Just Diagnosed...

[Dee3289]

I was just diagnosed with HSV-2. I was in an unhealthy long term relationship that I just had the courage to end about a month ago. I had a rebound one night stand which is where I contracted herpes. I was excited to start dating and "getting back out there." Now I feel like what's the point. Luckily, the initial outbreak I had was very mild. Logically, I know that this is not the end of the world. I already see a therapist and have very supportive people in my life. I was wondering if I should take some time before dating or continue trying to "get back out there." I'm not sure what to do. 

[mr_hopp]

First off, let me celebrate you for having the courage to get out of that unhealthy relationship! That's a huge step. And even though it's not something anyone seeks out, getting herpes can be a blessing in disguise ... an opportunity even (and I totally get how it might not seem that way right about now). It tends to slow things down, allows us to really build foundational trust with people before we can trust them with our vulnerability to disclose. The prerequisite of disclosing before having sex is a very helpful filter to make sure we only sleep with people we can actually trust first.

Blatant plug: You might want to check out the course I created called the Opportunity Lifestyle Guides during your phase of taking time before getting back out there. It will help you put this into perspective in a healthy way, to reframe the negatives into positives so that when you are ready, you'll have an empowered concept of what it means to be a person who has herpes. More information on those here: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/lp/lifestyle-guides

And if you're not ready to dive into the course itself, there are plenty of awesome articles and videos here that have a cumulative effect of shifting your mindset toward Opportunity: https://www.herpesopportunity.com/all-posts