Instead of resolutions, I’d like to suggest opportunities in 2020. Most of us who are alive today didn’t experience the “Roaring Twenties” of the last century. What a decade it appears to have been – full of boldness (and dancing). I hope we can be bold in 2020 by seizing opportunities and making them reality.
One thing we’ve been making slow and steady progress on in the 20-teens is the language movement in diabetes. This actually started decades ago, although few may be aware of that. We know now that stigma is a very real and serious problem in diabetes. Unfortunately the stigma around diabetes is ingrained and the messages used about and toward people with diabetes align with that stigma. It’s time to change that once and for all.
There has been a lot of discussion about particular words and their negative impact on people with diabetes. There have been suggestions for replacing them. This is all good and exciting. What’s most important, though, is that we understand why the language around diabetes needs to change. It’s much more than any one particular word; it’s the mindset, attitude or approach behind it.
This is true for health professionals talking and writing about (people with) diabetes, the general public, and even people living with diabetes ourselves. Each of us has a role in changing this mindset about diabetes and we can lead by example to make sure it catches on.
Once we take on an attitude/approach of partnership, ownership, acceptance, strength, and empowerment, the appropriate words will follow. Let’s do that in 2020! Let’s not just meet people where they are, let’s accept them where they are. Let’s partner for improved outcomes – improved communication and relationships between patients and providers, and more engagement in self-care.
I imagine opportunity begets opportunity. Let’s find out!