Tuesday, October 26, 2010
WHAT ARE YOU SEARCHING FOR?
Life can never improve whilst we search for quick fixes and serendipitous rescue!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
THE ATTITUDE THAT SPREADS HIV
On 1 December 2010, World Aids Day, Howard University in Washington DC will be hosting an International Conference on stigma, titled: "The attitude that spreads HIV". (Visit: http://www.whocanyoutell.com)
Stigma is borne of a fragile ego, the inauthentic and dishonest facade that showcases the lie! Stigma begins with us because of an attitude of self-rejection. Because we feel damaged or "untouchable", we automatically assume that others hold this false belief about us as well.
Every adversity, including HIV, comes as a profound teacher. Each challenge carries the opportunity to transcend difficulty to become MORE! The lessons that come disguised in each adversity are uniquely different, a matrix for considerable personal growth and healing if fully embraced. HIV cuts deep into the psyche as it reveals that aspect of self that we most frequently wish to be blanketed in darkness. But it is that darkness that forms an integral part of our whole and we need to fully own it in order to be complete.
Avoiding or alienating our darkness is not an act of self-love as it expressly suggests that part of us is wrong and should be hidden. We are divinely created and every part of us is important, albeit that we only choose to show those parts that our egos feel will tolerate the approval of others. HIV is inextricably linked to sexuality which always carries a taboo. Our sexuality is a significant part of our being and by ignoring it, we are making ourselves to be incomplete.
Most recently I have been working with communities who exist at the very epicentre of the HIV/Aids pandemic globally, in KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa. Prevalence is extremely high and health workers speak of the impossible task of dealing with a problem of such a magnitude. Whilst a proportion of those infected with HIV are exposed to the Government roll-out of anti-retroviral medication, budgetary constraints mean that not everyone has access to such life saving medication.
In July, I underwent a HIVEX treatment and have witnessed a radical rebound in my health , despite having come off all medication voluntarily some 19 weeks ago. In trying to encourage others to come for treatment, I soon face the stonewall of stigma, as people deny their own infection or refuse to be treated in a room filled with other HIV+ patients for fear of identification.
I have watched the so-called "Lazarus effect" as those brave enough to step forward for treatment are literally given a second chance at life. Within days of being on treatment their lives transform in the most meaningful and special way. These people develop a bond with their treatment buddies much like those who experience a significant rite of passage with others. But stigma is holding back a considerable population who remain gripped in the unspoken fear of being known to have the virus. In a society where HIV is so prevalent, it is hard to believe that such stigma exists. When will the desire to fix this epidemic supersede the terror that keeps holding it underground?
Many people live secretly with their HIV infection until uncontrollable health problems force the issue into the open. The tragedy here is the overwhelming struggle to reverse such extreme complications, especially in a patient whose immune system is so radically compromised. Many of those living with HIV do not disclose to partners, making the risk of infecting loved ones a real possibility. Secrecy amplifies the potential for transmission, creating deep fractures in relationships when infection surfaces. The negative implications for society generally are legion!
Healing can only happen when we confront issues directly. When we stop thinking like victims and rather choose to learn from our afflictions, the healing process takes a quantum leap where healing happens on both the physical, mental and spiritual levels. This is where we truly experience the potential to be MORE despite earlier challenges. This is the sort of potential transformation that lies behind all our major problems, including HIV/Aids. HIV begs that we abandon ego to discover the real power that comes with being truly authentic.
HIVEX treatment takes place over twelve days with each treatment lasting two and a half hours. During the thirty hours of treatment, considerable opportunity exists to break down the vice grip of stigma, to allow for a healing beyond the paradigm of conventional thinking. In time, as people witness the radical results of such treatment, HIVEX may well become a catalyst to dismantle stigma as people wake up to the possibility of a second chance.
It is hard to alter entrenched beliefs, but we are living in an era where the inappropriate "old' is fast being overtaken by new values and a reappraisal of what now needs to happen. Once sufficient people become aware of HIVEX, it may well generate its own tipping-point as a valid option to dealing with stigma and the virus itself.
Stigma is borne of a fragile ego, the inauthentic and dishonest facade that showcases the lie! Stigma begins with us because of an attitude of self-rejection. Because we feel damaged or "untouchable", we automatically assume that others hold this false belief about us as well.
Every adversity, including HIV, comes as a profound teacher. Each challenge carries the opportunity to transcend difficulty to become MORE! The lessons that come disguised in each adversity are uniquely different, a matrix for considerable personal growth and healing if fully embraced. HIV cuts deep into the psyche as it reveals that aspect of self that we most frequently wish to be blanketed in darkness. But it is that darkness that forms an integral part of our whole and we need to fully own it in order to be complete.
Avoiding or alienating our darkness is not an act of self-love as it expressly suggests that part of us is wrong and should be hidden. We are divinely created and every part of us is important, albeit that we only choose to show those parts that our egos feel will tolerate the approval of others. HIV is inextricably linked to sexuality which always carries a taboo. Our sexuality is a significant part of our being and by ignoring it, we are making ourselves to be incomplete.
Most recently I have been working with communities who exist at the very epicentre of the HIV/Aids pandemic globally, in KwaZulu Natal Province in South Africa. Prevalence is extremely high and health workers speak of the impossible task of dealing with a problem of such a magnitude. Whilst a proportion of those infected with HIV are exposed to the Government roll-out of anti-retroviral medication, budgetary constraints mean that not everyone has access to such life saving medication.
In July, I underwent a HIVEX treatment and have witnessed a radical rebound in my health , despite having come off all medication voluntarily some 19 weeks ago. In trying to encourage others to come for treatment, I soon face the stonewall of stigma, as people deny their own infection or refuse to be treated in a room filled with other HIV+ patients for fear of identification.
I have watched the so-called "Lazarus effect" as those brave enough to step forward for treatment are literally given a second chance at life. Within days of being on treatment their lives transform in the most meaningful and special way. These people develop a bond with their treatment buddies much like those who experience a significant rite of passage with others. But stigma is holding back a considerable population who remain gripped in the unspoken fear of being known to have the virus. In a society where HIV is so prevalent, it is hard to believe that such stigma exists. When will the desire to fix this epidemic supersede the terror that keeps holding it underground?
Many people live secretly with their HIV infection until uncontrollable health problems force the issue into the open. The tragedy here is the overwhelming struggle to reverse such extreme complications, especially in a patient whose immune system is so radically compromised. Many of those living with HIV do not disclose to partners, making the risk of infecting loved ones a real possibility. Secrecy amplifies the potential for transmission, creating deep fractures in relationships when infection surfaces. The negative implications for society generally are legion!
Healing can only happen when we confront issues directly. When we stop thinking like victims and rather choose to learn from our afflictions, the healing process takes a quantum leap where healing happens on both the physical, mental and spiritual levels. This is where we truly experience the potential to be MORE despite earlier challenges. This is the sort of potential transformation that lies behind all our major problems, including HIV/Aids. HIV begs that we abandon ego to discover the real power that comes with being truly authentic.
HIVEX treatment takes place over twelve days with each treatment lasting two and a half hours. During the thirty hours of treatment, considerable opportunity exists to break down the vice grip of stigma, to allow for a healing beyond the paradigm of conventional thinking. In time, as people witness the radical results of such treatment, HIVEX may well become a catalyst to dismantle stigma as people wake up to the possibility of a second chance.
It is hard to alter entrenched beliefs, but we are living in an era where the inappropriate "old' is fast being overtaken by new values and a reappraisal of what now needs to happen. Once sufficient people become aware of HIVEX, it may well generate its own tipping-point as a valid option to dealing with stigma and the virus itself.
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