Something Positive for Positive People

There's power in having a great support system. If that isn't available to you then self-reflection via journaling. Our guest shares her decision to open up about her own diagnosis publicly. A herpes diagnosis carries an energetic weight that often gets heavier the longer we're unaware of it. How we choose to address it often is contingent on how the first person receives our disclosure. It takes a strong person to move that weight. If you're breathing, you can handle it, just like our guest.

Quick reminder that this podcast serves as primarily an experience based hub of resources supporting those navigating stigma. Our guest is a New York based health care worker who is positive for HSV and yesterday tested positive for COVID-19. We discuss precautions taken in the healthcare field, the responses to her COVID diagnosis and similarities to her herpes diagnosis. We will revisit our guest once she's back at work with your questions for her. Please email questions for her to answer or have answered by a credible source in relation to HSV and COVID-19 by emailing me at Courtney@spfpp.org and we will have answers for you on part 2.

With so much passion coming from the up and coming generations to remove shame. Coming out of an abusive relationship and ducking a stalker all in one, our guest shares what drove them to wanting to be a resource to help those with HSV.

What celebrities have herpes? What happens when someone tries to publicly out you on social media? Why do we forget to ask potential partners about their STI status after offering ours? How can someone 'out' your status by mistake? This and more with our guest here.

Connecting with a piece of my purpose Give the space to feel how you feel Sex with saran wrap Herpes as an invitation to go deeper Wherever we are is where we are Polyamory was like the new herpes for me Always come back to yourself Expecting rejection Disclosing via texts The beauty of the talk in nonmonogamous communities These are just a few of the major breakthrough conversation topics and quotes that came up for our discussion. I am excited about discussing herpes with someone who is polyamorous and gives us insight to exploring an abundance of relationships despite the limitations often placed on us after our diagnosis. We also have to give our partners what they need in order to feel safe.

We have the hosts of the "Just Keep Swinging" Podcast on to share with us their experience navigating the stigma of being swingers. Married for more than 30 years, they talk about opening up their marriage. Check out their podcast, episode 7 where they talk about having contracted an STI early on in their swinging experience. Link in the show notes. You can have your faith and the kind of relationships you choose.

Closing out the inside look of my process of doing "the work" on myself, I give you what I learned over my week off my HOnMyChest social media, an inside look at what my dating life has been and then the conclusion to it all, followed up by a discovery I made as a result of talking through everything you hear here. To top it all off, I share the best piece of advice I ever received which is to just know when to shut the f*** up. If nothing else is taken from this episode, I say keep in mind to hold intention over expectation at heart. My healing process is ongoing, as yours should be. Replace any of my experiences with what you are facing and maybe it'll be a template for you to fill in blanks.

We honor the life of Nadiya Johanna Wortham this episode. Something Positive for Positive People began as a suicide prevention resource. Many of the conversations with our stigmatized individuals have included some trauma that has impacted their mental health to some extent leading to depression, suicide ideation and attempts in many cases. We meet with Grief Counselor, Christine Frampus, to discuss one aspect of mental health stigma, survivors of suicide. In this, we define trauma, suicide and grief so that we're all at the same starting point as we learn to support one another through our grieving and healing processes.

Here we get a look at what healing and "doing the work" looks like from my own personal experience. I'm making a point to share more of myself as I ask a lot of podcast guests. I share what the stages of my own healing looks like post-awareness.

I really wanna shoutout Michelle Cassandra Johnson, author of the book, "Skill in Action". I attended a workshop she put together here in St. Louis at Brick City Yoga through Yoga Buzz where I won't give away much of what was shared beyond the meditation question, "Where am I from?". Meditating on this, I found myself back in a memory as if it were the present. I was in my child body experiencing the energy of the first home I lived in. The feelings made my body heavy and I managed to pull two words out of the experience that reflected the memory I was in, controlled and emotionless. This explains my pursuit of freedom and why I'm in a space of so much emotional intensity. Revisiting the environment we come from can provide insight to how we got to where we are now and that certainly is true in my experience. This yoga teacher training is bringing me into the depths of my being and I'm learning the importance of centering and connecting to oneself.