Teenage son won't do his insulin

Davidcharles

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Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi not sure what to do my son is 17now and has had type 1 for many years . We have had ups and downs over the years with injection and pump . At the moment he is on injection but thinks he knows better when he's low or high but he is running high all the time . Unfortunately he is full of attitude towards his diabetes we have many arguments and it just courses upset all round . I'm at a lose as now I'm watching my son slowly kill himself but he just doesn't care
 

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Hi not sure what to do my son is 17now and has had type 1 for many years . We have had ups and downs over the years with injection and pump . At the moment he is on injection but thinks he knows better when he's low or high but he is running high all the time . Unfortunately he is full of attitude towards his diabetes we have many arguments and it just courses upset all round . I'm at a lose as now I'm watching my son slowly kill himself but he just doesn't care
Hello, welcome!
I'm very sorry you're going through this :(
Have you been able to sit down as a family to discuss it? To come as a family to find support for him, through therapy etc. It'll be a trip to the GP to ask for help or contact his team to see if they have any links or a contact number to be referred to see a clinical psychologist. I know teenagers suffer quite bit at school and I was wondering he has any trouble at school with his condition.
 
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Davidcharles

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14
Type of diabetes
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Treatment type
Insulin
Hello, welcome!
I'm very sorry you're going through this :(
Have you been able to sit down as a family to discuss it? To come as a family to find support for him, through therapy etc. It'll be a trip to the GP to ask for help or contact his team to see if they have any links or a contact number to be referred to see a clinical psychologist. I know teenagers suffer quite bit at school and I was wondering he has any trouble at school with his condition.
Hi we have already sat though many hours of therapy . He is no long at school he works now and he gos to collage . Each time we end up in an argument he says he would reather be dead then have to do insulin . It is horrible situation but all I want is for him to understand he has to and needs insulin
 
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Davidcharles

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Messages
14
Type of diabetes
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Often the teenage years can be quite traumatic for some and having a lifelong condition like type 1 diabetes is a real downer. He just wants to be like his mates, carefree and invincible too. So injecting and testing just gets in the way, hopefully it's just a phase, but I do feel for you.[/QUOTE]
Thanks he is just like the first story in that link we used to do all his blood tests and insulin over many years till he was old enough to do his fast acting himself but I do think he trys to ignore it and now gets angery when we ask or confront him about not doing blood test or insulin . It's horrible the way he's now developed this care free don't care attitude
 

MeiChanski

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,992
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi we have already sat though many hours of therapy . He is no long at school he works now and he gos to collage . Each time we end up in an argument he says he would reather be dead then have to do insulin . It is horrible situation but all I want is for him to understand he has to and needs insulin
Has therapy helped? I know we as type 1's face burn out. It's why I asked does he have any issues in college, among friends? I know the youngsters want to eat, drink, flirt with girls etc, like be carefree. It can be seen as form of self destructive behaviour, but ignoring diabetes won't make it go away. There are things that can help him test, like CGMs or Freestyle libre sensors, Whether that will motivate him to do better, I don't know. One can only try eh? But those tools make our lives a tad easier and comfortable, however you still need to test to calibrate from time to time. It is discreet, your son can use his phone with NFC to scan the libre sensor, his friends wouldn't know. You'll need to speak to his team or consultant to ask about it. As for insulin, I wouldn't know, other than to encourage him to take it.
My mother too, had to watch me go through DKA for the first 3 years of secondary school. We all know what happens if we don't take insulin and it is hard. DKA isn't nice and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I am sending your family and your son lots of hugs, things will get better. He needs you right now, it might be his attitude doing all the talking but there's a small part of him saying "dad, please help me".
 
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Marie 2

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Messages
2,394
Type of diabetes
LADA
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Pump
Unfortunately teenagers want to fit in badly and also think they are invincible. They just really aren't around too many people that die at their age so it helps perpetuate it won't happen to me attitude.

