The power of community: Advocacy for action on the psychosocial aspects of diabetes

My uncle was diagnosed 37 years before me. Our first conversations made me realise how important it was to share with others who understand. I knew community was going to be important if I wanted to live well with diabetes. Diabetes peer support was the piece of the jigsaw that was missing from most of my 71 years of living with diabetes. Diabetes technology has revealed many unseen variables impacting glucose levels. Within our peer support networks we have been able to engage in discussions that are almost impossible to have in time-limited clinical encounters. These peer-led and driven conversations are fires in the heart of diabetes advocacy. Peer support is core for many PWD for keeping up personal therapies and dealing with the burden it brings. Motivation, information, even strategies for talking to HCPs empower us! Communities don't just support people emotionally, they shape priorities. When burden is shared and validated, it becomes impossible for systems to ignore it. That is how community moves emotional health into advocacy agendas. In my peer support group, the satisfying part was saving lives of diabetics. This is the power of lived experience. Sharing our stories really helps others. Across islands and oceans, community becomes our bridge. Until care, insulin, and knowledge reach every person, in every corner. We extend our thanks to members of the #dedoc° community who shared their lived experience expertise, experiences, and insights to contribute to this commentary. All #dedoc° community member quotations used in this commentary are shared with their consent. RS has received consulting fees from Sanofi, Roche, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly.