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How to Deal With Trauma Associated With a Positive HIV Test

For almost everyone diagnosed with HIV, the news can be very difficult to process and cope with. HIV-disease is chronic, progressive and incurable, but this does not mean that there is not hope. There are support resources available, and antiretroviral medications that target HIV have improved both the quality and length of life of people living with HIV. By engaging with your diagnosis, you can begin to deal with the feelings you will go through.

Things You'll Need

  • Support group and/or counseling
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Instructions

  1. Coping with Testing HIV+

    • 1

      Experience your emotions as they occur. Covering up the feelings you're having may cause them to resurface in unhealthy ways. HIV InSite reminds people that there is no right or wrong way to feel about being diagnosed with HIV, and that a wide range of emotions, even conflicting ones, are common after diagnosis.

    • 2

      Talk with others when you feel comfortable doing so. Sharing your feelings about being diagnosed HIV-positive can help you unburden yourself of what can be a very heavy load. Your friends and family care about you in both body and mind and want the best for you.

    • 3

      Seek out a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. You can learn from the experiences of other people living with HIV-disease and at the same time relate to people who understand more than others just what it is you're going through.

    • 4

      Continue to engage in activities that bring you happiness in your daily life. Although an HIV-diagnosis can be life-altering, it doesn't have to determine the course of your whole life. By staying in touch with friends and the things you like to do together, you remind yourself and others that you are strong, resilient and care about yourself as a whole person.

    • 5

      Take positive steps for your overall health. A healthy body can improve your general outlook. HIV InSite recommends steps like exercising, sleeping enough, engaging in relaxation techniques, cutting down on caffeine, quitting smoking and eating small, healthy meals.

    • 6

      Ask questions. According to Avert.org, better understanding HIV-disease can make the diagnosis a little easier to deal with. Talking with doctors about treatment options, and monitoring HIV-disease can help you remember that HIV is manageable.

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