I didn't get type 1 until I was older. But I do remember that attitude I had. I am wondering if you can find another type 1 young person for him to talk to? (Maybe even someone that has had DKA) Or some kind of group of younger type 1's if you can get him to go?
 

Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Has therapy helped? I know we as type 1's face burn out. It's why I asked does he have any issues in college, among friends? I know the youngsters want to eat, drink, flirt with girls etc, like be carefree. It can be seen as form of self destructive behaviour, but ignoring diabetes won't make it go away. There are things that can help him test, like CGMs or Freestyle libre sensors, Whether that will motivate him to do better, I don't know. One can only try eh? But those tools make our lives a tad easier and comfortable, however you still need to test to calibrate from time to time. It is discreet, your son can use his phone with NFC to scan the libre sensor, his friends wouldn't know. You'll need to speak to his team or consultant to ask about it. As for insulin, I wouldn't know, other than to encourage him to take it.
My mother too, had to watch me go through DKA for the first 3 years of secondary school. We all know what happens if we don't take insulin and it is hard. DKA isn't nice and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I am sending your family and your son lots of hugs, things will get better. He needs you right now, it might be his attitude doing all the talking but there's a small part of him saying "dad, please help me".
When he was first diagnosed at the age of 4 we didn't now what was happening he had a bad tummy then feel pritty I'll we toke him to the hospital they just said it was a virus so we went home but 5 hours later he could barely breath and was DKA we toke him back to the hospital not happy with there first diagnosis when a doctor spotted him he got blue lighted to a bigger hospital and was baddly suffering ketoacidosis and spent about 3 to 4 days in intensive care . We over heard two doctors talking saying they don't no what effect it will have long term . After that we met with the diabetes team who talked us though everything . So now 13 years later we do how to treat and carb count and spot the signs . But like I was saying he has taken the I would rather die then have to inject every day attitude
 

Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Unfortunately teenagers want to fit in badly and also think they are invincible. They just really aren't around too many people that die at their age so it helps perpetuate it won't happen to me attitude.

I didn't get type 1 until I was older. But I do remember that attitude I had. I am wondering if you can find another type 1 young person for him to talk to? (Maybe even someone that has had DKA) Or some kind of group of younger type 1's if you can get him to go?
Not sure we used to belong to a group called snack pack that brought type 1s together .he is having issues at collage not inviting his course and swoppping to a new one this year . But he is a typical teen he lives in his room only coming out for food or going to work the doctor's said he have to take control himself not for us to do everything for him and that's the problem he just won't do things properly
 
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When he was first diagnosed at the age of 4 we didn't now what was happening he had a bad tummy then feel pritty I'll we toke him to the hospital they just said it was a virus so we went home but 5 hours later he could barely breath and was DKA we toke him back to the hospital not happy with there first diagnosis when a doctor spotted him he got blue lighted to a bigger hospital and was baddly suffering ketoacidosis and spent about 3 to 4 days in intensive care . We over heard two doctors talking saying they don't no what effect it will have long term . After that we met with the diabetes team who talked us though everything . So now 13 years later we do how to treat and carb count and spot the signs . But like I was saying he has taken the I would rather die then have to inject every day attitude

Hi, my granddaughter was diagnosed at 2 1/2 yrs and seriously ill and she too was was misdiagnosed at the hospital by a doctor,( even though diabetes was suspected by parents, who went to their GP before diagnosis. and then rushed back in the middle of the night because she was so ill, I was heart broken and devastated. My granddaughter will be 11 soon and I worry about the upcoming teenage years, as sometimes she doesn't like having diabetes.
Here is a link from this forum, it's a few years old now, but still helpful :
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/my-22-year-old-type-1-son-is-in-denial-help.60560/
 

Tophat1900

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2,407
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Type 3c
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Other
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Seems to be that age, when being rebellious kicks in and they don't listen etc. Living with chronic conditions at that age I can remember throwing caution to the wind. In hindsight, it's not a good idea. It doesn't workout well, but I did learn from my mistakes. Then as a parent, I had to sit through the same thing with a rebellious teenage daughter. All we could do as parents was be there when needed. I'm not sure what else you can do except just be there when those times arise. Hopefully you don't have to go through too many.
 

