Unmasking the Type 1 Diabetes Monsters at Halloween

Halloween brings out the costumes, but for those living with Type 1 Diabetes, the real challenge is unmasking the daily monsters — from alarms to burnout and stress. Discover how to face them with confidence and a touch of wellness magic this Halloween season.

Halloween has always been one of my favourite holidays. Maybe it’s the dressing up, the creativity, or the big beautiful pumpkins glowing. There’s something about that shift in season (although not necessarily in Florida) when autumn air turns crisp and cozy - oh and those colourful leaves. 

Ironically, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes right after Halloween. I can’t even remember what I was dressed as that year, but I’ll never forget my mom saying I looked like a ghost.

While other kids were bouncing off the walls from a sugar rush, I was pale and tired.

Usually this time of year, I’d be sharing some low-sugar trick-or-treating tips or creative swaps for Halloween sweets. But this year, I want to take a different approach. I want to talk about the real monsters. The ones that don’t come out of the dark, but live quietly in our heads.

I call them the monsters of Type 1 Diabetes.

They’re the thoughts that whisper things like you’re different, you need to be perfect, or you can’t. They can be sneaky and heavy but the weight of these thoughts is lifted when we finally unmask them.

Let's umask these type 1 diabetes monsters for Halloween:

1. The “You’re Different” Monster

Growing up, I just wanted to fit in. I didn’t want to be “the girl with diabetes.” I wanted to go to parties, eat cake, and do all the same things my friends did without having to explain why I needed to check my blood sugar first.

That feeling of being “different” stuck with me into university.

I remember being so nervous about new social groups, worried that people would see me inject insulin and treat me differently because of it. And when I got my first insulin pump I’d tuck it away just to blend in - especially if I was in my halloween costume.

But over time, I realised that hiding my diabetes didn’t make me feel more comfortable, it made me feel less me.

When I started to be more open about it, something happened: I connected with people more deeply. Instead of judgment, I found understanding, curiosity, and even confidence.

That shift helped me see that not fitting in isn’t a flaw it’s just part of what makes me, me. Living with Type 1 Diabetes has helped me find my authentic voice, taught me empathy, and reminded me that vulnerability is not weakness its connection.

So if that monster tells you you’re different, remind it: Different is what makes you tick.

2. The “Be Perfect” Monster

This one used to rule my head.

For years, I treated my blood sugar numbers like grades on a report card. If I was in range, I felt proud; if I wasn’t, I felt like I’d failed. I remember sitting in endocrinology appointments, bracing myself for what they’d say, feeling guilty if my glucose readings weren’t perfect.

That perfection monster thrives on judgment especially self-judgment. Over time, I realised that those numbers aren’t moral scores; they’re just data. Information to help guide me.

Now, instead of beating myself up, I look at them with curiosity:

“What happened here?”

“What can I learn from this?”

“What might I try differently next time?”

Letting go of perfection doesn’t mean giving up. It means giving yourself compassion. It’s recognising that diabetes is complex — there are hormones, stress, sleep, exercise, and about a hundred other variables that influence our glucose.

When I stopped aiming for perfect and started aiming for progress, everything changed. That monster still pops up sometimes especially with CGM alarms, but it doesn’t determine how good or bad I’m managing my diabetes.

3. The “You Can’t” Shadow

This one might be the loudest of them all!

You can’t travel alone.

You can’t run a marathon.

You can’t do that job, or go to that party, or take that risk — because you have diabetes.

The first time I really met this monster was when I traveled alone to Australia for a work-and-travel adventure. I was nervous enough just being on the other side of the world — and then, my insulin pump malfunctioned. Talk about a plot twist!

But instead of letting panic take over, I learned. I learned to always carry backup supplies and keep them close. I learned what my travel toolbox needed to include, and how to prepare for the unexpected - which always seems to happen. That trip became a turning point for me.

Since then, I’ve traveled so many times and every time, it’s easier. I know what I need, I know what works for me, and I trust myself to handle whatever comes my way.

That “you can’t” monster still creeps in from time to time, usually when I’m facing something new or uncertain. Now, I try to pause and remember what I’ve already overcome.

Each challenge teaches me how to adapt, how to prepare, and how to keep moving forward not against diabetes, but with it.

Every time I face one of those “you can’t” moments, I find a new piece of real truth that says, “Actually… I can with the right support.”

Unmasking the Truth

Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved Halloween it’s a night when we get to play with identity, to wear costumes and become someone else for a little while. As I’ve grown, I’ve acknowledged that the most powerful thing we can do isn’t to put on a mask — it’s to take it off.

To unmask the fears, the guilt, the shame, and the stories that try to define us.

To look those monsters in the eye and say, “Thanks for stopping by, but I’m in charge now.”

So this Halloween, I’m not dressing up to hide. 

I’m unmasking the monsters.

And maybe even dancing with them — because they’ve taught me a lot about strength, compassion, and what it means to live fully with Type 1 Diabetes.

What about you?

What “monster” shows up in your Type 1 Diabetes journey? Share it in the comments or over on Instagram — tag me @crazyaboutdiabetes so we can unmask them together.💙

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