Diabetes Educator Janis Roszler on Coping (Meet “Purple Harriet”)

Earlier today, we told you about how diabetes education is changing and those in the field are starting to listen more to the voice of the patient and encourage us to write our own stories.

At the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) conference, we sat down and chatted with Janis Roszler, a CDE and family therapist in Miami. She discussed patient empowerment and how educators can do a better job of helping us manage the stress that diabetes brings. In her session, “Patient Self-Esteem,” Roszler shared how the “story” — or thoughts and opinions that we have about ourselves — impacts our self-esteem and motivation in managing diabetes.

Roszler has some “out of the box ideas” on how to overcome a negative story, what it means to write your own story, and how to overcome your distress by giving it a persona.

Let us know what you think about what Roszler says!