The Challenges and Triumphs Ahead

We are all familiar with the saying about the glass being half full or half empty as a way of determining a person’s outlook. Positive as it may sound, having a half full glass, it is half less a full glass, and a full glass is more desirable, is it not? Perhaps that is me being greedy, or more optimistic, it is up to you.

Being positive

Our perspective on so many things is colored by our experiences and may less be about a choice. Being positive about what our future holds is generally thought of as a good thing, and that carries some positive weight in itself. It can be a real battle for some of us to be so positive if we have been affected by forces beyond our own control, as much as some think that everything is within our reach and control. Not every bad thing or good thing is a result of an action on our part, as in deserving of the consequences. But, that doesn’t mean that we should shirk our responsibility to ourselves and others.

The realities of hep C stigma

Where we see that in the context of hep C is in the place where it intersects with the inextricable link to substance use. Whether or not we did use or experiment in some way with substances in our past is irrelevant in all ways to me, but still does color the perception of hep C and the people who have it. This is the place where stigma resides, and self-stigmatization as well.

This is but one of the challenges some of us will face with a hep C diagnosis, but that does not mean we cannot triumph over how it affects us. Succumbing to the external forces that choose to judge us in these ways is one thing we have some power to change in some measure. Letting it creep into our view of self can be tricky and may be best dealt with by seeking professional help if it is something you are able to do.

The challenges of hepatitis C

Facing the difficulties of hep C in our day to day lives can be hard. The stigma is for some people the hardest, while others will be dealing with mostly physical challenges that create barriers and diminish our quality of life in different ways. They may be different, but regardless of that difference, they are just as hard. Too often we are put into boxes that identify us in ways that do not really address the issues we see as the most relevant or important. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t think being seen as a type or characterized based on a simple set of criteria is helpful.

Not every thing or issue can be overcome, and this is a truth in my eyes, but that does not mean that we cannot overcome, in part at least, the worst features of that thing. This can be and is a triumph we can celebrate, depending in part on how we approach it.