Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1741: Body Grief – Part 1

Release date: January 19, 2026
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Erica Forsyth

Episode Overview

This episode introduces a new multi-part series exploring "body grief": the unique mourning and loss that individuals feel living in an ever-changing body, especially with chronic conditions like diabetes. Host Scott Benner is joined by frequent contributor Erica Forsyth, who brings both personal and professional insight to this nuanced topic. Drawing from Jane Mattingley’s book This is Body Grief, they define and contextualize body grief, examine its overlap with diabetes management, and lay out the structure for upcoming episodes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Body Grief? (Starts ~02:23)

• Definition:

  "Body grief is the sense of loss and mourning that comes with living in an ever changing body."
  — Erica (07:08)

• Body grief isn’t unique to those with chronic illness; all humans experience it as bodies change and age, but chronic illness accentuates and accelerates these losses.
• Examples range from temporary illness, injury, or pregnancy, to chronic or degenerative conditions—impacting everything from function to identity.

2. Introduction to the Series and Source Material

• Erica was introduced to the concept through her therapist, who recommended Jane Mattingley’s book (This is Body Grief) about six months ago.
• Erica shared this topic in a recent public talk (Touched by Type 1 Conference, Orlando) and found the concept resonated deeply, even if she had too much material for just one session (02:55).

3. The Lived Experience of Body Grief

• Common Thought Patterns:
  • "Why me?"
  • "If only I had…"
  • "My body/pancreas failed me."
  • "Who am I without a functioning [body part]?" (05:29-07:53)
• Gender and Universality:
  Acknowledgement that while some forms of loss are more common in women (e.g., infertility, menopause), everyone grapples with bodily changes and identity.

4. Range and Depth of Body Grief (08:15)

• Can encompass physical function and mental perception/self-image.
• Scott prompts:

  "Can it go from functional to just the way you see yourself?... For a guy, could it go from erectile dysfunction down to 'I'm not as strong as I used to be?'"
  — Scott (07:59)

• Erica confirms, noting both physical realities and cognitive or emotional struggles are valid forms of body grief.

5. Can You "Fix" Body Grief?

• Key Insight:

  "Body grief can't be fixed. It must be felt." – Erica (08:37)

• Grief stages (denial, shock, depression, anger, acceptance) echo those associated with death, but with the crucial difference that body grief is ongoing and recurs.
• "We might try and ignore it, we might try and fix it… but with body grief... it's always there." (10:02)

6. Internal and External Narratives

• Societal messages ("You're a warrior," "Time heals all," "You're beautiful at any size," "At least it's not cancer")—often well-intentioned—can suppress real emotions and pressure individuals to rush to acceptance (11:14).
• Reflection on Language:
  The impact of these statements depends on where someone is in their grief. For some, "warrior" is empowering; for others, it’s alienating:

  "You always hear different sides of the argument. I wonder if your reaction has a lot to do with where you are in the process." – Scott (11:14)

• Erica:

  "The intensity of your response might vary, but yes, based on where you are, how close you are to the grief." (12:01)

7. Micro-Moments and Management Losses

• Body grief in diabetes includes the loss of "just living"—eating, sleeping, exercising—without constant calculation.
• Examples:
  • The burden of 180+ decisions daily
  • Device management, public visibility, social stigma
  • The emotional weight of others' ignorant or insensitive comments (16:03-17:38)

8. The Loop of Guilt, Identity, and Blame

• Scott highlights how external judgments ("Type 1 isn’t lifestyle-related!") dig into core insecurities of bodily failure (17:46):

  "It's as if there's a small megaphone in the back of your head reminding you—something doesn't work right, and it's you." (17:38)

• Erica:

  "You can get stuck in that stage of 'my body failed me.' ... These micro moments of loss... can contribute and become diabetes distress and diabetes burnout." (20:58)

9. Body Grief, Diabetes Distress, and Burnout (21:25)

• Diabetes Distress:
  The emotional response to daily diabetes self-management, complications, social stigma, and financial stress.
• Burnout:
  Fatigue from relentless management, leading to neglect or avoidance.
• Open question: Does distress/burnout trigger body grief, or vice versa? Are they intertwined? (21:25-24:38)

10. Universal Relevance: Beyond Diabetes (25:56)

• Scott expands:

  "Everyone's body is changing and slowly failing, or falling apart... It could be something as simple as, 'I can't believe my heel hurts every time I walk...'"

