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  1. Some health care providers need to realise, none of us want diabetes complications and this draconian approach to motivating diabetics by putting the fear of God into them by highlighting diabetes complications needs to STOP. In 1969 when i was first diagnosed i was told i would go blind, have my legs amputated etc………….I remember (as i was just 10 yo and had no access to any scientific data, not to mention no one even bothered to talk to me, i was talked over) EVERY night fearing i would one morning wake up blind and developed a high level of anxiety. Remember back then laser treatment was unheard of.

    After 35 years in health i am still amazed at how many HCP continue to lack the skills to realise the many barriers that present themselves to achieving blood glucose levels within range. HCP fail to realise or indeed to even seek explanation as to what these barriers are, rather using fear tactics as a motivator. Well it doesn’t work and HCP’s need to spend more time seeking the reason each individual is not achieving the “management goals” these HCP set out. Strategic National Goals and balancing this with what the person with diabetes can and wants to achieve and addressing BARRIERS are vital, but it is NOT happening. Take for example the current discourse about CGM, the diabetes community voiced it wanted to ease the burden by subsidies CGM or at least subsided newer technology to ease the relentless burden of glucose monitoring, it voiced clearly this should be for all diabetics whom are vulnerable, did we initially get heard: NO. So clearly the long term relentless burden is just one aspect of diabetes that it appears HCP’s don’t want to talk about.

    We hear all the jargon about “client orientated management for diabetes”, yet i still hear of diabetics being told “well if you don’t listen” or “if you are not going to help yourself i can’t help you”. When HCP start to put into practise that they are their to guild not only the compliant, the motivated and the “heroes” but also those struggling, those who have barriers they feel too embarrassed or ashamed to talk about, then and only then will those labelled “non compliant” whom generally “do not attend”, usually due to the fact they feel like failures and do not want to be subjected to further judgement or humiliation will start to feel supported in this relentless disease called diabetes that has far reaching effects on all areas of life.

    It is long overdue that some HCP’s start to look at “risk reduction” based on individual ability, address barriers to motivation by firstly FINDING OUT what these barriers are. For this to be achieved it is not that difficult, it is called “listening to the client”, with compassion and not bringing in ones own judgements. Why we need jargonistic crap to be treated in a humane manner by HCP is a reflection of a society so intent on PERFECTION it has forgotten our most basic needs, COMPASSION and ACCEPTANCE! Add to this some clinicians whom go outside their scope of practise when dealing with complex issues and have no formal training or idea offering platitudes like “love your diabetes” or “it’s ok to rant”, with the blessing of the so called esteemed Australian Diabetes Affiliations.

    Their are some diabetes clinicians and others in heath who are exemplary and skilled but they are few and far between. UK are a fantastic example of “client centre diabetes management”, as usual Australia lags behind some 20 years. I say their is no such thing as a “non complaint” diabetic only a system that has not approached this disease in a manner that addressed the “barriers” to “risk reduction”. We all get the complication aspect and if it were that simple then we would all be “compliant”, “good”, “well controlled”, “easy patients to work with” and what ever else diabetics are labelled with by some HCP’s.

    Some under developed HCP’s need to stop feeding their own egos and realise own successes or failures are simply because we are all afflicted with this human condition called “life”. We all want a diabetes clinician that will accept our success, our limitations and our failures, at whatever stage of life. IT IS NOT HAPPENING ON A LARGE SCALE in Australia but beware, voice this and reprisals can and do take many overt and covert forms.

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