depressed

hi everyone,
I've recently been diagnosed with hsv2 and am going through extreme depression. So many thoughts are racing through my head non stop like having to take meds/see doctors for the rest of my life, constantly anticipating these breakouts, feeling like the scum of the earth, not being able to look anyone in the eye, and the thought of not being able to find someone willing to marry me. I'm rather young (early 20s) and I have no optimism towards the rest of my life anymore. I have an extremely difficult school schedule (pre-med) and I have a hard enough time with it even when I did have a clear head. Things I used to love doing like playing music, exercising, school video games, hanging out with friends, none of them seem enjoyable anymore. I don't even really feel like the same person. If anyone can offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated as I feel rather lost. Thank you.

[gracefromHHP]

Sounds like you are letting the IDEA of having genital herpes mess with you :(

Have you considered daily suppressive therapy so that you can take most of your herpes worries out of the picture?  less recurrences to worry about.  Reduces transmission to a partner too.

I'm sure right now it just seems like life will never be the same but hopefully you stick around here when you have time and see how real folks are living with herpes.  Do we sometimes get rejected just because we have herpes? yes we do though for most folks it doesn't happen very often at all ( if ever ). I know in my own personal experience, in 22 years of having hsv2, it's only been an issue 2x - all the rest of my partners were just fine with the low risk.

If you haven't read the herpes handbook yet at www.westoverheights.com and watched the patient counseling video there I highly recommend doing so.  Both are terrific resources.  

Don't give this pesky virus more power than it deserves in your life. It's just not worth it.  You are still the exact same person you were before you were diagnosed - none of that has changed.  

grace

[hatinlife]

i was diagnosed a week or 2 a go i haven't particularly been counting.....but life goes on.....an i remembered I'm beautiful...... u will give yourself time but don't dwell