• Highlights that the process isn’t unique to chronic illness—diabetes just speeds it up and makes it more explicit (25:56-28:08).

11. Stages of Body Grief & Core Concepts (28:08)

• Seven Stages (from Mattingley):
  • Dismissal
  • Shock
  • Apology
  • Fault
  • Fight
  • Hopelessness
  • Hope
• Core Ideas:
  • Perceived Body Betrayal:
    The narrative that one's body has betrayed them, driving a wedge between self and body (30:36)
  • Body Trust:
    The counterpoint—building a "two-way street" of respect, kindness, and acceptance with your body (35:14)

12. Quotes Reflecting Hope

• Scott:

  "I feel very hopeful about this conversation… I do know a number of people who’ve had significant illnesses or lived with type 1 for a long time, who when you meet them, I would bet my life they’re on the other side of this problem somehow. If they got there, then understanding the process could help others get there, maybe even more quickly." (32:18)

• Erica:

  "There is hope, because there has to be… You're always kind of in these stages. It's not going to stop, but you're going to have maybe more awareness and more tools, so that... it doesn't hit you as hard in the moment... Or you're able to process it... and not try and ignore it or fix it." (34:18-35:02)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Episode intro, sponsor info, series setup | | 02:23 | Introduction to "body grief": Definition and book background | | 05:29 | Internal questions & examples of body grief thoughts | | 07:59 | Functional vs. perceptual aspects of body grief | | 08:37 | Body grief must be felt, not fixed; parallels to grief stages | | 10:02 | The persistence of body grief | | 11:14 | Societal narratives, aphorisms, and their complicated impact | | 12:01 | Intensity of response as an indicator of grief stage | | 13:52 | Importance of emotional readiness and embracing feelings | | 15:13 | Example: Blind guest and faith as a route to acceptance | | 16:03 | Diabetes-specific micro losses and identity unraveling | | 17:38 | External comments, stigma, and internal dialogue | | 20:58 | Connection to distress, burnout, and psychological fallout | | 21:25 | Definitions of diabetes distress and burnout | | 24:38 | The value of labeling emotions for normalization | | 25:56 | Universality of body grief—aging and "normality" | | 28:08 | Introduction of the seven stages of body grief | | 30:36 | Perceived body betrayal | | 35:14 | Introduction to body trust | | 39:14 | Stories of hope: guests with major health challenges thriving | | 40:03 | Recap and preview of next episodes in the series |

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the concept’s universality:

  "Body grief is something that every human experiences, because we all are living in bodies." – Erica (07:12)

• On well-intentioned but inadequate platitudes:

  "Those are all beautiful statements, right? ... But they also don't give you any room to feel the intensity of ... the emotion." – Erica (12:42)

• On the persistence of loss:

  "...With body grief, it is always there. We are always going to be experiencing these little micro moments of loss..." – Erica (10:02)

• On narratives of bodily failure:

  "Your body doesn't work right. Even if you can separate yourself from you in your thoughts and you in your shell, it's still you, right?" – Scott (17:46)

• On hope and growth:

  "...You're always kind of in these stages. ... But you're going to have maybe more awareness and more tools so that ... it doesn't hit you as hard in the moment or you're able to process it ... and not try and ignore it or fix it." – Erica (34:44–35:02)

Conclusions & What’s Next

• This episode sets the stage for a compassionate, practical, and nuanced discussion about the emotional and psychological journeys of body grief, especially as experienced in the diabetes community.
• Future episodes will delve deeply into each of the seven stages (Dismissal, Shock, Apology, Fault, Fight, Hopelessness, Hope) and apply them to real diabetes experiences, equipping listeners with knowledge, vocabulary, and acceptance strategies.
• Key takeaway: You are not alone in feeling a sense of loss about your body—recognizing and naming these emotions is the first step toward compassion and healing.

Listen for the next episode in this series, where Scott and Erica will begin breaking down each stage of body grief and providing practical, empathetic advice for living well with diabetes.