Alongside hot flushes and joint pain, Susan experienced anxiety, anger, inability to make decisions and loss of self-confidence. Support from her partner and colleagues helped her emerge from the menopause with a sense of hope, renewal and refreshment.

He has been doing his insulin injections since he was eight years old. He started to self-manage his diabetes when he was 15 years old. About seven years ago he changed his insulin from Humulin S to glargine and Humalog. The main reason for changing his insulin regime was the lack of flexibility regarding eating times. He admits that he no longer does glucose tests except when doing things differently such as changing insulin regimen, exercising more, changing diet, etc. A few years ago he was diagnosed by a private consultant as being clinically obese. The consultant put him on a diet and on Metformin tablets. Since then he has loss a total of five stones. Says that his obesity was the product of a bad diet and lack of exercise rather than because he is diabetic.

Joanna is 20. She's experienced depression, panic attacks and self-harming since she was 10. She got better with help of different therapies, a trusted counsellor, people who cared for her and her faith. She now works in health and social care. (White British).