People With HIV and Those Who Help Them

In this guidebook, People With HIV and Those Who Help Them, author Dennis Shelby uses the reported experiences of HIV-positive men to chart the course of living with HIV. He offers a consistent clinical-theoretical framework that encompasses the vast range of clinical problems clinicians may encounter in their work with HIV-positive individuals across the span of infection.

This book provides a detailed account of the many psychological transformations that infected people experience. People With HIV and Those Who Help Them enables clinicians and students to better address the problems commonly encountered in clinical practice with persons with HIV. Clinicians will be able to gain perspective on the process of knowing one is infected, infected men will see their process mirrored and validated, and family, friends, and partners of infected men will gain a greater appreciation for the experience of their relative, friend, and partner.

As clinicians have gained experience in working with HIV-positive people, they have become increasingly aware of the complexity of successful clinical intervention with HIV-related problems. In his book, Shelby “breaks down” this complex process into its component aspects:
psychological impact of HIV infection
the process of adapting to the knowledge of infection
the dynamic process involved with HIV infection
common problems and solutions encountered by infected people
case examples that illustrate the clinical framework
intensive psychotherapy and HIV infection

The study that is the basis for this book charts the initial psychological impact and many changes and transformations of the experience of being HIV-positive. While infected people are often encouraged to maintain hopeful outlooks and to think of themselves as living with HIV rather than dying from it, it is often a long and arduous process to achieve and maintain this perspective. People With HIV and Those Who Help Them is a guide to help those with HIV to keep a positive outlook on life.