When you learn you have hepatitis C, you might feel a lot of things. Maybe you don’t want to believe it’s true. Maybe you feel depressed. Those are common reactions. Know that there are ways you can start to feel better, too.
If you're having trouble with the news, talk with your doctor. Ask them for referrals for where you can get emotional support.
“Different people are going to need different levels” of support, says Julie Nelligan, PhD, a psychologist in private practice in Portland, OR. She has counseled people with hep C. “Some get a lot from individual therapy. Others get a lot from group therapy.”
Here are some emotions you may have and ways to move forward.
Shame or Regret
You can get hep C for many reasons -- like a blood transfusion back in the days before blood was screened for the disease -- but many people got it from injecting illegal drugs years before.
In that case, “your past comes back to haunt you,” Nelligan says. “It can make people very angry and frustrated. They feel like they can't move on from the behavior they had when they were 20.”