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RELATIONSHIPS
WORKSHOP During Reality Check Live, my partner (who is a diabetic) and I decided to attend the relationships workshop with about 16 other people. I was very interested to see what other people living with diabetes found difficult and what they and their partners did to overcome their issues. George Valiotis who had no trouble with shyness, hosted the session. George’s sense of humour, momentum and experience helped to put everyone at ease. George has Type 1 diabetes as well as a background in social work with H.I.V. He has been able to apply his relationships research to relationships with diabetes. The combination of his skills and personal experience drew people out of their shells and made the workshop a success for everyone. We all began with a simple getting to know each other exercise which helped to loosen our tongues. We then discussed different responses to conflict and the pros and cons of each. George conducted a role-play, very ably acted out with one of the members of the group. The aim was to help us understand how to break down conflict and achieve a win-win situation. It also gave everybody the opportunity to share personal stories about their experiences in a relationship, which they would not have otherwise shared. The session also helped diabetics and their partners to try and see a conflict from the other side of the fence and to work through their issues using a beneficial method. It taught us “how to argue”. We all took a look at how we approached a conflict and tried to curb this behaviour to allow us to gain greater perception of our partners needs. We also learned to look at why conflict arises in the first place. I found the session very helpful and a lot of fun. It gave me a greater insight into my relationship with my diabetic partner. Troy, Sydney |