What to do about my cold sores and the resulting depression?

Go get the drugs. You can take it daily to prevent outbreaks if you keep getting them often.

Talk to your doctor. There is medication to alleviate cold sores.

There’s medication and things you can use/put on your cold sores so they won’t hurt as much or be as noticeable…. There’s a solution to every problem, so don’t be too depressed, it’s natural to, but you’re not the only person in the world with it. I would just remind myself how awesome you are and that your current physical state does not represent who you are as a person. I would just say to get the drugs to fix the outbreaks. It’s good you have a girlfriend that cares about you, just focus on the positives :)

There are creams you can get in a pharmacy for cold sores (such as cymex). If that doesn’t work, talk to your doctor about it, he / she may be able to recommend something more effective for you.

I suggest the same as @Hawaii_Jake. Could it be possible that you have something like thrush or some candida fungal infection that is being irritated by sugar or having a vitamin deficiency? In the meantime you can try using something with goldenseal in it. Or there is also lysine ointment you can buy at the pharmacy. It’s pretty effective.

But growing up the one way I use to get rid of it was to burn it with Lysterine. I would spend the day just holding a cotton ball filled with lysterine on it till it stopped burning. It would usually take about 3 to 4 days for it to go away, but at least it wouldn’t hurt after that first day and didn’t get worse.

I take goldenseal and vitamin C and vitamin B during the spring and fall and so far it has helped prevent it from coming up. I realized pollen seasons in the spring and fall usually trigger it for me. It starts with a little burning itch on the corner of my lips. If I remember to wash it right away and take my goldenseal and vitamin C and B vitamins, it seems to stop before it starts.
But have your doctor check it out. to see if it is a simple cold sore or some fungal infection.

Also, it’s believed the sun can trigger it. Stay in the shade and use sun block on your face, including Chapstick with sunblock if you are outside a lot.

Not to be an alarmist, but your doctor might test you for HIV if you haven’t been tested. Don’t get freaked out, I get shingles over and over again and I don’t have HIV.

The medicine for shingles is the same as for herpes 1 and 2, which causes the blisters on your mouth most likely. It works for most people. I take valtrex. The old drug Zovirax is the one you can take in a low dose for prevention. At least I know they used to prescribe it that way, I don’t know if it changed. You can take Valtrex when you feel the outbreak coming on to shorten the time and reduce the severity.

Abreva is your answer. After showering forcefully wipe the fever blister with peroxide. Let it dry and then apply Abreva. Do this twice a day starting when you have that tingly feeling that signals that a fever blister is on the way.

My daughter and I both use this method. It becomes a four day event rather than 14 day event.

Worrying aggravates the condition. Take vitamin B ( B6 I think, but not sure which of these B12?)
I knew a friend whom had reoccurring cold sores ( Herpes), that showed up more so on Sunny days. Too much time in the Sun can aggravate it too.

You should go to visit doctors to ask for instruction and proper treatment. Besides taking some medicines, cold sore can be treated effectively by some natural treatments such as aloe vera gel or milk. You can take some gel from aloe ver and apply it to the affected skin areas. Do several times until it gets better. Or, you can dip a cotton ball in a half cup of fresh milk and rub it over your cold sore. Some vitamins such as B, C are also good for cold sores as well.