Social Network

A positive HIV diagnosis often brings with it feelings of extreme isolation, fear of abandonment, fear of getting sick or dying, shame and dispair. To combat these emotions you need to know that a positive diagnosis will not rule your life unless you let it. The best way to fight feelings of isolation is to surround yourself with people who understand what you're going through and can help you regain control of your life. Research associates good social support with higher immune function, greater coping skills, better overall quality of life and psychological health. AIDS Athens offers support groups, peer counseling, case management and workshops to help you build a social network, become educated about the disease and become empowered to live a positive life.

AIDS Athens offers the following suggestions to help build a social support network outside the services offered by our agency.

• Join a Support Group: Group meetings are held at your local ASO. But if you are not yet ready for that step there are a variety of online support groups, forums, blogs and chat rooms.
• Try a Therapist: Your mental well-being is essential to your physical well-being and a trained mental health professional can help you address your specific needs.
• Get a Case Manager: A case manager ties all the services you need together to make sure you are getting the resources you need.
• Attend Workshops: Attend trainings provided by us, other ASOs or social service agencies.
• Join a Social Club or Group: Your life doesn't have to evolve around HIV/AIDS. Seeking out activities that are not HIV/AIDS focused can be very beneficial to your mental health.
• Connect with a Spiritual Community: Becoming positive often shakes the foundation of many people's spiritual beliefs. Reaching out to a community of faith can help provide a source of community support.
• Enroll in Peer Counseling or Mentoring: As with support groups many people feel comfortable receiving services online. AIDS Athens has a online mentoring program to help you meet this need as well. AIDS Athens online mentors are HIV-positive individuals providing peer-to-peer support for the HIV-positive Northeast Georgia community. Poz also has an online mentoring program.