If you have recently been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, it is perfectly normal for you to feel as if the world has fallen on you. However, nowadays, you must know that being diagnosed with HIV is not a death sentence. If you take your medicines right and take care of your mental and physical health, you have a good chance of living a normal and happy life. You will be dealing with physical pain mixed with the psychological burden of having to tell people about your condition, but still a long and meaningful life awaits you, as long as you keep the right attitude. There are 150-200 thousand Italians currently struggling with HIV, so one of the important things to know is that, no matter how scared you are, you are not alone. Move on to the first point to learn more about how to live with HIV / AIDS.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Staying mentally stable
Step 1. Know that it is not a death sentence
Although it may seem practically impossible to think positively when you discover you have HIV or AIDS, you have to remind yourself that this is not a death sentence. In fact, recent studies have shown that the difference in life expectancy between people with or without HIV has never been so small. It means that although you have to make changes, your life is not over. It will probably be the worst news you have ever received, but by working on the right attitude, you can do it.
- According to studies, the average HIV-infected person in North America lives up to 63 years, while the average homosexual man gets to 77. Of course, it depends on various factors, such as pre-existing conditions, the strength of the virus, the transition from HIV to AIDS, and diligence in taking medication and the subsequent reaction of the body.
- When Magic Johnson found out he was HIV positive in 1991, many thought his life was about to end. Well, more than 20 years later, she is still living a healthy, normal and incredibly inspiring life.
Step 2. Take some time to process it
Don't expect a renewed will to live within a couple of weeks, realizing that you have lived the wrong way and that you have to change everything to find true happiness. You won't be very fit. You may not impress your friends and family with your ability to stay positive during this difficult time. But after giving yourself time to see that your life is not over, to let the idea of being positive settle, you will feel better. Unfortunately, there is no magic number (3 weeks! 3 months!) That can tell you when you will feel "normal" again, but by being patient with yourself, you will feel better.
It doesn't mean that you shouldn't seek help right away once you discover your HIV status. Rather, it means that you should be mentally patient
Step 3. Free yourself from guilt and remorse
There are various ways to get HIV, the most common being sex, sharing needles, being born to an HIV-positive mother, or touching the blood of an HIV-infected person, which can happen more frequently in case of the medical profession. If you contracted AIDS due to reckless behavior and now you blame yourself for it, you must forgive yourself. Maybe you've had sex with someone you shouldn't have had sex with, maybe you've shared needles with disreputable people - whatever you've done is the past, and all you can do is start over.
If you have contracted AIDS through reckless behavior, it is important to get an idea of whatever you have done, but once you do, you have to move on. It makes no sense to keep saying “I could, should, wanted…” because it won't have any effect on you in the present
Step 4. Tell the people you care about
Another way to feel mentally stronger is to talk to the closest people about your condition, whether they are trusted friends or family (it's also vital to tell your current or former partners - more on this later). Be ready to face people's anger, fear or confusion, the same emotions you experienced when you discovered your condition. At first, telling them won't be easy, but if they love you, they'll be on your side, and having people to talk to about your condition will make you feel better in the long run.
- If you're going to tell a close friend or family member, then you need to plan instead of spilling it on them. Choose a time and place where you can have confidentiality and time to talk seriously, and prepare some information material and all the necessary answers, because you will likely be asked a lot of questions.
- Although you may feel so upset that you are unable to share your situation with anyone, it is important to talk to a friend or family member as soon as possible, in order to have at least one person you can rely on in the event of a medical emergency.
- Know that you are not legally required to disclose your HIV status to your boss or coworkers unless it interferes with your work. Unfortunately, in the event of a contraction of HIV / AIDS you cannot be part of the police forces in certain countries, so you will have to inform your managers in that case.
Step 5. Find support from the HIV / AIDS community
While the support of loved ones can go a long way in helping you find mental strength, sometimes you may need the support of other people who are going through your situation, or people who are well-informed about it. Here are some places you can find support:
- Call the LILA Helpline (https://www.lila.it/it/helpline.html). The timetables are available in the link and in this way you can find someone who can help you feel stronger and more aware.
