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Barush
50,288
L Specialist
5.0 star rating
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Number of ratings68 Number of reviews20 Listens toOver 18 LanguagesEnglish, Czech Listener sinceJul 7, 2014 Last activein last week GenderFemale PathStep 534 People helped85 Chats390 Group support chats27 Listener group chats8 Forum posts1,468 Forum upvotes2,067
Bio

Hello! I'm so glad you found me here on 7 cups. I'm a 24 year old girl with a lot of personal experience with anxiety, social phobia, OCD, and the various issues related to those. Apart from that, I'm a philologist (aka a language geek) and a future social worker. I'm the best at supporting people struggling with anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, OCD, depression or any other emotional difficulties. I'm also a migraine sufferer and know what it's like to live with a chronic illness. Among other things, I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music (Nick Cave is my spirit animal), or playing with my cat.

If I'm online, then please feel free to start a chat. If I'm offline, then send me a message and we can set up a time to connect [my timezone is GMT+1]. If I don't reply to your message straight away, it most likely means I'm busy, not that I don't care! Glad you are here!



“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
― Ernest Hemingway
Recent forum posts
Sexual Content in Group Support Chats?
Group Support / by Barush
Last post
 October 28th, 2014
...See more Yesterday, I encountered a slight problem when I was moderating the Compassion Corner chatroom. A guest came in and started talking about his issue in a very explicit way. It was a sex related problem, so I probably don't have to recount what words he was using. A couple other (male) members joined him and supported him, using the same [edit: misogynistic] language. The censor caught some of it, but it was still inappropriate, in my opinion. I asked him to connect to a listener one on one, but he wouldn't. At at that point, a couple other members expressed their discomfort at the situation. (Then he either left, or someone else banned him.) My main problem is this, though - I wasn't sure if to mute/ban him from the chatroom right away, because his problem seemed legitimate. The language and attitude were the main issues. Are there any rules about sexual issues in the member chatroom? Are they all taboo, or is discussing them in a respectful way okay? Is someone who's talking about sex explicitly to be banned?  Thanks for any input. @Heather @LauraS
Tips for Studying? Share Them Here!
Student Support / by Barush
Last post
 July 11th, 2019
...See more Hello, fellow students! Since the decade+ of me being a student on various levels, I found out there are certain ways of studying that suit me better than others. However, I'm always open to any tips and suggestions to make the exam period less torturous :P Also, I think knowing what studying methods other people use might serve as an inspiration to the rest of us :)  How do you like to study? Are there any things that work great for you and you'd like to share them with others?  Thanks for sharing! 
"Having sex in a post-AIDS world" [Truvada]
Relationship Stress / by Barush
Last post
 July 22nd, 2015
...See more I've stumbled upon an excerpt from an interview on the SiriusXM radio called Having sex in a post-AIDS world [https://soundcloud.com/siriusxmentertainment/lgbt-lets-get-busy-talking-having-sex-in-a-post-aids-world]. It has just a bit over three minutes, if anyone wants to listen to it.  Recently, a drug called Truvada [http://start.truvada.com/#] was approved for pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection. What that means is that the drug can reduce the risk of getting the HIV-1 infection (transmitted during sexual intercourse) when used together with safer sex practices. It is to be used only by adult individuals at a high risk of contracting HIV-1. Those are HIV-negative men who have sex with other men, and male-female sex partners, where one of those has HIV-1 and the other does not.    Here's a couple quotations from the discussion linked above: "Everybody in this room doesn't remember sex before HIV. Our sex lives had been haunted by death."  "What I like about Truvada is that it reminds me every day of what could happen as a result of my behaviour." "A study showed that among people who were given Truvada, there was no increase of risky behaviour."    Questions, if you feel like answering them: Have you ever heard about this drug before? What do you think about this way of preventing HIV infections?
