Herpes & Coldsores Support Network
Longest running online support network for people affected by the herpes and cord sores virus.
  • Coping
    • Emotions
      • Dealing with Herpes
      • Herpes Help Books
      • Celebrities with Herpes
    • Relationships
      • Telling your partner
      • Safe Sex
      • Herpes Talk Tips
      • Having Children & Herpes
      • Herpes Dating Sites
      • Information for Partners
  • Transmission
    • How Can You Get Herpes?
    • Herpes Prevention Tips
    • Herpes Viral Shedding
    • Preventing Herpes Outbreaks
  • Outbreaks
    • Symptoms
      • Herpes Symptoms, Outbreaks and Recurrences
      • Herpes Recurrences
      • What Herpes Looks Like
      • Herpes Simplex Outbreak Stages
    • Unsure?
      • Unsure if you have herpes? Read this
      • What Conditions Can Be Mistaken for Herpes? (and what to do)
      • Tests for Herpes
      • Obtaining an Accurate Herpes Blood Test
    • Pictures
      • Pictures of Herpes
      • Mild Herpes Photographs
      • More Herpes Pics
  • Treatment
    • Prescription Medication
      • Herpes Medications
      • Compare Herpes Drugs & Treatments
      • Herpes Drugs Pros and Cons: Things You Should Know
    • Natural Therapies
      • Help to Stop Herpes Outbreaks
      • Topical Creams and Ointments
      • Herpes Home Remedies
      • Herpes and the Immune System
      • Anti Herpes Nutrients
      • Herbs for Herpes
      • Taking Echinacea
    • Nutrition
      • Herpes Diet FAQ
      • Lysine, Natural Amino Acid Fights Herpes
      • Lysine Safety Information
      • Herpes Diet Chart
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part one)
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part two)
    • Research
      • Herpes Clinical Trials
      • Herpes Prognosis
  • STD Library
    • All
    • STD Information
    • STD Pictures

    STD Picture Gallery

    STD Information Library

    How Viruses Cause Disease

    How do bacteria cause disease?

    The Difference between STD and STI

    Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    How Protozoa Cause Disease

    Diagnosis & Testing for STD’s

No Result
View All Result
Herpes & Coldsores Support Network
  • Coping
    • Emotions
      • Dealing with Herpes
      • Herpes Help Books
      • Celebrities with Herpes
    • Relationships
      • Telling your partner
      • Safe Sex
      • Herpes Talk Tips
      • Having Children & Herpes
      • Herpes Dating Sites
      • Information for Partners
  • Transmission
    • How Can You Get Herpes?
    • Herpes Prevention Tips
    • Herpes Viral Shedding
    • Preventing Herpes Outbreaks
  • Outbreaks
    • Symptoms
      • Herpes Symptoms, Outbreaks and Recurrences
      • Herpes Recurrences
      • What Herpes Looks Like
      • Herpes Simplex Outbreak Stages
    • Unsure?
      • Unsure if you have herpes? Read this
      • What Conditions Can Be Mistaken for Herpes? (and what to do)
      • Tests for Herpes
      • Obtaining an Accurate Herpes Blood Test
    • Pictures
      • Pictures of Herpes
      • Mild Herpes Photographs
      • More Herpes Pics
  • Treatment
    • Prescription Medication
      • Herpes Medications
      • Compare Herpes Drugs & Treatments
      • Herpes Drugs Pros and Cons: Things You Should Know
    • Natural Therapies
      • Help to Stop Herpes Outbreaks
      • Topical Creams and Ointments
      • Herpes Home Remedies
      • Herpes and the Immune System
      • Anti Herpes Nutrients
      • Herbs for Herpes
      • Taking Echinacea
    • Nutrition
      • Herpes Diet FAQ
      • Lysine, Natural Amino Acid Fights Herpes
      • Lysine Safety Information
      • Herpes Diet Chart
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part one)
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part two)
    • Research
      • Herpes Clinical Trials
      • Herpes Prognosis
  • STD Library
    • All
    • STD Information
    • STD Pictures

    STD Picture Gallery

    STD Information Library

    How Viruses Cause Disease

    How do bacteria cause disease?

