Nick Jonas is getting candid about the struggles he faced after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
The 30-year-old "Sucker" singer opened up about his journey to managing the disease while appearing at the SXSW on Monday. Jonas sat on a panel called "Crushing: The Burden of Diabetes on Patients." During a later interview with the Austin Statesman, he spoke about managing his disease.
"It was a really tough time," he said of learning he had Type 1 diabetes. "My glucose [blood sugar reading] was over 800, and the target range is anywhere from 70 to 120. It was a long time living with that higher glucose level."
Jonas explained that "puberty alone is a big hurdle for young people," so adding diabetes into the mix can "be really tough."
"For me it was about trying to manage my lifestyle with touring and working as much as I was working that time … while trying to figure out how to manage that disease."
Jonas admitted that he underwent therapy.
"Mental health is a very important conversation that affects every aspect of all of our lives," he said. "When you compound that with something like diabetes, there are naturally going to be things in overlap with that."
Once he started therapy, he saw "how much I could improve my life both mentally and physically."
"For young men, it's an important thing that can be overlooked," he added.
Speaking on the panel, Jonas admitted that first being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes "was an interesting journey" for not just himself, but his family and community, according to the Daily Mail.
"But I think coming out of that and getting my glucose regulated, I wanted to make it a priority to speak and advocate for this disease, for young people and all people living with both Type 1 and Type 2," he said.
Jonas is a founder of the nonprofit Beyond Type 1. His goal is to raise awareness and provide access to information about diabetes.
"I can be a part of a conversation and use the platform I have to raise awareness," he said. "It would be easier to live with the disease if I was open and honest and hopefully for someone else who is in a similar position trying to figure out how to navigate a life with diabetes, me speaking about it could be helpful in whatever way. It's been a crazy ride, but I'm in good health now."