Erasing Scars: Herpes and Healing

Description

Millions of Americans are afflicted with genital herpes with tens of thousands of new cases being reported each year. This ravaging disease afflicts its sufferers with both physical and emotional scarring, and while effective treatments for the physical aspects of the disease have been developed in recent years, relatively scant attention has been given to the emotional trauma associated with the disease. And even less attention has been given to the connection between patients’ stress levels and recurrences of herpes outbreaks.

Reducing Stress and Outbreaks

Dr. James D. Okun, MD addresses the role of emotional well-being in the effective treatment of herpes in his book Erasing Scars: Herpes and Healing. Drawing on the philosophy of Aesthetic Realism founded by poet and critic Eli Siegel and the clinical studies of UCLA Dermatologist Stanley M. Bierman, Okun makes the case for herpes sufferers’ coming to terms with their infection and seeking effective medical treatment for it, while pursuing therapies that will enable them to combat stress and thereby reduce the likelihood of further outbreaks once the physical symptoms have been dealt with.