FRANÇAIS PRINT-READY PDF TABLE OF CONTENTS PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE RELATED LINKS Managing Your Health, 1999 edition Emotional and Spiritual Support
Thinking about death
Being HIV-positive means having to face life and death issues. Thinking about death is difficult in our society, which doesn't deal with this subject openly. You may think about death more than usual when you first find out that you're HIV positive, when tests show a drop in your T4 or T8 (also called CD4+ and CD8) cell count, or a rise in your viral load, or when a friend gets sick or dies. The prospect of pain and suffering is disturbing. Thinking about death brings up feelings about the possibility of losing loved ones, or about things that you may not get to do. It's important to remember that having HIV doesn't mean you're going to die right away. But thinking about death is important, and may help you focus on what's important in your life.
Some people who have HIV think about suicide. This is not unusual. If you have such thoughts, don't panic or keep them to your-self. Talk to someone who will really listen, and who you know and trust. You may want to see a counsellor or psychiatrist if these feelings continue for more than a couple of days. It is important to be aware that psychiatrists are obliged to prevent you from harming yourself, so there is some risk that you may receive unwanted psychiatric treatment. Most areas have crisis lines that you can call (these are anonymous) – check the front of the phone book or call your nearest AIDS group ). | 
