Welcome, cousin!

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At our community, we acknowledge the existence of the herpes stigma, but we actively reject it. Why? Because we understand that the stigma and the herpes virus are not the same.

The stigma surrounding herpes is an illusion. It is not real. It is fueled by our concern for what others may think or feel about us. But here's a news flash: Another person's opinion of you will not provide for your needs, pay your bills, or take care of you. So why allow it to have so much power over how you perceive yourself and navigate the world?

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We spend the majority of our lives in our own thoughts. How we feel, react, where we are, and what we do are all reflections of our mindset. Since we spend so much time in our own minds, it becomes crucial to make it a supportive, peaceful, empowering, and encouraging place—a place where we learn to be kind to ourselves.

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When we receive a herpes diagnosis, only the medical professional informing us and ourselves are aware of it. Yet, we often feel the weight of the stigma. Why is that? It's because we become the bullies in the mirror. The only thing that has changed since the diagnosis is our awareness, nothing more, nothing less. Our minds are powerful, and from the day of diagnosis, we choose to embrace the herpes stigma, leading our subconscious to find evidence in our lives to reinforce that belief. But if the only change is our awareness, and our knowledge of the virus is enough to alter how we perceive ourselves and show up in the world, then is it the virus that robs us of our confidence, or has our confidence been shaky all along?

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Once I became aware of my own internalized stigma, I made the decision not to let it define me. I vowed to do everything in my power to change how I felt about myself and how I presented myself to the world. Your mind needs to reach a destination before your life can catch up. If you don't do anything else for yourself, at the very least, refuse to accept negative thoughts and beliefs. Speak words of life into yourself, even if you don't believe them at first. Give your life a chance to align with the new narrative you speak into it.

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If you are ready for a new narrative, if you are ready to heal alongside your cousins, we invite you to join our private community. Together, we show up for weekly support group coaching meetings every Thursday from 7 pm to 9 pm EST. Click the link below to join us on this journey of empowerment and growth.