Muneeb

Well-Known Member
Messages
428
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Tbh, I was the same through my teenage years. Not that I didn't want to take any insulin, but looking after my diabetes wasn't my main priority. I would generally run high and not test my bloods, just to be 'normal'. But as I got a bit older and wiser, I knew I couldn't be 'normal' if I wasn't healthy.

I realized the damage I was doing to my body, and generally once complications occur its difficult to get rid of them, so I wanted to minimize this in the first place. Now I took ownership of my own health, I got into fitness, nutrition etc and I have never felt better, my glucose levels are great, that goes hand in hand with me enjoying fitness and eating right.

It really is a matter of education, but nobody can help someone unless they are willing to help themselves. As harsh as it sounds, you can't always be there to look out for him, he needs to be responsible for his own health.
 
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Fruitella

Well-Known Member
Messages
304
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Wonder if the chance of learning to drive now 17 could help. This helped a relative with similar issues.
 
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Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Tbh, I was the same through my teenage years. Not that I didn't want to take any insulin, but looking after my diabetes wasn't my main priority. I would generally run high and not test my bloods, just to be 'normal'. But as I got a bit older and wiser, I knew I couldn't be 'normal' if I wasn't healthy.

I realized the damage I was doing to my body, and generally once complications occur its difficult to get rid of them, so I wanted to minimize this in the first place. Now I took ownership of my own health, I got into fitness, nutrition etc and I have never felt better, my glucose levels are great, that goes hand in hand with me enjoying fitness and eating right.

It really is a matter of education, but nobody can help someone unless they are willing to help themselves. As harsh as it sounds, you can't always be there to look out for him, he needs to be responsible for his own health.
Thanks this is what the last doctor we saw told me he needs to take control of it himself till that happens we are going though such a rough time at the moment
 

Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Wonder if the chance of learning to drive now 17 could help. This helped a relative with similar issues.
At the moment he says that he's not interested in learning to drive as work for him is within walking distance and so is his collage
 

Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Seems to be that age, when being rebellious kicks in and they don't listen etc. Living with chronic conditions at that age I can remember throwing caution to the wind. In hindsight, it's not a good idea. It doesn't workout well, but I did learn from my mistakes. Then as a parent, I had to sit through the same thing with a rebellious teenage daughter. All we could do as parents was be there when needed. I'm not sure what else you can do except just be there when those times arise. Hopefully you don't have to go through too many.
Thanks I do understand he has said he's in a bad place at the moment but plan ignoring his diabetes is not good at all to his health
 

Diakat

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5,591
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Many teens go through this stage. T1 is self managed so we have to find the will and strength to manage it - unfortunately running high makes us feel even worse so it’s a vicious cycle.
Rather than telling him what to do or trying to enforce injecting you could just ask how he’s feeling, what’s going well etc for a while, anything but the diabetes.
Many people have worse control as they transition to adulthood as everything seems overwhelming - just let him know you are there in a non-judgemental way.
 

Davidcharles

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
Insulin
Many teens go through this stage. T1 is self managed so we have to find the will and strength to manage it - unfortunately running high makes us feel even worse so it’s a vicious cycle.
Rather than telling him what to do or trying to enforce injecting you could just ask how he’s feeling, what’s going well etc for a while, anything but the diabetes.
Many people have worse control as they transition to adulthood as everything seems overwhelming - just let him know you are there in a non-judgemental way.
This is how we approach it resontly but he lies to us saying he has done his tests and insulin but if we look he hasn't and now he earns some money he buy what ever food he wants when we are not around we find all number of sweet wrappers around and not just that it gos as far as he will take cooking things like icing sugar or a big pot of nuttala and eat it with a spoon . As me and my Mrs both work full time he spends a lot of time at home alone .