I feel like I can't forgive myself for what I did. How do you get over the feelings of regret, and forget the bad experiences?

As you're finding, when we make mistakes with our sexuality, it takes time to heal. Be patient and do not beat yourself up. All of us must come to terms with the parts of our past we wish we could erase. During the healing process, feelings of remorse are bound to come to the surface. But you will find that as time goes on, your memories will haunt you less often.

In some ways, forgiving yourself for your own mistakes is similar to forgiving someone else who has hurt you. Forgiveness does not necessarily mean that you do not feel the pain anymore. It means that you decide to no longer hold it against the person. So, you job now is to work on no longer holding it against yourself. How do you do this?

Because the past sometimes hurts, we try to suppress the memories and shove them to a place in our mind where they will stop haunting us. There is a better way. When the hurts of the past weigh upon your heart, take that as a reminder for why you want your future to be different. As you begin to live a new life, you will begin to feel better about yourself. Don't give in to despair, defining yourself and your future by the bad things that have happened in the past.

It is also good to recognize that living purely in future relationships will begin to heal the past. Relationships can actually be healing, not scarring. To get relationships off in the right direction, be up front with regard to your values, and do not wait for an intimate moment to decide or announce your guidelines.

Also remember that your decision to be pure will not only benefit yourself. It will also be a witness to others. When the time is right, you may be able to share your story of starting over with those who may need hope as well. You'll be able to reach and heal others who are going through the same difficulties that you have been through. You are in a position to reach hearts that no one else could reach. But in the meantime, just focus on taking care of yourself.