Episode 353 - The Hidden Mental Load: A T1D Pshycotherapist on Burnout, Grief, and Letting Go

About this episode

The episode discusses the mental health challenges faced by individuals with Type 1 diabetes, featuring insights from a psychotherapist who is also a T1D.

What happens in the room when a therapist with Type 1 diabetes hears the same fear over and over, that everyone else has their numbers under control, and you’re the only one who doesn’t? Rob sits down with Christine Keown, a registered psychotherapist and T1D since age four, to have the conversation that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime. Recorded right in the middle of the Diabetes and Mental Health Conference, this one covers a lot of ground and goes places most diabetes content never does. Christine shares what she calls her “meta-analysis” of her clients: the common threads she sees across every person with diabetes who walks through her door. The fear of judgment around numbers. A fractured sense of identity after diagnosis. The compounding spiral of healthcare avoidance. And high-functioning burnout, the kind that looks completely fine at work and only shows up at home. Rob opens up, sharing what a recent diabetes meditation retreat revealed to him about conditional joy, self-compassion, and why he’s been sitting with the uncomfortable truth that he’s not nearly as in control as he’d like to be. One of the standout moments is Christine’s live demonstration of an ACT…

People in this episode

Host: Rob

Guest: Christine Keown

Topics covered

• mental health
• burnout
• grief
• diabetes management
• identity
• self-compassion

Keywords

• Type 1 diabetes
• mental health
• burnout
• grief
• self-compassion
• ACT therapy
• healthcare avoidance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Diabetes and Mental Health Conference

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