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Real members of myHIVteam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.
A myHIVteam Member asked a question 💭
Dracut, MA

I’ve been feeling a lot of shame for not really considering the experiences of people who have been long-term sufferers until I got diagnosed myself. I thought about the struggles of all you long term survivors, but I never truly reflected on them until after my own diagnosis. Now I feel guilty for not empathizing what long termers went through while growing up. Do any other fairly newly diagnosed people feel this kind of shame for not recognizing the challenges others faced until now? I feel so… read more

July 19, 2024
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Answer Summary

Members responded with warmth and understanding to a newly diagnosed person feeling shame for not fully appreciating the struggles of... Read more

Members responded with warmth and understanding to a newly diagnosed person feeling shame for not fully appreciating the struggles of long-term HIV survivors before their own diagnosis. Several members shared powerful personal stories of the early AIDS crisis, including hospital wards with blackened windows, workplace discrimination, and living without effective treatments, helping the original poster understand and honor that history. A recurring theme was that empathy grows with experience, and rather than feeling shame, newly diagnosed members were encouraged to carry forward the stories of long-term survivors as a way to honor their strength.

A myHIVteam Member

Pepe3 is human to make mistakes but admitting your mistakes and rectifying them makes you a great person, you are a wonderful human being, here you have one more friend...

Pepe3 es de humano equivocarse pero admitir tus herrores y rectificarlos te hace una gran persona eres un ser humano maravilloso aquí tienes un amigo más ....

July 19, 2024
A myHIVteam Member

Hey, Pepe3 There's no need to feel any shame we all at some point was confused and maybe felt a little guilty, but your knowledge of the virus at the time. Was what it is.
Now you've always been an inspiration to a lot of the newly diagnosed. You have inspired some old timers so don't be so hard on yourself. Buddy, you do great things here and we all appreciate it. We all do.
Dumb things that's why we're here.But just keep on trucking.The past is the past today.Is today tomorrow will be what it will be. Keep up the good work.Buddy you have a great day

July 19, 2024
A myHIVteam Member

Pepe3, your courage to "come out" and acknowledge your SHAME is such a giant leap forward for all of us. I'm glad that the experience of us long-term survivors has an impact on your thinking. Imagine yourself in our shoes 40 years from now. That's how long I've been poz. Much will be accomplished in the next period (40 years)...maybe even a cure! The news this past week is hopeful. A 60 year old male in Berlin, Germany is medically cured of HIV via stem cell transplant. "FRIDAY, July 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A German man has become the seventh person to apparently be cured of HIV, researchers report. The 60-year-old man, referred to as the “next Berlin Patient,” was treated with a stem cell transplant in October 2015 for acute myeloid leukemia, researchers said." There's a new treatment where injections will be given just every 6 months which is hopeful. There's currently once a month injection which is better than ingesting pills everyday. The action that you've taken in this forum is brave and should give us all hope that you and other "doubters" will appreciate the struggles that we went through when there was no meds for symptoms that killed us in short periods of time (months). Your giant step in acknowledging SHAME begs the next question. What are you going to do now to make us feel even more proud of you for your write-up in myHIVteam? You should be proud of yourself! We are very proud of you. Well done.

July 19, 2024
A myHIVteam Member

I have always done my best to be a kind person yet my drug addiction allowed me to have more compassion towards others as well as my diagnosis with AIDS - 11 year LTS

July 22, 2024
A myHIVteam Member

I’d have probably been the same way. I’m going on 25 years and don’t feel like you have to apologize and especially don’t beat your self up over it.

July 22, 2024

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