178. "What If I Didn’t Have T1D?" Exploring the Ambiguous Grief of Chronic Illness

Is it normal to grieve the life you imagined before T1D? In today’s episode, we’re joined by registered psychotherapist, founder of her own private practice, and fellow T1D, Kirsten Davidson, to explore just that. Together, we unpack the emotional layers of type 1 diabetes that often go unspoken. From the quiet grief of “what could’ve been,” to how blood sugars impact our emotional state, to the ways avoidance can quietly shape our relationship with T1D. Kirsten brings both personal insight and professional expertise to this conversation, offering powerful validation for the mental and emotional weight that comes with chronic illness. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or years into your journey, this episode is a gentle, much-needed reminder: your emotional experience matters, and you’re not alone in it.

Quick Takeaways:

• Understanding of the interplay between T1D and mental health
• The importance of allowing yourself to grieve your T1D diagnosis and process the emotional weight that often goes unspoken
• ​​How trauma, stress, and survival mode responses can shape your relationship with diabetes over time
• The emotional impact of blood sugar fluctuations and how they affect more than just your body 
• BONUS TOPIC: How parents can model emotional awareness and foster empowered, supportive relationships with their T1D children

Timestamps:

• [02:50] Blood sugar check to start today’s episode 
• [05:29] Physiological and physical side effects of a high blood sugar 
• [06:13] “What are the symptoms? And then what's the story we tell ourselves about the number?”
• [06:36] Stress hormones & how they impact blood sugar 
• [10:53] Working through trauma: “I had this one experience. And now anything resembling it is going to equal that experience.”
• [11:34] “When we're in a moment of survival, we have four options - fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.”
• [15:19] Allowing yourself time to grieve after your diagnosis 
• [16:00] Rewriting the narratives you are telling yourself 
• [20:51] Being aware of what you are thinking AND why 
• [22:43] Navigating the emotional toll on the relationship between a parent and their T1D child  
• [25:10] Parental modelling & empowering your T1D child 
• [32:27] Learning to ‘sit in the mess’
• [34:10] “Grieving the life that you would have had without type 1 diabetes”
• [38:39] The truth about having a 'it is what it is’ mindset 

What to do now: 

1. 🔍 Keep up with the Diabetes Research Institute 's cure-focused research & progress towards a cure by subscribing to their newsletter HERE.
2. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop.
3. Connect with Kirsten: on Instagram @kirsten.davidson or on her website MindTheGaps.co
4. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.