Bex98

Hi all, I’m a 23 year old female and about two months ago I got out of a four year relationship with someone who understood me really well and knew about my condition and everything. Long story short, the relationship wasn’t working for a lot of reasons, but we still want to be friends and still love each other very much. Once I got out of the relationship, I felt this need to be with someone. I feel so alone all the time. My body image is terrible, I feel so abnormal for having HSV, even though I know how common it is. The stigma is worse than the condition itself. I hooked up with someone and I didn’t disclose. Now I feel like the worst person on the planet and the guilt is eating away at me. I just want to be loved so badly but I know what’s best for me is to be alone - and that hookup doesn’t love me anyways. I feel incredibly vulnerable posting this, I hope that no one attacks me. I shouldn’t have done what I did. But I’m looking for anyone who might relate. I’m also curious if anyone has had an experience with feeling this need to be around people all the time? I want to learn how to be alone without feeling like crap about myself. I hate being lonely but I feel like it’s probably what’s best for me right now. I have this constant need for external validation, especially from men. I don’t know how to fix it, but I really want to. Any advice is appreciated, or even if anyone has experienced these things. I just want to feel less alone in this I guess.

Thank you for your help! Makes me feel much less alone.

Hi all, Just had my second flare up ever. It’s pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I’ve been taking valacyclovir and ibuprofen to help with the pain but I was wondering if there’s anything else you guys do to speed up the healing process or take away the pain? I have been soaking in epsom salt baths because I thought that might heal the sores a bit faster. Does anyone know if this is alright to do? Hopefully it’s not slowing down heal time.