**Trigger Warning (TW): Discussion About Alcohol & Disordered Eating** After living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for the past 23 years, I’ve come to realize there is so much more to this condition than blood sugar checks, insulin doses, and carbohydrate counting. Mental health is a huge component, and one I do not feel is discussed enough in the diabetes community. Once I started working as a Registered Dietitian at a Drug & Alcohol Rehab, I discovered that being diagnosed with a chronic illness like T1D is actually considered a trauma. This in turn can lead to a host of mental health struggles, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and addiction. Growing up, I was always an anxious child and when I was diagnosed with T1D at 11 , it definitely exacerbated it.  (Circa 1999: Diagnosed with T1D) After my diagnosis, every move I made now required extra thought and care. One misstep could lead to a dangerous hypoglycemic episode, and any high made me fear potential long-ter