How individuals and their families live well with HIV/AIDS
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The purpose of this study was to understand the phenomenon of individual and family resilience in families living with HIV/AIDS. Recent research has focused on the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS, however, little attention has been given to the strengths of how individuals and their families live well with HIV/AIDS. The study explores the process of how individuals and their loved ones overcome the unique challenges they may face when living with HIV/AIDS. Illness narratives about living with HIV/AIDS (N = 73), were collected from two websites, thebody.com and the experinceproject.com. The narratives were analyzed using qualitative grounded theory methodology to create a process model of resiliency. I explored the following questions: (1) What is the process of developing resilience among individuals living with HIV/AIDS who have support? (2) How do people living with HIV/AIDS describe their individual and family strengths? (3) How do people living with HIV/AIDS describe the aspects of family resiliency? (4) What key processes of Froma Walsh’s family resilience model are similar or different with the model in this study? The model captures a full range of processes individuals and families undergo to develop resilience and highlights phases in which family members join forces and live well with HIV/AIDS. Clinical implications are discussed and future research suggestions.