Existential Dimensions of Surviving HIV

Abstract

With the development of effective antiretroviral medications, long-term survivors of HIV/AIDS are confronted with life, a surprising reality many never expected. In this article, the author draws from his clinical experience to explore the existential dimensions of the experience of gay long-term survivors. In particular, the existential givens, as advanced by James Bugental, Tom Greening, and Irvin Yalom, are used as a framework in which to understand the challenges many long-term survivors face. Drawing from his clinical work with this enduring population, the author elaborates the profound nature of these challenges and the way in which the givens shed light on their ontological roots. The article concludes with an examination of survivor guilt, existential guilt, and their interplay in the lives of long-term survivors.