Nick Jonas is getting candid about the complicated emotions that come with living with type 1 diabetes, including the moments when he wishes he could experience life without the disease.
The former “Voice” judge opened up about his diagnosis in a personal letter written for Dexcom’s A Letter to Diabetes initiative.
The campaign encourages celebrities living with diabetes to share their experiences and comes during National Diabetes Awareness Month. It also coincides with World Diabetes Day, observed annually on Nov. 14.
Jonas Opens Up
Jonas was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 13. More than two decades later, he says the condition remains a constant part of his everyday routine.
“Hello, old friend,” he began his letter, reflecting on the 21 years that have passed since he first learned he had the disease.
The singer described how managing diabetes involves countless small decisions throughout the day. Checking glucose levels, adjusting insulin and keeping track of carbohydrates have all become familiar parts of his life.
“It’s funny how often we talk,” he continued. “Staring at my phone to see where my glucose is. Reaching for my pump to bolus because I’m about to eat something with 17 carbs. Those are just a couple of the hundreds of little decisions I make every week.”
Although those moments might go unnoticed by other people, Jonas explained that they create an ongoing connection between him and the condition.
“Most people never notice them. But they add up to a real relationship, because that’s what diabetes is. It’s an ongoing conversation between your body, your mind and your devices,” he wrote.
He Details Learning to Live With the Disease
Jonas also reflected on how difficult it was to adjust to the unpredictability of diabetes when he was younger. Before his diagnosis, he believed he had control over how his life would unfold. Learning to manage the condition challenged that idea.
“I’d built my whole life around this unrealistic structure and belief that I was in control. You took that apart over the years, bit by bit,” he wrote. “Part of me is grateful I learned that lesson. Part of me resents you for it. Full stop. There are days I wonder what life would feel like without you.”
Still, the disease has given Jonas something he didn’t expect: a sense of belonging.
The two-time Grammy nominee said he often felt misunderstood growing up and struggled to find a place where he truly fit in. That began to change when he started speaking publicly about his experience with type 1 diabetes and connecting with others facing similar challenges.
“I always struggled to feel like I belonged anywhere. At school, I felt misunderstood. In most circles, for that matter. Through my childhood and youth, that was the theme. It wasn’t until I started talking openly about life with type 1, and meeting other people who were living it too, that I finally felt like I belonged somewhere,” he explained.
Jonas said he does not want people to view him as a victim. Instead, he hopes sharing his experiences will encourage others who have recently received a diagnosis.
“I share my story for the 13-year-old who just got diagnosed and is lying in a hospital bed, scared to death. I want them to be able to look up and see someone out there living their dreams while managing all of this, every single day,” he wrote.
For Jonas, being open about diabetes is about showing others that the diagnosis does not have to define what their future can look like.
Nick Jonas Gets Candid About the Emotional Reality of Living With Diabetes