HIV:The Storm: Depression

HIV

The Storm

Chapter 6: Depression

Sarah came in the following session quite depressed. She had a listless, flat quality about her. She had not been sleeping or eating, and had dark circles under her eyes. She reported continued nightmares, a common theme being swept under by huge tidal waves. She acknowledged that doing something was better that doing nothing; yet, she did not know where to start.

I remembered reading about the treatment of depression in people with HIV using a model called 'interpersonal psychotherapy'. This technique emphasizes mourning losses while encouraging patients to find new goals in life. A lot of the focus is on living out one's fantasies and to create as full a life as possible, no matter how much time remains.
I also knew that lives were potentially at stake if I did nothing; so, I became proactive with Sarah. I explained that it seemed there were three really important things she could consider:
1. To explore getting some medical treatment for herself.
2. To have Rebecca tested and
3. To notify Sam, her current boyfriend, and her past lovers of her HIV status.

Sarah looked relieved when I laid out a course of action for her. I supplied her with the name and number of a nearby clinic which specialized in HIV and AIDS treatment, hoping that she would feel less stigmatized there. We called the clinic during our session and made Sarah an appointment.

Sarah had great respect for Rebecca's pediatrician and agreed to tell him of her HIV status and have Rebecca tested by his office. She felt that the idea of Rebecca being tested by strangers would be distressing. She agreed to call his office the next day to set up an appointment.

I was somewhat surprised when Sarah said that she did not want my help in telling Sam or her ex-husband or former boyfriends about her diagnosis. She said that she would go back to the test site, and that she knew already what she was going to do. She was going to have the counselor inform her earlier partners that they had been exposed to HIV, but not identify Sarah. With her ex-husband she was going to tell him, probably at a joint session with the HIV counselor, but she would wait until she knew Rebecca's HIV status. And Sam, the almost fiancé? "I don't know. I have to tell him, but his reaction even to the idea about HIV was so extreme, it scares me." She decided to also have him attend a joint counseling session with the HIV counselor. I asked her why she didn't want to have the joint counseling sessions with me. She said she needed our sessions just for herself. She agreed to sign a release so that I could speak with the HIV counselor and with the staff at the clinic where she was going to seek medical treatment.

If you are in the position to tell someone they have HIV or AIDS or have been exposed, please go to How to Tell Patients They Have (or Do Not Have) HIV

Chapter 7

Table of contents

To order

www.psychceu.com

e-mail us!

Frequently Asked Questions

888-777-3773