Rabies ocd

@fish><> Thank u for this :)

@Anonymous Fs, I hope it helped! Sending support your way.

@fish><> Did getting the pcp vaccine help u? I am still overthinking a lot

@Anonymous It did, but I really wouldn’t recommend doing it. The problems with going to the ER or getting unnecessary vaccines in response to health OCD are that: 1) it encourages the idea that your obsessions have substance, which only fuels them, and 2) it will help at first, but will quickly stop working. Like, for example, I’ve been going to the ER a lot lately for my cardiophobia as a compulsion. It’s helped for a while, but has also started to be not enough - “the ekg was only 10 seconds, what if they missed something?” “What if I’m fine now, but have a heart attack as soon as I leave but don’t do anything because I was already just at the ER and think that I’m fine?” That sort of thing - what once helped is now not enough. Ultimately, the only way out is through, and getting medical treatment you logically know is unnecessary (even if it feels necessary) will only dig you deeper and make it harder to get out in the long run. Ultimately, that is incredibly hard, though, so I completely understand your need to go and do it, and you’d be stronger than I was if you withhold and try to breathe your way through it. Have you talked to a therapist about it at all to try and figure out how to get through this? Also, sorry for the late reply, I hope you are doing alright at the moment!

@fish><> My therapist and my family think I should not get. It’s been almost 3 weeks now :/ so I’m still overthinking. I did go to the doctors the day after and they looked at my scratches and said they were fine and that they look like they are from me which is hard for me to believe because of the scenario in my head. The scratches never tingled or burned or anything. It’s been really rough I’ve been crying almost every day

@Anonymous I don’t know I think back and forth because I felt a sensation on my neck but never saw anything and my brothers never did either so I want to believe them but I can’t? And the scratches aren’t even in the area I felt it at. So it’s been hard my brain won’t believe the doctors or them

@Anonymous I really feel you. You’re being incredibly strong not going to get the shot - I know exactly how terrifying and insurmountable it feels and how that terror lasts for weeks on end. As much as possible, the best thing you can do is try and distract yourself. You’re never going to be able to prove to your OCD that you’re okay, regardless of what argument you put forward, so trying to logically reason yourself out of it won’t help. Again, I 100% understand the urge - doing nothing feels like the worst possible option, even if it’s the best one. It feels like you should be trying to find a way out of it, or like, if you just keep thinking, you’ll find something that will help you stop worrying. Unfortunately, (and this goes for all obsessions to some level, but especially for rabies imo) it will never work, and you’ll only dig yourself deeper into the hole by continuing to feed the obsession with attention. It feels so so so unnatural and wrong, but focusing on other things and accepting that there’s nothing you’re going to do about it is the best possible route. Personally, when I find myself where you are, I kinda just try to lose myself in stimulation somewhat? Like, playing super engaging games or solving difficult puzzles, going roller/ice skating, bike riding, swimming or whatever your preferred fun exercise is, getting absorbed in a story or hobby, and/or listening to things as I fall asleep (I like comedians because they’re very attention grabbing). Talking with people about other things also helps. So does focusing on taking care of yourself - you are definitively alive, and you deserve to be treated with respect and to have a good quality of life regardless of what ends up happening tomorrow. It can be helpful to focus on maintaining that self love in the present moment regardless of anything else that has happened, is happening, or might happen. Of course, no matter what you do, the obsession will resurface and so will the anxiety. At first, the anxiety will probably even increase - just like in an addiction, where the the quality of life reaches its worst directly after you stop taking the substance. This is the hardest part, resisting the urge to return to your compulsions and trying to reason with your OCD. When this happens, as much as possible, try not to judge yourself, the thoughts, or the feelings. The terror is painful, and it’s so natural to try to suppress or quell it, but by acknowledging that the feeling is not dangerous and just allowing yourself to feel terrified for a bit, you begin to teach yourself that you are safe, even in the presence of your obsession. This will lessen its grip - when you’re ready in those moments, and you feel like you can start to move on to a different task or topic, do so! Again, it’s much easier said than done, and you’ll probably end up feeding into it once or twice, which is perfectly fine. Any and all steps you take forward in ignoring moving on are inherently valuable, regardless if you step back, or have stepped back, at all.

@fish><> In any case, sorry for the late (and wordy) reply again - I’m struggling a bit with getting the notifications to work on this app lol - I really really do understand how hard rabies obsessions are in particular, and you are 100% not crazy for feeling the way you do. Given that, I really do think it’s incredible you’ve been able to hold back and not give into your compulsions. I hope you feel very proud of yourself in the midst of it all - regardless of what anyone else thinks, I fully understand what it’s like, and I can fully appreciate how difficult it is to hold back and how strong you are to do so. You are fully on the right track and I hope it gets easier very very soon!

@fish><> Thank u for this truly !! I keep thinking about it and my brain replays that day but it’s almost each time I think of it it is a different story? Even though I know exactly what happened it’s just the more I think about it the more “ what ifs” and different outcomes which I know isn’t true. My now story is so different from the original. I wasn’t able to eat for 2 weeks because I was sooo stressed. But I finally got my appetite back! I will take what u said and imply it to my life. I know realistically by now I probably would’ve had symptoms because it was on my neck and it’s been almost a month but my brain keeps saying what if .

@fish><> I have been hanging out with my family and it has helped a ton!! My mom actually used to have this same fear and she said it’s so common with ocd especially health OCD which is what I have . But I am finally gonna be able to get on som meds to hopefully help this rough patch

@Anonymous That’s awesome! Loosing sleep/appetite over obsessions is the worst, andI’m so glad you’ve started to get it back! I really hope the meds help you out and you’re able to come to terms with any other scratches or injuries in the future. I’m sure it’s still incredibly difficult, but, at least from what you’ve said, it seems like things are looking upwards a little bit - congratulations for that improvement trend!

@fish><> Thank u so much :))