217. What Lives Beneath the Numbers: Understanding Diabetes Distress with Abbott’s Megan O'Neill

Megan O'Neill is a physician associate who spent years in clinical practice before finding her calling at the intersection of diabetes care and psychology. While working at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Megan discovered the work of leading diabetes psychology researchers and it changed her entire practice, her perspective, and her passion. That foundation eventually led her to Abbott Diabetes Care, where she has spent the last eight years advocating for the emotional and psychological side of living with diabetes to be treated with the same seriousness as the clinical data.In this conversation, Lauren and Megan dig into what diabetes distress actually looks like day to day — the exhaustion, the isolation, the feeling of doing everything right and still not getting the results you hoped for. They talk about why it often goes unrecognized in clinical care, how it differs from depression, and why a good A1C doesn't always mean you're okay. They also explore how CGMs can both reduce and sometimes complicate our emotional relationship with diabetes and what it actually takes to move the needle when distress is high.WHAT WE COVER:What diabetes distress really is, how it differs from depression, and why it is still significantly underutilized as a screening tool in clinical careWhy people with an A1C under 7 can still score in the moderate to high range on the diabetes distress scale and what that actually meansThe unequal energy exchange of T1D: putting in the effort but not getting the results, and why that cycle is so defeatingHow CGMs have overwhelmingly helped reduce distress and the honest acknowledgment that alarms and constant data can also add to it for some peopleWhat the research actually says about what helps most when someone is not reaching their diabetes goals: it is not just education or medication management aloneThe one tangible step you can take in the next 24 hours if any of this conversation resonated with youWHAT’S NEXT:🧠 Discover Your T1D Archetype! Take the free quiz to understand the pattern behind how you think, respond, and make decisions with T1D.📊 Diabetes burnout is real, and it can show up in ways you don’t always expect. Take the Diabetes Distress assessment and see where you score.💻Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve with T1D.📧Join thousands of T1Ds reading our newsletter every Tuesday: T1D tips and encouragement, straight to your inbox.Stay connected with us: Email us at: [email protected]    IG: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthTikTok: @lauren_bongiorno | @riselyhealthYT: Reclaim Your Rise SUBSCRIBE & REVIEWIf this conversation helped you put language to something you have been quietly carrying, subscribe and leave a review so more people living with T1D can find it.