Who is troubled by injecting in public? Just me?

[DiabeticDadUK]

Me too, a blast from the past. I was explaining to my partner what it was like years ago and I remember the anticipation of how fierce it would catapult down on the finger, ouch

It was pretty tough. Character building for an 8 year old kid, you might say. Todays are almost pain free

 

[tuttiruthi]

Hi there, I think I'm lucky in that I was diagnosed as a small child and so injecting is second nature. I happily inject in public (and test my blood sugar) and I do it as discretely as possible so as not to alarm people. Due to misconceptions about diabetes I would rather not draw attention to it, but I'm very happy when people show a curiosity about what I'm doing so that I can explain to them. My attitude has always been: why should I go and do it in a toilet, would you go and take a tablet that way?!

PS. I have completed the survey. Excellent topic -- good work!

 

[johnpol]

been diagnosed for over twenty years, and only ever had one bad reaction to having to Inject at meal time, I can't write down the reply!!!!!!! I found I was very self conscious at the beginning and always wondering if anyone was noticing me doing "it", but then I realised this is my life now, so I will take control of it and not let it put me off, or be self conscious. Forgot to say I have completed the survey.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Me too, a blast from the past. I was explaining to my partner what it was like years ago and I remember the anticipation of how fierce it would catapult down on the finger, ouch

Look what I found in a cupboard today, the date is 10/04/10, I think I kept them to show my granddaughter, who is type 1 as well, but still haven't

 

[doyoutakesugar]

Hi there, I think I'm lucky in that I was diagnosed as a small child and so injecting is second nature. I happily inject in public (and test my blood sugar) and I do it as discretely as possible so as not to alarm people. Due to misconceptions about diabetes I would rather not draw attention to it, but I'm very happy when people show a curiosity about what I'm doing so that I can explain to them. My attitude has always been: why should I go and do it in a toilet, would you go and take a tablet that way?!

PS. I have completed the survey. Excellent topic -- good work!

Thanks for completing the survey and for your supportive words!

 

[doyoutakesugar]

been diagnosed for over twenty years, and only ever had one bad reaction to having to Inject at meal time, I can't write down the reply!!!!!!! I found I was very self conscious at the beginning and always wondering if anyone was noticing me doing "it", but then I realised this is my life now, so I will take control of it and not let it put me off, or be self conscious. Forgot to say I have completed the survey.

Thanks for completing, and also for sharing your experience. Well done for keeping in control!

 

[doyoutakesugar]

Look what I found in a cupboard today, the date is 10/04/10, I think I kept them to show my granddaughter, who is type 1 as well, but still haven't
View attachment 22804 View attachment 22805

I happen to use these for my lancet device!

 

[HellieT1]

I have no trouble injecting in public. When I was diagnosed 19 years ago I was 18. I went out for the day with my parents. I had not long been diagnosed, went to the toilets and proceeded to do my insulin. I had just started to draw up the amount I needed (syringe and bottle) when a women starts tutt tutting at me. I turned and said "do you have a problem" her reply "you drug addict's are all the same" to which I lost it and replied and said I'm not I'm a T1 diabetic. Some people are so quick to judge.

 

[HellieT1]

Also completed survey. Would like to see what the result is.

 

[Scott-C]

@doyoutakesugar , it's occured to me after reading this thread that in the almost 30 years I've been T1, during which time I've done countless shots/tests in restaurants, bars, cafes, trains, buses, street, in major cities in Europe and Asia, and backwood places, in full view and never shy about it, I can't actually recall ever seeing anyone else taking a shot in public.

Statistically, demographically, law of chances, however you want to put it, another fellow insulin user must surely have injected from time to time within my eyesight, in the same bar etc. etc.

Yet, in all that time, I've never actually seen anyone else injecting. If I, as a T1, doesn't notice someone doing something I'm familiar with, which must have happened in my general vicinity at some point in the last 30 years, it just goes to prove the points a lot of posts here say: no-one notices; it's discreet; people who do notice aren't fussed.

Your post title asks about who is troubled by injecting in public. One of the aspects which you're looking at is the worry about people seeing you: you've said as much in your opening post. Is an answer maybe that people are worrying about nothing, because, based on my experience of never having seen anyone else injecting in 30 years, no-one actually does see you, including most Ts, not because we hide away in toilets (I'd punch, or at least mildly disagree with, any waiters who suggested that as an option), more that the whole deal is just very subtle? Or when they do notice, they just say, hey, ho, guy's just sorting out his condition?

Short true story to get my point across:

Used to pop out to my then local at the weekend, few beers, meal, plenty of injections sitting at the bar over the years, same barmaid for three, mark it, three years, she finally noticed me in year three taking a shot, says to me, "Scott, didn't know you're diabetic, should've said." She said that because one of her relatives is T1 and she wanted me to know if I was ever dropping, wave a hand and she'd be out with the apple juice and biscuits pronto on the house (didn't have the heart to tell her I always carry). But it makes the point: no-one notices if you don't want them too, even if you're sitting in front of them for 3 years. And when they do notice, or you choose to tell them, people will go out of their way to make sure you're OK, because, in general, that's what people are like.

Here's a post-grad thing for you to do. Go backpacking round Europe/Asia, take a few selfies of you injecting in the main squares of some major cities (main square, Rynek Glownie, Krakow, Poland, is definitely, in my view, the most beautiful of all of them), post them here. You're recently dx'd, you've got your worries about public injections, but after a while, doing that sort of thing will become, "...and I was worrying about that, why...?"