Misconceptions about HIV and AIDS
Relationship Stress / by Barush
Last post
 August 20th, 2014
...See more There are a lot of common misconceptions about both HIV and AIDS that stem mainly from ignorance or misinformation. Here are a couple examples of the most frequent ones: HIV and AIDS Are the Same They are not. More about it here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/STDs_49/HIVAIDS_161/HIVandAIDSGeneralInformation_4622/]. HIV Does Not Cause AIDS HIV/AIDS denialism is the belief that the HIV virus does not cause AIDS. This belief has been disproved by scientific research; however, many people still perpetuate this myth. Read more about it here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDS_denialism]. HIV Is Curable                 That is a common misconception and sometimes a reason people put themselves at risk. Neither HIV, nor AIDS, is curable. HIV is manageable with anti-retroviral therapy. However, the virus may develop resistance to an individual’s treatment at any time. Moreover, even when the level of the virus in the blood is extremely low or undetectable, that might change soon after the treatment is stopped. HIV Cannot Be Transmitted By a Person Receiving Treatment Contrary to popular belief, even if the virus might be undetectable in a person on the anti-retroviral therapy, there is still a risk of transmission to other individuals. HIV Can Be Transmitted Through Casual Contact Many people are afraid that they can contract HIV through casual, day-to-day contact with an infected person. That is not true. More information about how HIV can and cannot be transmitted can be found here [https://www.7cups.com/forum/STDs_49/HIVAIDS_161/HIVandAIDSGeneralInformation_4622/]. HIV Can Be Transmitted By Mosquitoes It is widely believed that blood-sucking insects can transmit the HIV virus. However, several studies have shown no evidence of this, even in areas with a lot of mosquitoes and HIV cases. Insects do not inject the blood of their previous “victim” into the person or animal they’re sucking blood from. Moreover, the HIV virus does not survive for long in insects. HIV Is a Death Sentence This used to be true when AIDS was first discovered and the mortal rates were very high. However, nowadays an HIV positive person can live a long and fulfilling life with the right treatment. The mortal rate of AIDS is still very high in the rural areas of Africa especially, though. HIV Is a “Gay” Disease For a long time, it was believed that HIV can only be contracted by homosexual men. However, that is not true. HIV can affect anyone regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, race, or age. It is true, though, that gay and bisexual men in general are the most affected by HIV [http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/basics/ataglance.html]. One of the theories for this phenomenon is the fact that there is a higher risk of transmission during anal sexual intercourse, than during vaginal sexual intercourse. Unprotected Sex Between HIV Positive Individuals Is Safe It might seem to be a logical fact; however, the opposite is true. There are various strands of HIV, therefore, it is possible to be infected with a different strand on top of the one the person already has. Some HIV strands are drug resistant, which makes treatment and management of the virus very difficult. Always practicing safe sex is essential. You Would Know Someone Is HIV Positive The latency period of HIV can be ten years long. That means that someone can be HIV positive for a long period of time without showing any signs, or even knowing they have the virus in their body. It is very important to always practice safe sex.   Have you ever encountered any of those misconceptions? What are some of the other misconceptions about HIV or AIDS you’ve heard?   Sources: 1 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misconceptions_about_HIV_and_AIDS],2, [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070913132930.htm]3 [http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/basics/ataglance.html],4 [http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/top-10-myths-misconceptions-about-hiv-aids],5, [http://www.womenshealth.gov/hiv-aids/what-is-hiv-aids/myths-about-hiv-aids.html]6 [http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/6260]
HIV and AIDS (General Information)
Relationship Stress / by Barush
Last post
 December 13th, 2015
