Herpes healing process: The 5 stages

[Note: To be clear, this article is about your process in healing in your mind and in your relationship to yourself. If you're looking for help with the physical part of dealing with herpes, check out these articles.]

When you first get genital herpes, a process begins. This process is known as the Kübler-Ross grief cycle and applies to anyone who has been impacted by a life-changing circumstance, everything from people dying of cancer to people like us dealing with the ramifications of an incurable STD. Also, please read The herpes self-acceptance process.

Onto the 5 stages of herpes healing …

Notice which stage of the process you are in right now. Don’t shame it or judge it, simply notice. The two vital pieces to this process: Awareness and self-acceptance.

1. Denial: a temporary defense for feeling
“I don’t really have herpes. The test was wrong.”
[after an initial herpes outbreak] “That was just razor burn.”

2. Anger: you recognize denial can’t continue
“Why was I such an idiot to have sex with that person?”
“I hate the person who gave this to me. They should pay for doing this to me.” (victim mentality)

3. Bargaining: hope that you can change what can’t be changed
“You know, a cure for herpes has to be right around the corner. Medicine is advancing in leaps and bounds.”
[talking to a higher power] “I promise if I don’t actually have herpes that I won’t have questionable sex with anyone ever again.”
Do you find yourself hoping to change what can’t be changed? Read this post on serenity

4. Depression: giving in, letting go of unrealistic hope that’s holding you back from what is, shedding old belief patterns
“What’s the point? Why bother? There’s no hope.”
This might translate to a feeling of being shut down, numbness, maybe crying, grieving, feeling loss.

5. Acceptance: come to terms with what herpes means in your life, and that who you are is more important than what you have
“Herpes is just something that I will deal with in my life. It’s actually not as bad as I ever imagined. I can move on and live my life. It’s going to be okay. I am okay.”

Notes:

These stages don’t have to occur in order.These stages can be skipped/revisited.These stages shouldn’t be forced.Simply notice where you are right now.

So, what stage are you in now? Notice that without shaming it or judging it. Don’t use the awareness of these stages to further shame or judge yourself. Just notice and allow yourself to be in the process of healing. Take care of yourself. That’s the vital part of this process: Awareness and self-acceptance.

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No More Cold Sores? Scientists Find Cellular Process That Fights Herpes Virus

ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2009) — Scientists have discovered a new way for our immune system to combat the elusive virus responsible for cold sores: Type 1 herpes simplex (HSV-1). As reported in the advance online edition of Nature Immunology, a group of virus hunters from the Université de Montréal, in collaboration with American colleagues, have identified a cellular process that seeks out and fights herpes.

The five-year study, partially supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was a joint project with Washington University and Pennsylvania State University.

"Once human cells are infected with Type 1 herpes simplex, the virus comes back because it hides and blocks protection from our immune system," says Luc English, the study's lead author and a doctoral student at the Université de Montréal's Department of Pathology and Cell Biology. "For the first time, our research team has identified a combative cellular mechanism in this game of hide-and-seek."

"We've found that the nuclear membrane of an infected cell can unmask Type 1 herpes simplex and stimulate the immune system to disintegrate the virus," says English.

The team made its discovery while conducting various tests in HSV-1 infected mice cells. They replicated environments when Type 1 herpes simplex thrives, namely periods of low-grade fever between 38.5 to 39 degrees, and found that herpes-fighting mechanisms were unleashed.

The research team now plans to study how activation of the herpes-combating cellular process could be applied to other illnesses. The outcome could hasten the development of therapies to prevent other immune-evading bacteria, parasites and viruses. "Our goal is to further study the molecules implicated in this mechanism to eventually develop therapies against diseases such as HIV or even cancer," says English.

According to Dr. Michel Desjardins, senior author and a professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at the Université de Montréal, treatment options might be imaginable in a decade.

"Now that we've identified the novel mechanism in cells that activate immune response to Type 1 herpes simplex, scientists are one step closer to creating new treatments that can activate the defence against this and other viruses," says Dr. Desjardins. "While it may not be possible to completely eradicate Type 1 herpes simplex in people who are already infected, at the very least, future therapies may be able to keep the virus in its dormant state."

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the foundation Research to Prevent Blindness.

About Herpes

There are two types of herpes viruses: Type 1 herpes simplex causes facial cold sores and Type 2 causes genital herpes. Both types of herpes affect an estimated 80 million people in America alone and there is currently no cure for the condition.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Montreal.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Luc English, Magali Chemali, Johanne Duron, Christiane Rondeau, Annie Laplante, Diane Gingras, Diane Alexander, David Leib, Christopher Norbury, Roger Lippé & Michel Desjardins. Autophagy enhances the presentation of endogenous viral antigens on MHC class I molecules during HSV-1 infection. Nature Immunology, 2009; DOI: 10.1038/ni.1720

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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How Long Does A Cold Sore Take To Heal? - Tips To Speed Up The Process

Cold sores are depressing, the moment you feel that dreaded tingling sensation you know you will have to endure a week, possibly two, of discomfort and embarrassment. How long it takes for a cold sore to heal depends on a number of factors, but there are definitely a few things you can do to shorten the healing time.

Ok, so the dreaded tingling sensation has started, and probably at the worst possible time, right? Believe it not, there is a reason for this, stress, or fretting about a forthcoming event are the main triggers for the herpes simplex virus. A work presentation, exams, money worries, even a first date, can all cause the virus to rear its ugly head. Stress and worry will extend the duration and healing time, so try not to fret too much.

The first thing I would recommend, is to go to your local health food store and buy some lysine tablet supplements, preferably 1000 mg tablets, take three tablets daily at regular intervals as soon as you can. Lysine is an amino acid that kills the cellular envelope that the virus travels in, and will greatly reduce the duration of your outbreak. Once it has healed I would recommend taking one 1000 mg tablet a day to help prevent further outbreaks.

In a previous article I have written about the merits of a compound called sodium lauryl sulfate, which is found in most soaps and toothpastes. This ingredient has been proven to inactivate the herpes virus almost immediately. I would go to the store and buy an ordinary bar of soap and a plain white toothpaste that contains this compound. It will be clearly labelled in the ingredients.

If the cold sore is located on your lip, put an ice cube in a paper towel and place it gently on the affected area, and repeat this until the swelling starts to subside. Next, apply some toothpaste with a cotton bud to completely cover the affected area and leave it to dry. If the virus has appeared above or below the lips, lather the soap and massage gently into the area with your fingertip, and leave it to dry. This may sound ridiculous, but the sodium lauryl sulphate in the toothpaste and the soap will dry out your skin and inactivate the virus almost straight away. You can repeat these steps as often as you like or as is convenient.

Remember that the virus is very infectious, so keep contact with the area to a minimum, and always wash your hands thoroughly, so the virus doesn't spread to another area of your face. If the cold sore starts to scab, it will always heal quicker if left alone to let nature take its course.

If you catch a cold sore in the early stages, these steps will cut down the healing time of your cold sore dramatically. There are many more natural and chemical ways to combat the herpes virus.
Visit http://face-herpes-symptoms.blogspot.com/ and discover why you never need to fear an outbreak again. Arm yourself with everything you need to live cold sore and herpes free.