The young generation usually newly diagnosed with diabetes will have a range of reactions and emotions. Common reactions experienced by children and their parents include shock, denial, anger, sadness, fear, and guilt. These feelings usually subside with time and appropriate support.


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Common responses to a diagnosis of diabetes include:


  • Anxiety about the condition.
  • Fear of needles and multiple injections.
  • A feeling of being overwhelmed by injecting and other tasks that need to be performed daily.
  • Frustration over fluctuating blood glucose levels.
  • Feeling 'different'.
  • Fear of experiencing hypoglycemia (low blood glucose – potential symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, and losing consciousness) in public.
  • Embarrassment about their diabetes and their friends' possible negative reactions.
  • Difficulty coping with the emotional reaction of family members

It's normal for children or adolescents to feel sad, angry, and fed up with their diabetes at times. After all, diabetes is a lifelong condition, so the tasks and skills needed to manage it must be continued over a lifetime.


The period immediately after being diagnosed with diabetes can be challenging. Living with and managing diabetes every day can be a struggle. Children are commonly concerned about:


  • Feeling like they are a burden on the family.
  • Being treated differently or delicately, as if they are 'sick'.
  • Coping with constant parental questions about their food intake, how they are feeling and whether or not they have taken their insulin.
  • Getting extra attention from parents or others may cause jealousy among other siblings

Emotional support offered by friends, family, and diabetes healthcare personnel can be very helpful during this time and can improve the way children or teenagers cope with their diabetes.


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