I was diagnosed with Hiv a few years ago at a time when the disease was highly stigmatized .The years that followed are still a blur .I got into alcohol and hard drugs ,fell into depression .I didn’t have anyone to talk to because I was afraid of their reaction . I always thought that if I was going to die ,then I might as well get it over and done with .My health got so bad I passed out and woke up in a hospital with no idea how I got there and even then I tried to steal morphine from one of the nurses .She looked at me with disapproving eyes and I just broke down crying. had a lengthy talk and I decided to try and get my life together. Its been 3 years now of being sober ,healthy and still going” Anna tells her story.