Friend with diabetes parties A LOT?

The combination of cigarettes plus diabetes puts her at very high risk for heart disease and other complications of diabetes, however, it may take years before there is a detectable problem. Ecstasy is a health risk for everyone who takes it. She's not at a higher risk because of diabetes. The alcohol can be a problem because being drunk and having a dangerous low blood sugar look exactly the same. Alcohol can cause low blood sugar in a person with type 1 diabetes. Very low blood sugar can cause seizures and even death in extreme circumstances. The problem with weed, is it makes you want to eat, and if she eats without testing her sugar she could go high. However, high blood sugar usually won't cause a short term problem. She's leading a risky lifestyle, but if she keeps her blood sugar within normal limits while she's partying then she's probably okay for now. It usually takes years before the diabetes complications become an issue.

Yes, not only is she killing herself but she's putting herself at risk of kidney failure, blindness, amputation and gastroparesis. She's also putting herself at risk of death from hypoglycemia when she parties, when she appears drunk, it could easily be hypoglycemia that could leave her in a coma and possibly die. Physical effects aside, a diabetic is using their judgement to monitor and control their glucose levels as their automated systems don't work so being inebriated or on drugs certainly does not help cause then no one is monitoring or controlling her glucose levels. The pump just means she has an insulin supply with her at all times and can inject more at the push of a button but that won't do her much good if she doesn't pay attention to her levels. Unfortunately there's not much you can do except express your concern and be willing to listen to her talk without stepping in to offer solutions, she knows what she should do, she just lacks the courage and belief in herself to do it. If you can encourage her to talk to a therapist, a counsellor, a priest or pastor then do so. Very few people are trained to handle such situations and most people will try to step in with a solution which only breaks down the trust they have in confiding and allows them to defer responsibility for their actions thereby enabling their behaviour. You may also want to consider yourself, do you really want to be around when her life spirals completely out of control?

Hey there :) I have type-one diabetes as well. I think that it can be a difficult thing for a person to accept. And this is tough because it's likely your friend just wants to be like everybody else. But diabetes is not a disease that you can just pretend you don't have. It is serious. And complications can occur faster than you think. I was diagnosed when I was 16, and I rebelled against it for years. I didn't want to be different. The problem is, it's not like you can feel the effects of all the sugar you're taking in. You don't really notice it. It's irresponsible, yes. However, I do believe the behavior to be perfectly normal among diabetics that age. And unfortunately, as bad as it is for her, i don't know if there's much you can do =\ She will have to want to change for herself. It's a huge learning process for her. I am in my 20's now, and am doing good with my diabetes. However, i already have one complication from my silly choices. So the sooner your friend comes to terms with her diabetes, the better :)