- Find a support group in your area. These groups are usually divided according to experience, based on how long you have lived with the disease.
- You can also visit one of the LILA offices to find out more about the services in your area.
- If you're not ready to talk openly with other people yet, go online to find people like you. Find a useful site like HIVfriends and talk to other HIV-positive people online.
Step 6. Find relief in your faith
If you already have a solid relationship with your faith, then it's a great shoulder to cry on during a difficult time. If you are not religious, it may be time to suddenly start going to church (but anything can help), but if you already have religious habits, you can try to attend more often, be more active in your religious community, and find relief. in the idea of a higher power, or a greater meaning from the sum of the elements of your life.
Step 7. Ignore those who want you badly
Unfortunately, many have preconceived notions of what it means to have AIDS or HIV. They can judge you thinking that you must have done something wrong to have HIV or AIDS. They may be afraid to approach for fear of being infected just by breathing your own air. If you want to stay strong, then you can't be swayed by these people. Learn as much as you can about AIDS or HIV so that you can respond in kind to these people, or in case of enemies who don't want to hear reasons, get out of that situation.
You're too busy taking care of your own well-being to care about the judgment of others, aren't you?
Step 8. Consider getting professional mental health help
It is perfectly normal to feel severely depressed after being diagnosed. It is obviously life-changing information, and even the strongest people would have trouble handling it, so you may need more help than your friends or loved ones, or even support groups, can give you. Having someone not close to you to talk to about your situation can help you take an alternative perspective and get you more in touch with your situation.
Part 2 of 3: Get treated
Step 1. Tell your doctor
If you discover that you have AIDS or HIV, then it is essential that you tell your doctor as soon as possible and that you start treatment (unless it was your doctor who told you, of course). The sooner you start treating yourself, the better off you will be, and the stronger and less frail your body will be towards disease. Once told to your doctor, it is very important to see a specialist. If your doctor is not an HIV-positive specialist, then he must consult with a specialist to allow you to start treatment.
Step 2. Test to find suitable therapies
Your doctor won't just throw you a cocktail of drugs and send you home. He will undergo a series of tests to find out what your body needs before receiving the right therapy. Here's what the exams will cover:
- Your CD4 count. These cells are a type of white blood cell that is destroyed by HIV. The count of a healthy person varies between 500 and more than 1000. If you have fewer than 200 CD4 cells, then HIV has evolved into AIDS.
- Your viral load. In general, the more viruses you have in your blood, the worse you are.
- Your resistance to medicine. HIV subjects you to various stresses, and it is important to find out if your case will be resistant to certain antiretroviral drugs. This can help you find the right medicines for you.
- Get examined for complications or infections. Your doctor may also want to test you for other conditions to see if you also have other sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis, liver or kidney damage, or other conditions that could complicate treatment.
Step 3. Take your medicines
You should start following your doctor's orders and take medication if you have severe symptoms, a CD4 count below 500, pregnancy, or kidney dysfunction. Although there is no cure for HIV or AIDS, the right combination of drugs can help stop the virus; the combination insures you against any immunity to some of the medications you are given. You will probably need to take multiple pills at various times of the day for the rest of your life once you have found the right combination.
- Do not stop taking your medication on your own for any reason. In case you react terribly to the treatment, talk to your doctor immediately and find out the way forward. By stopping the treatment of your own free will, however, you could have drastic consequences (ending up feeling even worse).
- Your treatment may include transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), which deactivate the protein used by HIV to duplicate, reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), defective versions of the building blocks used by HIV to reproduce, protease inhibitors (PIs), another protein used in HIV reproduction, entry or fusion inhibitors, which prevent HIV from entering CD4 cells, and integrase inhibitors, a protein used by HIV to insert genetic material into your CD4 cells.
