of people, such as professional cyclist Sam Brand, fashion model Roxy Horner, and 9-year-old Warrior Ava.†
Dexcom regularly hosts special events for Warriors and encourages members to share their stories on social media (and other platforms). But anyone that uses Dexcom products can join – you don’t have to be famous or even on social media to be part of the community.
Join the Dexcom Warrior program
Finding a diabetes community can be an effective way to feel more connected and improve your self-care. This process will look different for everyone, depending on where you live, what you need and how much you want to get involved. If you’ve benefited from using a Dexcom CGM System, consider becoming a Dexcom Warrior to join a supportive community, spread awareness about CGM technology, and get involved in Dexcom events.
Footnotes
* All diabetes management decisions should be discussed with your healthcare professional (HCP).
† Warriors are sponsored spokespeople for Dexcom.
1 Haldane V, et al. Community participation in health services development, implementation, and evaluation: A systematic review of empowerment, health, community, and process outcomes. PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216112. Published 2019 May 10. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216112.
2 Litchman ML, et al. Effect of Diabetes Online Community Engagement on Health Indicators: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Diabetes. 2018;3(2):e8. Published 2018 Apr 24. doi:10.2196/diabetes.8603.
3 Samudera WS, et al. Effect of community and peer support based healthy lifestyle program (CP-HELP) on self care behavior and fasting blood glucose in patient with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2021;20(1):193-199. Published 2021 Jan 23. doi:10.1007/s40200-021-00729-y.
4 Gavrila V, et al. Peer Support Through a Diabetes Social Media Community. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2019;13(3):493-497. doi:10.1177/1932296818818828
† Warriors are sponsored spokespeople for Dexcom.
1 Haldane V, et al. Community participation in health services development, implementation, and evaluation: A systematic review of empowerment, health, community, and process outcomes. PLoS One. 2019;14(5):e0216112. Published 2019 May 10. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216112.
2 Litchman ML, et al. Effect of Diabetes Online Community Engagement on Health Indicators: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Diabetes. 2018;3(2):e8. Published 2018 Apr 24. doi:10.2196/diabetes.8603.
3 Samudera WS, et al. Effect of community and peer support based healthy lifestyle program (CP-HELP) on self care behavior and fasting blood glucose in patient with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2021;20(1):193-199. Published 2021 Jan 23. doi:10.1007/s40200-021-00729-y.
4 Gavrila V, et al. Peer Support Through a Diabetes Social Media Community. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2019;13(3):493-497. doi:10.1177/1932296818818828