The Emotional Toll Of Living With Type 1 Diabetes

MUMBAI -Television actress Aishwarya Sakhuja has spoken candidly about the realities of living with Type 1 diabetes, describing the condition as a constant and often invisible struggle that requires discipline, resilience, and mental strength every day.

The actress said managing diabetes goes far beyond avoiding sugar or taking insulin on time and described it as “an act of survival, courage, and commitment.”

Aishwarya wrote, “Living with diabetes is not just about ‘avoiding sugar’ or taking insulin on time. It is a full-time, invisible balancing act that most people never truly see. Every meal becomes a calculation. Every outing needs planning. Every low blood sugar feels urgent. Every high feels exhausting. Sleep gets interrupted, moods fluctuate, energy crashes happen, and sometimes your body feels like a science experiment you’re constantly trying to stabilize. And yet, people with diabetes wake up every single day and do it all over again.”

Explaining the importance of insulin management, the television actress added, “Insulin is one of the most powerful and important hormones in the human body. It quite literally helps keep us alive by regulating how our cells use energy. Managing it manually through injections, pumps, carb counting, corrections, monitoring, and constant awareness is not a small task. It requires discipline, resilience, patience, and mental strength every single day. There are no days off from diabetes.”

Aishwarya also encouraged people living with diabetes to acknowledge their strength and resilience.

“So, if you are someone managing diabetes, give yourself credit… Managing diabetes is not weakness. Managing insulin is not ‘just a routine.’ It is an act of survival, courage, and commitment to yourself every single day,” she wrote.

This is not the first time the actress has spoken publicly about living with Type 1 diabetes and the emotional, physical, and social challenges associated with the condition.

Aishwarya was a finalist in the 2006 Miss India pageant and rose to prominence with the television show ‘Saas Bina Sasural,’ in which she starred from 2010 to 2012. She has also appeared in television shows including ‘Main Naa Bhoolungi,’ ‘Trideviyaan,’ ‘Rishta.com,’ ‘Yeh Hai Chahatein,’ and ‘Zyada Mat Udd.’ (IANS)