Step 4. Be prepared for side effects
Unfortunately, the side effects of the treatment can be unpleasant, but if you find a combination that just isn't right for you, you can ask your doctor for corrections. It is best to be mentally prepared for some of the physical symptoms you may experience. Be aware, however, that they vary from person to person; some may have severe symptoms, others may feel nothing for many years. Here are some symptoms you may feel:
- Nausea
- He retched
- Diarrhea
- Tachycardia
- Shortness of breath
- Erythema
- Weak bones
- Nightmares
- Amnesia
Step 5. See your doctor for periodic tests
You should examine your viral load at the start of therapy, and then every 3-4 months during treatment. You should also check your CD4 counts every 3-6 months. Yeah, doing the math, that's a lot of visits every year. But it is what is needed to make sure that the therapy is working and to live better despite HIV / AIDS.
If the therapy is effective, then your viral load should become unnoticeable. It does not mean that you are cured of HIV, or that you can no longer infect others. However, it does mean that your body is in better shape
Part 3 of 3: Staying healthy
Step 1. Take precautions
If you are HIV positive then you need to take extra precautions around other people, Sure, you can still hug those you love, casually touch people and live a relatively normal existence, but you need to be very careful, such as having only protected sex, not sharing needles or anything with your blood, like razors or toothbrushes, and generally being more cautious around others.
If you know you have AIDS or HIV and are having sex with someone without disclosing your condition, then you are breaking the law
Step 2. Tell your current or former partners about your HIV status as soon as you are diagnosed
It is important that anyone who has had sex with you knows about your condition, and yes, who will do so in the future as well. It won't be pleasant, but if you want to protect whoever has been with you, you definitely need to take this precaution. There are even sites that can help you tell a person anonymously in case of casual sex or just in case you don't want to talk to that person. It is important to disclose the information, because many may be unaware of their HIV status.
Step 3. Maintain a balanced diet
A healthy diet can be beneficial in almost any situation, including HIV. Healthy foods help keep your immune system strong, and will give you more energy to cope with daily duties. So make sure you eat at least 3 times a day, with the right amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, fruits and vegetables. Snack when you're hungry and don't skip meals, especially breakfast. The right diet can also help you metabolize medicines and acquire the proteins your body needs.
- Great foods include lean proteins, whole grains and legumes.
- There are also foods that you should avoid because they can cause more serious illnesses due to your HIV status. These foods include sushi, sashimi, oysters, unpasteurized dairy products, eggs, and raw meats.
Step 4. Get the vaccines
Periodic pneumonia or flu vaccines can help you stay healthy. Your body will be more prone to these diseases, so it is important that you take precautions against them. Make sure vaccines do not contain active viruses, or that they do not make you more susceptible to disease.
Step 5. Train regularly
It's about maintaining a healthy lifestyle that can help you stay strong and make you less prone to disease, which can lead to complications due to your condition. So, make sure you get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, whether it's running, yoga, cycling, or walking with friends. It might seem irrelevant when dealing with an HIV diagnosis, but it will make you feel better, both mentally and physically.
- If you really want your body to be as healthy as possible, then you can quit smoking and minimize alcohol intake (or even quit altogether, to avoid problems with medication). Smoking can put you even more at risk with the diseases normally associated with smoking if you have HIV.
- It is perfectly normal to be depressed after such a diagnosis. Training will not cure depression, but it can certainly help you feel better.
Step 6. See if you are eligible for disability in case you are unable to work
If you are in the unfortunate situation where your HIV / AIDS symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work, then you should check your employer's or state eligibility for disability benefits. Contact the local ASL for information (Milan:
To be eligible for disability, you must prove your HIV status and inability to work
Advice
- You should learn to stay positive regardless of AIDS.
- Maintain a balanced diet, with lots of fruits, vegetables, whole wheat flour, lean proteins, healthy fats, and lots of water.
- Exercise regularly to keep your body strong and healthy. Exercise for at least 30 minutes / 3 times a week. Remember that a little exercise is always better than nothing.
- Find something that can help you cope with stress, such as meditation, listening to music or a simple walk. Freeing your mind from worries about HIV will help you get better in no time.