...See more When Freddie Mercury [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ADh8Fs3YdU]died in November 1991 of complications of AIDS, the disease had been known for only ten years. Even though genetic research shows that HIV originated in the late 18th or early 19th century in west-central Africa, it wasn’t recognized by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) as the cause of AIDS until the mid-1980s. AIDS itself was recognized in 1981, only six years before Freddie Mercury tested positive for HIV. Since its discovery, it's estimated that 36 million people died of AIDS (as of 2012). As of 2012, about 35.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV.  HIV vs. AIDS It is a common misconception that HIV and AIDS are mutually interchangeable. The reality is different, though. HIV stands for “human immunodeficiency virus“. It is a lentivirus that causes a progressive failure of the immune system, which can result in life-threating opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive in the infected person’s body. It is not until one of the opportunistic infections or cancers develop, that the person is considered to have AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). A list of some (but not all) of the infections can be found here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunistic_infection]. Without any treatment, the average survival time after contracting HIV is 9 to 11 years. Nowadays, with anti-retroviral therapy, HIV+ patients, on average, can live until their 60s, or 70s, as some studies show. However, in patients with a very high HIV viral load, AIDS may develop sooner, which results in an increased risk of death. How Is HIV Transmitted? It can be transmitted through: Blood (including menstrual blood) Semen Vaginal secretions Breast milk It can be transmitted through activities such as: Unprotected sexual contact (vaginal or anal sex is considered high risk, oral sex is considered low risk) Direct blood contact, including injection drug needles, blood transfusions, accidents in health care settings or certain blood products Mother to baby (before or during birth, or through breast milk) How Is HIV NOT Transmitted? The HIV virus is not transmittable through: Saliva Tears Sweat Feces Urine It CANNOT be transmitted by: Handshake, spitting, using the same cutlery as a HIV+ person, sharing the same facilities (toilet, bathroom, gym, swimming pool, etc), kissing, etc. There are a lot of misconceptions still to this day about the way HIV can be transmitted, which results in discrimination and social ostracization.      As this is starting to get a bit long, I’ll end it here and make a separate thread about the myths [edit: thread here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/STDs_49/HIVAIDS_161/MisconceptionsaboutHIVandAIDS_4700/], stigma, and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS. I might also try to put together a couple tips on chatting with a HIV+ person. While I’m by no means an expert on this topic, I’ve worked both with HIV+ patients, as well as with people in the later stages of AIDS, so I do have some personal experience. If you have any other ideas related to this topic, let me know!   And here’s a couple questions if you feel like answering them: Have you learned anything new in this thread? Have you ever changed your opinion of someone after you learned they were HIV positive? Do you think you are (or were) prejudiced about HIV positive people? If so, why?   Sources: 1 [http://www.aids.org/topics/aids-faqs/how-is-hiv-transmitted/],2 [http://www.aidsmap.com/Life-expectancy-now-considerably-exceeds-the-average-in-some-people-with-HIV-in-the-US/page/2816267/],3 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV],4  [http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/aids-hiv/life-expectancy-after-hiv-infection-getting-better-all-the-time-1]
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Feedback & Reviews
Great help. Thanks
great service
very kind, and helpful :)
This person is AMAZING. She doesn't talk about anything that you don't want to talk about and she is able to focus on what you do want to talk about. She asks really good question and together we figured something out that might help me get a bit less confused about things. Thank you :)
You are awesome, and lovely. You understand and listen with such patience. Thanks.
My favorite listener. A life changer. Thank you so much, Barush.
You are really helpful, patient and calming, probably the best listener I've talked to so far. Thanks!
Feel like I'm talking to a great friend thank you so much
Very sweet and kind, real, and wonderful. Precisely the kind of person I needed to talk to during this time.
Thank you for helping me :)
i cannot express my gratitude enough. she understands what a person goes through with deep empathy and REALLY listens. i wish her the best :) she's amazing at being a Listener and is honest, upfront and really really kind :')
Amazing listener, available all the time. Such a kind hearted and insightful person. Thank you
:)
Great Listener
Awesome advice and very very knowledgable..
Thank you so much
It was great to talk to her. She is very understanding and gives good/helpful advices.
Helped me out a lot!
Thank you Baruš, for taking your time to listen to me without judging. It felt goo to get this off of my chest for a change.
you are awsum
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