Something well worth reading..

[Ihaveittoo1975]

Maybe this article has already been posted on the forum, but even if so, I think this is a very good for new to this site to use this as a motivator for those who struggle with their diagnose. In short, the more you dwell over your condition the worse you will make it for yourself.

 

 

http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/psychological-issues-related-herpes

 

 

 

"When a person is diagnosed with a Herpes Simplex Virus infection, either oral or genital, it is not uncommon for them to experience an onslaught of emotions. This may be true especially for those diagnosed with genital herpes. It may start with disbelief or the inclination to think the test is to blame for providing incorrect results. But as the realization of having HSV sets in, carriers may have feelings of sadness, confusion, and helplessness regarding how to process the information. Psychological issues related to a Herpes diagnosis are felt almost universally amongst people of all ages. Simply knowing one is infected can lead to feelings of stigmatization, either from others or self-imposed. In this case, stigma is defined as “an attribute or membership in a group that is devalued, differs from the norm, or is associated with undesirable characteristics.”

 

 

The results of these stigmatizing feelings are many. Of particular importance, however, is the positive correlation between an individual feeling stigmatized and the number of Herpes outbreaks they experience. A model was developed proposing that the presence of regular negative feelings lead to recurrent outbreaks, and that having the Herpes lesions increases these negative effects, particularly when a person has poor coping skills. In simpler terms, people who feel stigmatized because of their Herpes are more likely to suffer a greater number of recurring outbreaks, and these outbreaks can in turn lead to a greater feeling of negative effects. Thus people living with Herpes may easily fall into a vicious and self-perpetuating cycle of outbreaks that may be difficult to stop.

 

 

Furthermore, a person’s sense of self-stigmatization is influenced by their personal rate of outbreaks. Many people in the developing world (and many others in parts of the world referred to as “developed”) initially lack information to properly manage their outbreaks. As a result, they may feel even more powerless over things taking place within their bodies. There exists a direct connection between psychological and physical health in persons living with Herpes: when an individual is experiencing more negative effects internally, they will perceive and report more physical pain. The opposite also holds true. When a person experiences an outbreak, the stigmatized feelings brought on by other individuals and society will often cause them to believe they are feeling pain from the outbreak.

 

 

Genital outbreaks can increase a person’s sense of stigma, potentially kick-starting a variety of consequences. These can include, but are not limited to: feelings of anxiety, depression, hostility, shame, social isolation, and a negative view of themselves. Effects such as these will often influence a person’s decision to inform medical professionals, friends, family, and potential sexual partners of their health status. Particularly with informing potential sexual partners, there can be truly unfortunate consequences as a result. If people living with Herpes receive so many stigmatization-inducing feelings from others, how then are they ever supposed to have a psychologically healthy relationship with the rest of society?

 

 

The first step in reducing feelings of stigmatization lies in reducing a person’s frequency of outbreaks. Stress was long believed to be one of the most powerful triggers for outbreaks, but this theory is now being challenged. Although many people retrospectively argue that their outbreaks stem from stress, researchers have found that recurring outbreaks may be just as likely to cause stress. Regardless of whether or not stress is the cause or effect of outbreaks, properly managing factors that contribute to stress should help reduce their frequency. Studies have been done to test for psychological methods to reduce their frequency. Researchers have found that stress reduction, short-term cognitive behavioral stress management, and progressive muscle relaxation techniques have been successful in combating the frequency of outbreaks. Findings like these reinforce the concept that proper planning is an essential tool available to people who are living with Herpes and are looking to decrease the frequency of their outbreaks. Such techniques are relatively simple to follow, and are much cheaper in the long-run than relying on medication to control outbreaks. It is highly recommended that people work with a doctor to develop a plan for managing their infection that best suits their needs."

 

 

 

Resource

 

Merin, Abigail, and John E. Pachankis. "The Psychological Impact of Genital Herpes Stigma." Journal of Health Psychology (2010): 80-90. Print.

 

[WCSDancer2010]

The first step in reducing feelings of stigmatization lies in reducing a person’s frequency of outbreaks. Stress was long believed to be one of the most powerful triggers for outbreaks, but this theory is now being challenged. Although many people retrospectively argue that their outbreaks stem from stress, researchers have found that recurring outbreaks may be just as likely to cause stress.

 

This is the strongest reason for the need of something that either cures or at least drastically reduces OB's ... and I think the Scientific community are starting to get that....

 

Good article :)

[whitedaisies]

Here here!!!!!!!!!!!