This guide is for anyone who has just been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, or who knows someone who has. It covers what diabetes is, how it's managed, and — crucially — what most beginner guides leave out.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition that affects how your body produces or uses insulin — a hormone made by the pancreas that allows glucose (sugar) to enter your cells and be used for energy.
When that process breaks down, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead. Over time, if not managed, high blood sugar can affect the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves. That sounds alarming. It's also manageable — and millions of people living with diabetes lead full, active lives.
Types of diabetes
Diabetes is not one condition. There are several distinct types, each with different causes and different management approaches.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D)
An autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The pancreas produces little or no insulin as a result. People living with T1D require insulin to survive — there is no alternative and no lifestyle change that can replace it. T1D is not caused by diet or lifestyle. It can develop at any age. This is the focus of most of The Diabetic Survivor's content, because this is the type we live with.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D)
A condition where the body doesn't use insulin effectively, or doesn't produce enough of it. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes globally. It's influenced by a combination of genetics, environment and other factors. It is not simply caused by eating badly — and that narrative, which causes real harm to people living with T2D, needs to stop. Management ranges from lifestyle approaches to medication to insulin, depending on the individual.
Other types
There are other forms of diabetes that are less commonly discussed but equally real: MODY (Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young), a group of rare genetic conditions; LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults), sometimes called Type 1.5; gestational diabetes, which develops during pregnancy; and secondary diabetes caused by other conditions or medications. If something doesn't quite fit the T1D or T2D picture, it's worth asking your care team to look further.
How is type 1 diabetes managed?
People living with T1D manage their condition by replacing the insulin their pancreas no longer produces. This is done through:
- Insulin injections — using a pen or syringe, multiple times a day
- Insulin pump therapy — a small device worn on the body that delivers insulin continuously
- Blood glucose monitoring — through finger prick tests or a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor), a small sensor worn on the skin that reads glucose levels in real time
- Hybrid closed-loop systems — where a CGM and insulin pump communicate with an algorithm to automatically adjust insulin delivery. This is the closest thing to an artificial pancreas currently available.
Alongside insulin, people living with T1D factor in food, exercise, stress, illness, hormones, sleep — all of which affect blood sugar. There is no simple formula. It requires constant attention and constant adjustment.
What nobody tells you at the beginning
Most beginner guides focus on the physical: blood sugar ranges, what to eat, how to inject, what the numbers mean. That information matters. But it's only half of the picture.
The part that's harder to find in a leaflet is this: the real challenge of living with diabetes is not the blood sugar. It's the weight of managing it, every single hour of every single day, for the rest of your life.
Some endocrinologists treat diabetes management like a car going to the garage — fix the parts, adjust the settings, send you on your way. And while the clinical side absolutely matters, that framing misses something important. You are not a car. And diabetes is not something you fix.
It is something you live with. And living with it — the mental load, the emotional exhaustion, the never-ending decision-making — is a legitimate and significant part of the condition that deserves as much attention as your A1c.
People living with diabetes make approximately 180 extra decisions per day compared to someone without diabetes. Whether to eat, how much insulin to give, whether to correct now or wait, whether that reading is accurate, whether to exercise, what to carry in your bag, whether the headache is a headache or a hypo. That cognitive load accumulates. It is exhausting. And it is real.
Diabetes burnout — the emotional exhaustion that comes from managing a 24/7 condition with no days off — is common, recognised, and nothing to be ashamed of. It affects people who are doing everything "right." If you experience it, you are not failing. You are human.
If you're newly diagnosed, ask your care team not just about blood sugar targets, but about psychological support. A diabetes specialist nurse, a diabetes psychologist, or a peer support group can make a meaningful difference — not as a last resort, but as a standard part of care.
A note on language
The words used around diabetes matter more than most people realise. "Uncontrolled diabetes," "non-compliant patient," "brought it on yourself" — these phrases are common, inaccurate, and harmful. They imply failure and blame where neither belongs.
Diabetes is not something a person controls like a tap. It is managed — imperfectly, constantly, by real people doing their best with a condition that has no off switch. The Language Matters movement, backed by NHS England and diabetes organisations worldwide, exists to address exactly this. If you're a healthcare professional reading this: the words you use in an appointment stay with your patients long after they leave the room.
Blood sugar numbers are information, not grades
This is worth saying clearly, especially to anyone newly diagnosed: a high or low blood sugar reading is not a reflection of your effort, your discipline, or your worth. It is data. It tells you what your body needs right now. That's all.
Diabetes management involves so many variables — stress, sleep, hormones, illness, what you ate three hours ago, how far you walked — that perfect blood sugar control is not a realistic or fair standard. The goal is to stay as well as possible, as often as possible, while also living a full life. Those two things are not in conflict.
Useful resources for people newly diagnosed
These are reliable, evidence-based sources that we point people toward:
- JDRF (Breakthrough T1D) — Type 1 Diabetes Basics
- Diabetes UK — Type 1 Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association — Type 1
- International Diabetes Federation — Type 1 Diabetes
- dStigmatize — Stigma-free diabetes language and advocacy
- #dedoc° — International Diabetes Online Community
From The Diabetic Survivor
If you want to go deeper, here are some of our own pieces that expand on what's been covered here:
- Living with Type 1 Diabetes — A Personal Account
- The A–Z of Diabetes Slang & Language: IYKYK
- The Diabetes Technology Timeline
- A Brief History of DIY Diabetes Looping
The Diabetic Survivor is run by Santiago, a visual designer who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 1997. This guide reflects lived experience and publicly available information — it is not a substitute for advice from your diabetes care team.