    The Difference between STD and STI

    Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)

    Sexually Transmitted Diseases

    How Protozoa Cause Disease

    Diagnosis & Testing for STD’s

No Result
View All Result
Herpes & Coldsores Support Network
No Result
View All Result

Herpes and Self-Esteem

in Understanding it
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Home Understanding it

Contents

The Importance of Positive Thinking and Acceptance

Do not let herpes define you

Herpes does not change all the good and wonderful things that make you ‘you’. It has nothing to do with your intelligence, social habits, or bank account. You are a loving, sexual, whole individual and no-one else on the planet has the things that you have to offer – remember this. This skin condition does not make the essence of you any less beautiful.

More people than you could ever imagine are affected by herpes, including some of your family, friends and co-workers. It’s just that people don’t talk about it!

If you are at a party, a work place or family gathering and there is 20 people there, guess what? Statistically 4 people at this gathering have genital herpes and nearly 14 will have oral herpes. Yikes! Looks like the people without herpes antibodies are the odd ones out 🙂

RelatedPosts

Female Herpes Concerns

Herpes Symptoms, Outbreaks and Recurrences

Mild Herpes Photographs

Herpes is for life, but so are many other conditions

Do not be discouraged by this condition. Although there is currently no “cure” for herpes there are definitely effective ways to manage the symptoms and precautions that you can take to help prevent transmitting the virus to a partner.

Keep in mind that there is no cure for any virus at this time, including the common flu, measles, mumps, chickenpox, etc. All of us have caught one of these viruses at some stage in our life and still have the virus inside of our body. It is no different with herpes.

Your immune system is perfectly capable of dealing with and permanently suppressing any virus that it encounters, including herpes, but sometimes the body needs help and persistence to get on top of the symptoms.

Paying attention to your health and being consistent with a treatment regime (whether it be prescription or complimentary) can be helpful here.

The upside of having herpes

A diagnosis of herpes can actually have some ‘positive’ effects too. For some people, having herpes can mean a better quality of life by paying more attention to the body and motivating us to improve our overall health.

The state of a person’s health can be a big factor in keeping the symptoms under control, so making positive diet and lifestyle changes can have countless benefits.

Herpes can also help us to choose more wisely when it comes to partners and relationships. When you need to disclose something as personal as herpes, becoming intimately involved with another person can become something that is shared only with people who deeply respect and care for us. This can help to give us very real and true experiences in our relationships.

When one door shuts another door opens, and it is important to focus on the powerful personal strengths that can come from this situation. The first steps are to work towards eliminating the physical symptoms, finding forgiveness in your heart if there is any resentment that needs working on, and then move forward positively to the future.

Herpes is a viral skin condition, do not make it more than this

Unconsciously, many of us have a lot of negative beliefs related to herpes that make it difficult to convince ourselves that others would want to be with us. It is important to recognize these beliefs and consciously change them.

Accepting the fact that you have herpes will make it easier to let others into your life.

A practical challenge to overcome negativity

  • Sit down with a pen and paper and say to yourself, “I have herpes.” What thought pops into your head? No matter what it is, write it down. Do this again and again until you have identified a number of the stereotypical/negative feelings that you have about herpes.
  • Look at your list. How many of the negative feelings or beliefs are truly valid? Take your list and replace each of your negative beliefs with a positive one.
  • You have the power to change what you believe about yourself. Whenever you find your inner voice telling you that you can’t do or have anything that you desire, simply interrupt it and firmly repeat to yourself your positive replacement. The more often you repeat these positive statements, the more they reinforce themselves.
  • You can think and believe whatever you choose about yourself. It might take some repetition. Years of negative belief patterns do not disappear overnight. But eventually, by deliberately replacing your old negative beliefs with positive new ones, you can begin to change how you think and feel about yourself – consciously and unconsciously.

Well done! You have confronted a difficult issue in your life with courage and consideration.

Physical Relief

If the symptoms are happening frequently it can make it more difficult to think positively. If you are finding that this is happening to you, it could be helpful to assess your diet and where it could be improved to help prevent an outbreak from happening.

Taking care of yourself is likely to help reduce herpes outbreaks, which includes factors such as:

  • eating right
  • avoiding excess stress
  • exercising
  • getting quality sleep

There is also a range of different treatments which can help to clear outbreaks more quickly and help to stop them from recurring. Please take a look at our Herpes Treatment section for a list of options that have worked well for others.

Always be safe and inform any partners of the small risk of transmission before being sexually intimate.

And just remember, never let a skin condition define who you are, or your happiness… this journey is a long adventure and this is just one pebble along the way.

