19th March 2008, a date I will never forget, is the day I got told I was HIV positive.  My what a rollercoaster of a journey and 2008 went away in a blur, but I think I had already started neglecting myself and I didn’t know where my life was going anymore. I slept so much!!

The following news year eve I ended up in hospital and that was the next year started, I had such horrendous anxiety I stopped eating, slept more and more and didn’t like going anywhere.  After feeling so ill, I then got help—thanks to the support centre I went to.

The anxiety that I suffered was horrible but I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder and prescribed the correct medication. I also attended an eating disorder clinic. Things are completely different now after I've found support from women's group PozFem and this support has helped me learn to live with HIV.

I am studying for a degree and am now working full time as a support worker at my local support centre that helped me through my journey. I love my job and hope that as a positive women I can support and help others through their journey. It's been four years on nearly and I'm still not on medication yet, but thank goodness for that light that was at the end of the tunnel. Positive thinking, positive power, positive woman.

Sam