Just got diagnosed with HSV2 and I have never felt so depressed

[hcam17]

I am a 19 year old female college student who has just been diagnosed with HSV2 and I feel like my life is over. I found out today and I have been in a panic state for about 6 hours. I feel gross, ashamed, hopeless and alone. I already had low self asteen but now I feel like a guy will never love me now because I am damaged goods. Will I ever get over this? Will I ever be loved? I have never felt so unattrative in my life and I just need someone who has gone through this to talk to. I feel so alone.

[WellinformedPerson]

How were you diagnosed? By blood test or swab test? By IgM or IgG test? If by IgG what was your index value? Did you experience symptoms and what were the symptoms? Have you talked to your partner to determine if he has hsv2 and if he knows he does?

[WellinformedPerson]

I know that you are going through a very difficult time right now. Your feelings of panic and anxiety due to the uncertainty this diagnosis has created in your life is normal.

I do not want to minimize what you are going through, but I hope you can find some comfort in the fact that millions of men and women in the US have herpes and lead very fulfilling lives.

I have several friends that have been diagnosed with genital herpes, and their infections have become nothing more than a small nuisance that occasionally comes up. They still date, get married, and have children.

Their outbreaks have become so infrequent that most of them do not take antivirals. They go years without having an outbreak, and the recurrent outbreaks do not last very long and have been much milder than the initial outbreak they experienced.

I do not want to give you any false hope, but their is a ton of research into antivirals, vaccines and other drugs that could potentially eliminate outbreaks, evict the virus from the body, or create immunity from infection.

[DumbDecisions2017]

F all that low self esteem.  I believe 90% of the dumb decisions females make have something to do with self esteem issues.  You must love yourself NOW even with herpes so you do the best for yourself.  It sucks but it's life.  Pick yourself up, get stronger, love the hell out of yourself and take good care of yourself.  It's easy to feel like crap so fight to own this and be stronger.

You don't just want a man to want you.  You are the prize, not the other way around.  Anyone who doesn't want you, doesn't deserve you.  You still have amazing options.  If you dont recognize that, you might get with an assh*le.

Best wishes!!!

[fondazione]

Hey, you are not alone and you are experiencing the worst part right now because they say the initial outbreak is the worst.  You have so many years left to find a guy to be with because you are only 19.  There will always be guys that will want to be with you even if you have HSV2.  (was it positive with IGG test? IGM is unreliable)  I went through my initial outbreak in the beginning of September also and it has been the worst period in my life and I am still trying to cope as well. Joining a herpes support group that meets monthly definitely helps a lot.

[Life360_Dave]

Hi also, how were you diagnosed with hsv2?

[feelingundone]

I'm sorry for your bad news and that you're taking it so hard. At first it's a big shock. In time you will find out it's not that bad. First off hsv is very common. You are definitely not alone,damaged or gross in any way. You are tbe same person. Hsv is a skin condition really. Hsv wil not stop you from anything you want to do in life. I know this seems like a life ending event and being young the pain of this can be magnified but I absolutely promise you life has just begun and you can and will have all you want in life.