Dr. Bill Polonsky: What the World Still Hasn’t Heard About Emotional Health and T1D

Dr. Bill Polonsky, President and Co-Founder of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute, joins Scott to talk about dealing with the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes.

This isn’t about burnout as a buzzword or a clinical label. It’s about the real, day-to-day emotional weight of managing a condition that never lets up, and how that weight can quietly shape how we think, feel, and care for ourselves.

In this conversation, Dr. Polonsky helps unpack what diabetes distress actually is, why it’s so common (and so misunderstood), and what we can do about it. If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at diabetes, or just tired of the constant mental load, this one will likely hit close to home and hopefully offer some helpful strategies.

What You'll Learn

• What diabetes distress really is (and what it’s not)
• Why “trying harder” often makes things worse
• The difference between depression and diabetes distress
• Why experiencing diabetes distress is normal for those with type 1 diabetes
• Practical ways to reduce the emotional burden of diabetes
• What actually helps when you’re overwhelmed

Key Quotes

• “It’s this very common feeling… where you just can feel this sense of pressure and burden of living with diabetes every day.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky
• “We used to think that depression was extremely common in people with type one diabetes… and what we now realize is that was wrong.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky
• “People were scoring high on depression questionnaires, but what we were really picking up was how overwhelmed they were about their diabetes.” – Dr. Bill Polonsky
• “Don’t do diabetes alone!” – Dr. Bill Polonsky

Resources & Links

• Learn more about diabetes distress at http://diabetesdistress.org/
• Learn more about the Behavioral Diabetes Institute at http://behavioraldiabetes.org/
• Blue Circle Health (learn more / sign up) - https://bluecirclehealth.org

What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?

The US healthcare system makes it difficult, expensive, and often impossible for people with T1D to access the care, education, and support they need to live. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D.

Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health (https://bluecirclehealth.org/), a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes.