In response to so many comments on this blog from people looking for help, here’s more information on my view of what’s involved in recovering from ‘insulin omission in the service of weight control’ (or “diabulimia”, but I dislike using this term a lot–as it seems to jargonize or triviallize this serious problem) takes a long time and requires that the person have a diabetes care team to work with who is nonjudgmental, and will pay attention to weight goals as well as BG goals.

The involvement of a mental health professional experienced with eating disorders and diabetes is essential, and these folks are rare.

However, the mental health provider must work closely with the diabetes medical providers, it truly requires a team approach. And this also involves the ‘family team’, so the significant others (family) of the person who is caught in the vicious cycle of insulin omission in the service of weight control must also be part of the recovery plan.

Often an in-patient hospitalization may be necessary in a facility experienced with this unique problem, and several do exist. However, I do not want to endorse any specific place, as the quality of care can change dramatically with changes in staff and funding, etc. A psychologist or social worker attached to a diabetes team can do the research needed to help a patient find an in-patient eating disorders facility that is experienced in diabetes and eating disorders and as close geographically as possible.

So I guess the bottom line for a person looking for help is to have an understanding and experienced diabetes care team for support and referrals. I truly hope that those who have shared their struggle will seek out the help they need to manage this dangerous behavior.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 15th, 2007 at 5:34 am and is filed under Behavioral, Diabulimia, Insulin Ommission. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.