http://type2diabetestreatment.net/diabetes-mellitus/diabetes-blog-week-day-3-speaking-with-caution/
Welcome to Diabetes Blog Week 2016, Day 3. Today, the community is asked to rally around the oft-controversial topic of how we talk about diabetes, as in:
"Many advocate for the importance of using non-stigmatizing, inclusive and non-judgmental language when speaking about or to people with diabetes. Some don"t care, but others care passionately. Where do you stand when it comes to "person with diabetes" versus "diabetic," or "checking" blood sugar versus "testing," etc.? Let"s explore the power of words..."
Interestingly, the ADA (American Diabetes Association) just issued new guidance to its members on this topic in its Standards of Care (!), stating, "... the word "diabetic" will no longer be used when referring to individuals with diabetes... The ADA will continue to use the term "diabetic" as an adjective for complications related to diabetes (e.g., diabetic retinopathy)."
So there you have it: "diabetic" is officially a persona non grata term.
And now, a perspective from our own social media assistant here at the "Mine, blogger and advocate Rachel Kerstetter.
On Language and Diabetes, by Rachel Kerstetter
Today"s topic is all about words. As a writer and public relations professional, words are incredibly important to me. I select my words based on the message and tone that I need to convey. I have to speak with caution in many areas
of my job to be on brand, on message and "on the same page" with my clients. I also speak with caution when I talk about diabetes.
Diabetes needs better PR, in my opinion. The stigma that is associated with diabetes of all types is incredibly strong, which makes it tough to deal with and tougher to break through and really advocate for diabetes education. Whether we realize it or not, words are possibly the most effective tool at our disposal to break down the stigmas around diabetes.
I pick my words with great care when it comes to this condition. I try to be specific when I talk about diabetes, using the type names and specifying "carbs" rather than saying "sugar" because the more people hear accurate information about diabetes, the more they"ll understand and remember.
It"s only been recently that I"ve begun to accept the words "disease" and "sick" as they relate to my type 1 diabetes. I don"t feel diseased or sick. In general I feel healthy. But it"s hard to articulate exactly how I want my health condition to be described, so I have to accept the words that make sense to the general population. I think all of us PWDs (people with diabetes) struggle with that dichotomy of wanting to others to understand that on the one hand, our diabetes is a Big Deal -- but on the other hand it isn"t; we can do most everything that "healthy" people can.
In the middle of all this, one word that"s like nails on a chalkboard to me is "diabetic." Recently I was at a local diabetes organization event where two registered dietitians were giving a talk on carb counting. They never once called us people or patients, but instead kept saying "diabetic" and "diabetics." The point of their talk was supposed to be dealing with food in the real world, yet I sat there cringing every time I heard "what I tell my diabetics is" and "a diabetic needs to..."
I thought about how this talk wasn"t going to help me deal with food in the real world if these HCPs don"t even think of us as real people, but just a disease. I ended up being right, and leaving the talk with no new knowledge whatsoever on how to deal with diabetes and food in real-world situations. It was so frustrating to hear about carb and non-carb foods and even see a list of situations like family parties and restaurants on a slide, but still get no actual advice on dealing with any of it! We were just a room full of "diabetics," not a room full of people with diabetes trying to learn how to deal with this condition as part of a normal life.
Diabetes is just part of my story, a single facet of my life. Yes, I"m careful to acknowledge that I have diabetes, but I don"t like to have my identity boiled down to this single fact.
In short, I’m really sensitive to the way that people use words -- so sensitive in fact that I can become physically uncomfortable when people use words poorly or in a way that I find to be a misrepresentation.
Words are very powerful and I feel that by being selective with the words we use about diabetes, we can help others better understand this illness and what living with it is REALLY like.
Further reading on the terminology issue:
Diabetes Labels: The Name Game - by "Mine editor Amy Tenderich, from her start way back in 2005
Diabetic or Person with Diabetes - community viewpoints by professionals and patients, at dLife.com 2013
"A Diabetic" vs. "A Person with Diabetes": the Impact of Language on Beliefs About Diabetes - scholarly article in the Nov. 2013 issue of "European Diabetes Nursing" journal
Using "Diabetic" vs. "Person with Diabetes" - Does It Matter? - by our own Mike Hoskins in 2014
PWD v. Diabetic - Hack Diabetes community discussion, Spring 2015
Disclaimer
This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn"t adhere to Healthline"s editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline"s partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.
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