Keeping A Positive Outlook
For AIDS Patients

If you are dealing with HIV or AIDS and important part of your treatment is your mental state.  It is devastating to learn you have a life-threatening illness for which there is no cure.  How can you deal with this knowledge?  How can you cope with the prospect of lengthy treatments and an uncertain future?  There are several ways that can help you cope with the ongoing process of AIDS treatment. 

Stay as healthy as you can.  Maintain a healthy diet avoiding foods that can infect you with parasites or make you sick.  Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, and plenty of whole grains.  Getting plenty of rest, exercising regularly, and taking part in activities that will relax and refresh you.

After receiving news you have a life-threatening illness you may feel devastated.  You will think about the financial, social, and emotional effects.  You may feel overwhelmed with treatment decisions and worry how your illness will affect those closest to you.  Where can you go for help?  What can you do to help you cope?

There are a wide variety of services and programs to help you deal with your illness.  There are HIV and AIDS clinics that have people on staff to help you with your emotions and feelings.  Counselors and nurses who have experience with the disease can help you directly or put you in touch with people or organizations that can help you.  They also may be able to arrange for transport to and from doctor appointments, help you with legal issues, and aid in case of any financial difficulties.

Did You Know? 

The signs of symptoms of AIDS or HIV are different depending on what stage the infection is in. When a person is first infected they may have flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes but recover quickly. This flu-like sickness may occur two to six weeks after being infected and is not always associated with the possibility of HIV infection. Even if you do not have any of these symptoms until years later, you can still infect other people with the virus. Once your body is invaded with the HIV or AIDS virus, your immune system is under attack. Even though you may not be having any symptoms, you can still pass the disease on to another person. Meanwhile, even if you are symptom free, your cells that coordinate your immune system are slowly being destroyed. You can remain this way for as many as ten years but during that time you will begin it experience more frequent infections as your immune cells are destroyed. You may experience chronic symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, shortness of breath, cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss.

Educate yourself about your disease.  Find out what stages the disease takes and your treatment choices.  You should know about the drugs involved and what possible side effects they can cause.  The more education you have about your disease, the more active of a role you can play in your treatment.  Treatment for HIV has its own problems, and you will want to know what will be happening to your body so you can help deal with the complications your treatment may cause. 

Be proactive and positive.  Don’t let others make decisions that only you should make.  Your doctor and your family may think they know what is best, but the only one who does is you.  You may feel too tired or depressed and discouraged but it is important for you to remain active in all decisions about your treatment and health.

AIDS Facts Patients using homeopathic medicine will normally develop a fever after taking the medication. Homeopaths agree the fever is a helpful part of the response to the medicine and should not be suppressed. Fever is a response to infection and using homeopathic treatment and medicines encourage this body response.

Coping with the HIV virus or AIDS is a difficult job on your own.  It’s important to maintain a strong support system.  If you find your family and friends are having a difficult time dealing with your diagnosis, you may choose to look for a formal support group or a counselor experienced in dealing with AIDS patients.  Your family and close friends are an important part of your support system, but they may not be objective when it comes to someone they love.  A formal support group who has already dealt with some of the issues you are going through may carry you through this important part of your life.

Important Information in AIDS and HIV Issues

Click here to add this page to your favorites