first of all, diabetes does alter somebody's sense of self. Imagine that you went from eating whatever you liked and WHENEVER you liked, having sex, traveling light and carefree, and feeling your tootsies just fine --> to eating on a strict regiment, on a strict timetable, having sexual problems, and having to take blood tests all the time and worry about how you would be able to stick to the strict eating regiment and schedule while traveling across Atlantic, as well as having no sensation in your tootsies? Would that not affect your sense of self?

Besides the many shortcomings of the comparison with diabetes that have been noted on the thread, the "parallel" is a gross oversimplification, because mental illnesses are varied and complex. Combat PTSD and autism are both mental illnesses, as are many, many others - just look at the LOOOONG list for forums on this site. Can they all be compared to diabetes? I do wonder how PTSD and autism are similar to diabetes...