November is diabetes awareness month—are you doing your part? Great strides have been made in diabetes management in recent years, so that flexibility and balance are the main components. Yet many people don’t know about these new developments and often think that you’re just not supposed to have sugar.

Their lack of understanding sometimes gets frustrating, but being patient and teaching the people around you about what good management entails can help you win some of your greatest allies.

Take the time to explain to your friends and trusted coworkers how you manage your diet and exercise to maintain good blood glucose. Explain to them what blood glucose testing even means. Welcome questions as opportunities to help others and yourself. You’ll soon find yourself with plenty of buddies for exercising and healthy cooking and eating. And when you hit a blood glucose low or need help, they’ll already know what to do.

Problem solving

Sometimes, however, people may not react to your diabetes the way you might hope. Try to remember that most people, particularly those closest to you, are genuinely concerned for your welfare—they may just not know how to express it in useful ways.

If someone tries to police every bite you put in your mouth, there’s a good chance they’re acting out of fear about your diabetes. Feeling powerless, they’ll try to be in control anyway. Left unchecked, you may start to resent them and your relationship will suffer.

Honesty is the best policy in these situations. You shouldn’t have to report to anyone, but a little reassurance can go a long way. If your sister is worried that you don’t eat enough vegetables, for example, whip up a tempting salad and invite her over for lunch. Advertising your efforts can be effective in silencing critics.

In some instances, you may have to sit down for a heart-to-heart about how their behavior is affecting you. Avoid criticism—you already know how ineffective and discouraging that can be. Just state clearly how their actions make you feel. They likely don’t understand how difficult managing diabetes can be on a daily basis.

Then, work out a clear, detailed solution to the problem. Going to a diabetes class or reading books about diabetes together can be a good start to mutual understanding. Let the person be a part of the solution. Be patient, and you’ll soon find yourself negativity-free and with some real help managing your condition.

The fact is, many people don’t know that much about diabetes. You’re in a unique position to clear up confusion about how to manage the disease. And teaching others isn’t just helping them. It also helps you build a solid support system in your own daily diabetes management.