Posting topics range through emotional support, treatment techniques,
psychological factors, health care practices, and insurance. We talk about
our problems, frustrations, depressions and complications to find out how
others handle the same issues and for mutual support. The atmosphere is
generally a highly supportive one, and most participants believe strongly
that this is an important aspect. As in other parts of the net, there are one
or two regular participants who believe that it is important to question the
motives and/or knowledge of anyone posting a new problem. If you find that
the first response is antagonistic, please wait a few hours. Every
antagonistic response will elicit a dozen sympathetic responses.

Meta-topics include discussions of how to best convey health information on
the Usenet, ethical treatment of other participants, what topics and
information are appropriate for m.h.d, where to find diabetes information,
and what the newsgroup should be like.

Betsy Butler says eloquently:

    The positive posts of people who are in great control are very
    motivating, but it is also helpful to hear from people who don't find
    it so easy. I'm sure there are a lot of people who struggle to keep
    control. The people who are having trouble also need to know that there
    are others who struggle, and that they are not alone. It can be very
    intimidating, and a blow to self-esteem for people to suggest that if
    you would just do X, Y and Z, you will be in control. There are 100s of
    factors to balance, and I think people need to be reassured that "yes,
    it's hard to balance so many things, many of which can't be measured or
    that don't act predictably."

Topics closely related to diabetes mellitus which do not have their own place
in Usenet are welcome. Examples are diabetes insipidus, hypoglycemia, glucose
intolerance, legal and employment ramifications of chronic illness, effects
on family members, how family members can best provide support, and so on.
misc.health.diabetes tends to be inclusive of anyone who needs it.

The same caveat applies here as in all newsgroups: the advice is worth what
you paid for it. This applies in spades to a critical health topic such as
diabetes. Never substitute informal advice for a physician's care. Advice
given in m.h.d is *never* medical advice.

The variety of individual responses to diabetes is exceeded only by the
variety of individual responses to life. No two patients respond alike, and
many respond *very* differently from others. These differences are
physiological, not just psychological. They reflect not only varying
responses, but the fact that diabetes itself probably has many causes, many
more than the few types currently recognized (see section on types). When you
read advice, realize that what works (or doesn't work) for someone else may
not work (or may work) for you. When you give advice, try to remember that
most advice is relative to the individual, not absolute. Recognize that you
can't treat your own diabetes by a set of rules, but only by knowing how your
own individual body and physiology work and by adjusting to your own
mechanisms.