Question

How can I stop feeling so worried all the time?

17 November 2012. Related: All topics, Living with HIV long-term, Side effects.

I have been diagnosed for a year now and I am on medication.

My viral load quickly went to undetectable and my CD4 count is 650.

I am prone to get colds. Everytime I get sick I worry that the cause is HIV. I fall into deep depression and worry. What can I do to overcome these anxieties?

I feel like a pest when I call the doctor’s office and am told I am fine, but I can’t get the feeling that I am a walking disease who is close to death out of my head. I pray for a cure every day.

Answer

Answer: Rebecca McDowall

Hello,

Thank-you for your email. I’m very sorry to hear about how worried you are.

Your CD4 count is very good. The ‘normal’ CD4 count for an HIV negative person is anything over 500. So your immune system is as strong as somebody without HIV. And having an undetectable viral load means that the virus is being controlled and not harming your body.

HIV positive people who are diagnosed in good time and get treatment can have the same life expectancy as an HIV negative person. Although many people do worry about their health being HIV positive isn’t a death sentence anymore! It’s also normal to think that every cough and cold are related to HIV but it’s much more likely with your CD4 count that these have nothing to do with HIV, and are just the same viruses HIV negative people are getting.

It sounds like you would benefit from getting some support or speaking to a counsellor. If you let me know where you live I can suggest a group, or your doctor should be able to suggest one.

One additional point. Some HIV drugs are associated with side effects of anxiety and depression. If you are taking efavirenz (in Atripla) or rilpivirine (in Eviplera) and feel more anxious or depressed than normal it’s worth talking to your doctor about these. Many people find that changing to a different drug can make a huge difference to their mental state. You can read more about these side effects in our side effects guide.