ecn-pa:swc@pur-ee.UUCP (06/10/83)
I have a friend (sounds like a line, eh?) that has been rather suicidal due to general depression and a poor self-image. Within the last year or so my friend acquired Herpes (incurable don't you know) and has been even more bummed out. "Who would want to have sex with me", "I'll never get married now", etc. Luckily, this person has come close but has chickened out before actually jumping out in front of a Mack or swallowing those pills. I tell my friend that there are millions that now have the same affliction and it is spreading fast. They call it an epidemic now... No, says my friend. The probability of finding others with Herpes that are of any interest to me is practically NIL. What do you say to that? There are few organizations that are around much less in town that cater to this group of people. I feel confident that if I could convince my friend that she (there, I let it slip) is not alone, I'm sure she would lead a somewhat more happier life (or at least less depressing). Scott p.s. Yeah, she's tried Palo Alto and the local Crisis Center (oh, and good ol' Planned Parenthood). Creams and sympathy don't do a lot...
spaf@gatech.UUCP (06/10/83)
If your friend feels that the only thing she has to offer in a relationship is sexual contact (and thus the risk of infection) ....think about what she's saying. That is definitely indicative of a depressed personality with a poor self-image. Telling her that there are many instances of couples who have been together for years with one person avoiding getting infected by the other (love and latex work miracles) will not help her. First step to being loved by another is to love yourself. She needs to realize she has more to offer. There are many moments in my life that I would give almost anything for just a sincere hug, and virtually everyone is capable of that. One of my favorite quotes is by Robert Louis Stevenson: No man is useless who has a friend, and if we are loved we are indispensible. Let your friend know that, at the very least, she is not useless. -- "The soapbox of Gene Spafford" Spaf @ GATech (CS Net) Spaf.GATech @ UDel-Relay (ARPA) School of ICS ...!{sb1, allegra}!gatech!spaf (uucp) Georgia Tech ...!duke!mcnc!msdc!gatech!spaf Atlanta, GA 30332