You'll figure out an answer to all of this. We all do. Best of luck, mate.

 

[mollyfield]

Hello, new on here but have been lurking for some while. I have completed the survey and the results should be interesting. I am allegedly Type 2 but have been on basal bolus insulin regime for last eight years. I do not worry too much about injecting in public but it does depend where I am somewhat.

 

[csko]

Hi all,

A doctor once told me that injecting would gradually become "like shaving", somehow normalised by routine. While I can decide whether to let loose and grow a wild beard—the same cannot be said for diabetes. And also, who shaves in public?

I've never had anyone stare, yet I find the act of injecting in public alienating, sometimes anxiety-inducing, and often impractical, regardless of the 10 seconds the act requires. Injecting doesn't stop me from living life, but I have noticed this recurrent trend.

As I feel alone in this act that others (non-diabetics) do not have to perform, and as such have not been able to speak openly and discuss this issue, I am now doing a small behavioural study linked to my postgraduate research at university. I am extremely interested in how people who require insulin injections feel about doing so in public. I'd like to get something concrete on this matter.

I have put together a small survey that really only takes two mins to complete. There are two versions of the survey. You can complete both if they apply.

The first is for people with diabetes: https://goo.gl/forms/qgyDLjl2BzjXeYyV2

The second is for a parent/guardian or partner of a person with diabetes: https://goo.gl/forms/32IKoZ9Pmo027tz32

I would be eternally grateful to you if you help me out! Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing the results too. But also, feel free to share your thoughts in the thread!

I would be interested to see the results of your survey.

 

[doyoutakesugar]

I have no trouble injecting in public. When I was diagnosed 19 years ago I was 18. I went out for the day with my parents. I had not long been diagnosed, went to the toilets and proceeded to do my insulin. I had just started to draw up the amount I needed (syringe and bottle) when a women starts tutt tutting at me. I turned and said "do you have a problem" her reply "you drug addict's are all the same" to which I lost it and replied and said I'm not I'm a T1 diabetic. Some people are so quick to judge.

A friend of mine described his experience of injecting in a toilet cubicle in a nightclub -- the door was busted down by bouncers thinking he was taking drugs.... luckily it resolved quickly

 

[Catherine4188]

Hello,

I haven't been long diagnosed (less than 3 months) but I don't have any issues injecting in public. I suppose in my mind I think if someone has a problem with me doing it then they shouldn't look or they should understand I'm not doing it as a choice and it's something I have to do. I just make sure I'm discrete with it and try not to draw attention. If someone asks I just let them know what I'm doing. I just wish my stomach was flatter so it wasn't as embarrassing to show whilst I inject...

 

[NinaB73]

I have never found it hard injecting in public, that's not to say I blatantly advertise it. Being an old-timer when syringes and drawing up was necessary I never looked back with the pen!
I do however remember as an 11 year old on said 'old' regime going on a BDA (British Diabetic Association) hellish camp holiday with other youngsters and climbing up some mountain in Wales (probably a small hill in reality) and all 50 of us deciding it would be kind of rebellious to do a simultaneous injection in the cafe half way up, thighs an' all! Just to see what the other customers thought...childish I know, but we were. Maybe that's when I got over my fear! But kids don't care as much as us adults. I'd be interested to see if there is a difference of opinion in your survey depending on age...

 

[doyoutakesugar]

@doyoutakesugar (...)

You'll figure out an answer to all of this. We all do. Best of luck, mate.

Thank you for such a detailed and supportive comment.

I have also never seen anyone injecting in public. I would say, however, that there are many factors as to why it's unlikely to see another diabetic injecting, e.g. proportion of diabetics who inject to the greater number of non-diabetics in any country combined with the statistical unlikelihood of another diabetic being in the same place, same time, while also injecting. However, your point about potentially having not seen another diabetic injecting due to the fact that injecting (with a pen specifically) is relatively discreet (or can be done discreetly, at least) is a valid one.

In any case, I am intrigued by the psychological effect on the diabetic caused by injecting in public, which seems to be largely disconnected from the real views of others seeing the injector. This seems to be a personal phenomenon related to, among other things, either (and/or both) the stigma surrounding needles and the perceived sense of social "Othering" as an effect of being "different" from non-diabetics.

Great story about a person taking the situation into account, more people like this are needed! Many of my friends are interested and supportive, although this may be because they are scientists and see me as an entity for study...

Thanks for giving me an excuse to travel! I'll have to keep you posted on this one.

Thanks again for the kind words, the support is very much appreciated.

 

[doyoutakesugar]

(...) Maybe that's when I got over my fear! But kids don't care as much as us adults. I'd be interested to see if there is a difference of opinion in your survey depending on age...

From the outcome of this survey, you might be surprised about the kids (and teens) .. age does seem to make a difference, but it's less clearly defined than one might think.

P.S. Love the idea of 50 simultaneous injections going off -- surely this is a missed world record opportunity!

 

[spook_kate_]

Hi, completed survey. Interesting how I discovered that in some situations I'm anxious but not others. Definitely improves with age and feeling confident about not giving a stuff what other people think. Am very interested in your results.

 

[doyoutakesugar]

Hi, completed survey. Interesting how I discovered that in some situations I'm anxious but not others. Definitely improves with age and feeling confident about not giving a stuff what other people think. Am very interested in your results.

Thanks for completing the survey, and for your comments! I will post up the results in article form when I've written up my findings for all to see

 

[leslie10152]

If only it was acceptable for men to carry a going-out handbag..

Got you on that one. I have bum bag that I carry my stuff in, yet people tend to notice.