Protecting your wellness from HIV

Wellness refers to the state of being in good health. It is the practice of healthy habits to achieve better physical and mental conditions. In its most profound form, wellness is making choices to attain a fulfilling and satisfactory life.

In people with HIV, taking care of oneself is not merely following daily antiretroviral treatment. When it comes to wellness, it’s all about protecting one’s physical, mental, and emotional health.

We understand that receiving an HIV diagnosis can take a toll on someone’s life. However, this should not stop infected people from going through with their life. To help you manage your condition, we listed several steps that will help improve your physical and mental functionality.

Physical Wellness

Physical wellness talks about maintaining a healthy body and strengthening the physique. In people with HIV, besides taking regular antiretroviral drugs, physical exercises are necessary to help their immune system become robust enough to fight the infection. However, aside from everyday physical activities, there are other things you can do to promote physical wellness. Consider the following:

• Eat healthily – Observe a proper diet by eating what’s best for your condition. Avoid processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and fat.
• Sleep well – Sleep deprivation can lead to a series of health dilemmas. For people with HIV, having deficient sleep can cause health complications. It is also one way to manage depression, a condition that is common after an HIV diagnosis.
• Quit smoking – Smoking addiction can be risky for people with HIV. It puts them at higher risk for lung diseases. Quitting it earlier can help manage the infection quickly.

Mental Wellness

Depression is a big word that counters a sound and healthy mental condition. If physical wellness is essential, the same thing goes for mental health. Here are ways you can protect your mental well-being if you have been recently diagnosed with HIV.

• Talk to your family – Sometimes, sharing what makes you depressed and sad with your family can bring shameful feelings. However, talking to people whom you trust the most can make you calm and peaceful.
• Join support groups – Feeling so alone is normal if you have HIV. However, this should not always be the case. Join support groups or participate in online forums. This way, you can connect to other HIV-positive individuals and talk about your experiences. This is a great way to help and meet people with whom you share similar ordeals.
• Look for professional help – If you feel like talking with your family or friends did not help you in your mental condition, getting professional help is highly recommended. Through this, you will get answers to questions about how to cope. Through this, you will get enough counselling and start your therapy.

Takeaway

Before, HIV was considered a life sentence. However, with the rise of antiretroviral treatment and programs that help manage the infection, living with it becomes easier. Practice wellness activities to stay healthy while also living with the disease. Although a cure is not yet available, how you choose to live with it matters the most