"Replace fear-based thinking with love-based thinking. Every time you're making a choice, ask yourself if it's going to cultivate the experience of unity and love or the experience of separation and stress." – Deepak Chopra

We all experience fear. When it comes to living with a chronic condition like HIV, fear can manifest in many ways.

Sometimes our initial diagnosis gives us fears about our quality of life. Dealing with the realities of our "new normal," with HIV can put us in a chronically fearful state of mind. Will I have fatigue today? Will I be able to attend to my daily tasks pain-free? Fear about outcomes that are beyond our control can facilitate fear taking root.

"I finally came to realize that my fears about having HIV and what that could potentially mean were ADDING to my pain. Once I consciously decided to relieve myself of that burden I could better focus on managing my HIV." – Member of myHIVteam

Here are recent conversations about myHIVteam members:

• "Disclosure holds a lot of fears for most people infected with HIV. I get it, the fear of rejection outweighs the possibilities of acceptance. But sometimes we do ourselves a disservice by not being brave enough to give others the choice."
• "Please take care everyone, be safe, and mostly enjoy the good in your life and don't let those bad thoughts and ordeals take away all the good. Rekindle the fire you once had and burn bright into all the tomorrows."
• "I felt a lot of emotions. I felt fear, the kind of fear that I felt when they gave me my diagnosis. I felt vulnerable and afraid of people. I don't know what's going on with me, what do you suggest - is it too soon to get group therapy? Or is this a normal reaction?"

Dealing with fear will look different for everyone. Sometimes it means arguing with our intrusive thoughts. Sometimes it looks like meditating to clear the mind.

How do you stop fear from taking over? Join the conversation below.