Emotional Factors
As an individual learns about his or her infection with HIV, there will certainly be some psychological changes. As steward, it is useful for you to know what kinds of emotional and psychological things can happen to people living with HIV (or any other serious illness) and what you can do to respond. Here are three different possible situations and some suggestions on how to approach them.
Scenario one
People may get down on themselves for being infected with HIV. They may feel that if they had been more careful, they wouldn’t be in this situation. While self-blame may certainly be an understandable reaction, an individual should not dwell too much on past actions that cannot be changed.
One approach to take in conversation with such a person is to gently help him or her to change perspective. Rather than looking back at the past and getting upset, help the person look forward to what future actions can be taken to respond to and improve the situation.
Scenario two
In a small number of cases, some people may feel that their infection is a sign that their lives are over. As a result, they may become reckless in their behavior and make poor decisions like drinking too much and getting "too crazy" for their own good. For most of these people, this will limit itself — especially after a few really bad hangovers. In very rare cases, however, some people feel so overwhelmed and depressed that they may think that killing themselves is the only option. While this does not happen very often, it is a possibility. This is most likely to happen at the time when an individual has the first serious opportunistic infection. If you suspect that an individual is seriously considering doing harm to himself/herself, get help from a professional. You can call your local suicide hotline or Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for information on whom to contact and what to do. If your gut reaction tells you that something’s wrong, you’re probably right. Don’t delay.
Scenario three
Other people may react to their HIV infection with anger. They may blame another individual for putting them in danger or lash out at the person or persons involved. Unfortunately, this anger may spill over and be directed at other people who happen to be around, including co-workers. This "chip-on-the-shoulder" attitude can become a problem unless it resolves itself relatively quickly. If an angry individual pushes too far, co-workers may lash back. And the friends and support people that the person needs may disappear. In some cases, the individual may not even realize that this anger is hurting friends and co-workers. In this situation, the individual should be reminded that his/her anger is being directed at the wrong people.
In any one of these situations, the person should be encouraged to talk it out with a counselor through the Employee Assistance Program if one is available, through the community AIDS organization, or a self-help group.