Where to Now?

  • How to Tell a Partner
  • Herpes Prevention Tips
  • Recommended Books
Previous Post

Information for Partners affected by Herpes

Next Post

Herpes Talk – How to Tell Partner about Herpes

Related Posts

Understanding it

Female Herpes Concerns

Womanly Concerns with Herpes Painful Urination Women with herpes often experience pain when urinating. It is important to avoid problems...

Herpes Symptoms
Understanding it

Herpes Symptoms, Outbreaks and Recurrences

Herpes symptoms can be varies, have various warning signs, or even no visible symptoms at all. Get to know its...

Understanding it

Mild Herpes Photographs

Mild herpes photographs are hard to find.. why? Most herpes pictures on the internet at the moment only seem to...

Next Post
Herpes Talk – How to Tell Partner about Herpes

Herpes Talk - How to Tell Partner about Herpes

How Can You Get Herpes

How Can You Get Herpes

Safe Sex With Herpes

Safe Sex With Herpes


Humbled to be the longest running online support network for people affected by the herpes and cold sore virus.

©1998 - 2022 Herpes Coldsores Information Website

No Result
View All Result
  • Coping
    • Emotions
      • Dealing with Herpes
      • Herpes Help Books
      • Celebrities with Herpes
    • Relationships
      • Telling your partner
      • Safe Sex
      • Herpes Talk Tips
      • Having Children & Herpes
      • Herpes Dating Sites
      • Information for Partners
  • Transmission
    • How Can You Get Herpes?
    • Herpes Prevention Tips
    • Herpes Viral Shedding
    • Preventing Herpes Outbreaks
  • Outbreaks
    • Symptoms
      • Herpes Symptoms, Outbreaks and Recurrences
      • Herpes Recurrences
      • What Herpes Looks Like
      • Herpes Simplex Outbreak Stages
    • Unsure?
      • Unsure if you have herpes? Read this
      • What Conditions Can Be Mistaken for Herpes? (and what to do)
      • Tests for Herpes
      • Obtaining an Accurate Herpes Blood Test
    • Pictures
      • Pictures of Herpes
      • Mild Herpes Photographs
      • More Herpes Pics
  • Treatment
    • Prescription Medication
      • Herpes Medications
      • Compare Herpes Drugs & Treatments
      • Herpes Drugs Pros and Cons: Things You Should Know
    • Natural Therapies
      • Help to Stop Herpes Outbreaks
      • Topical Creams and Ointments
      • Herpes Home Remedies
      • Herpes and the Immune System
      • Anti Herpes Nutrients
      • Herbs for Herpes
      • Taking Echinacea
    • Nutrition
      • Herpes Diet FAQ
      • Lysine, Natural Amino Acid Fights Herpes
      • Lysine Safety Information
      • Herpes Diet Chart
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part one)
      • Stay Alkaline ~ Stay Outbreak Free (part two)
    • Research
      • Herpes Clinical Trials
      • Herpes Prognosis
  • STD Library
    • Information Library
      • AIDS / HIV Information
      • Bacterial Vaginosis Information
      • Chancroid Information
      • Chlamydia Information
      • Genital Warts (HPV) Information
      • Gonorrhoea Information
      • Granuloma Information
      • Hepatitis Information
      • Herpes Information
      • Lymphogranuloma Information
      • Molluscum Information
      • Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)
      • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Information
      • Pubic Lice Information
      • Scabies Information
      • Syphilis Information
      • Trichomoniasis Information
      • Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) Information
      • Vaginitis Information
      • Yeast Infection Information
    • Picture Gallery
      • AIDS / HIV Pictures
      • Bacterial Vaginosis Pictures
      • Chancroid Pictures
      • Chlamydia Pictures
      • Gonorrhoea Pictures
      • Genital Warts Pictures
      • Granuloma Pictures
      • Hepatitis Pictures
      • Herpes Pictures
      • Lymphogranuloma Pictures
      • Molluscum Pictures
      • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) Pictures
      • Pubic Lice Pictures
      • Scabies Pictures
      • Syphilis Pictures
      • Trichomoniasis Pictures
      • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Pictures
      • Vaginitis Pictures
      • Yeast Infection Pictures
  • Herpes Blog
  • Get tested for STDs

©1998 - 2022 Herpes Coldsores Information Website

This website uses cookies only for analytics and performance measurement purposes. No personal data will be collected. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used.