Is anyone willing to talk me through this

@bekbri_04 I’m struggling lately because this is hitting me like a ton of bricks. I hate to trauma dump on you.. but I have no one to talk to about this. I got scratched last month by a stray cat and in the middle of the night out of no where I had this overwhelming feeling that I might of contracted rabies It’s so stupid I know but I’m sitting at urgent care right now. Getting the usual dirty looks I get for being here often and I feel defeated. I don’t know how to continue living my life. What quality of life is this honestly I’m really sad and overwhelmed. Thank you for sitting with me through this it means so much more than you could ever imagine

@Rebecca ❤️ Not to randomly jump in but I totally get where you’re coming from. That’s a really scary and frustrating experience, to be so constantly stressed about health and then to feel shame on top of that. Know that we’re here rooting for you and sending you lots of love <3

@Paley I’m so tired you guys. It’s overwhelming me and I live alone now so it’s like purgatory for me. Alone with my loud horrifying thoughts. I try so hard to cope and continue with my life but it’s becoming hard to fake it to the world. I feel like my coping mask is slipping. My family judges me and says I need mental help but it’s hard with no insurance.. and the doctors don’t take me seriously sometimes and makes me feel embarrassed.. how does anyone deal with this? I need tips and tools to help myself so I can feel okay again

@Rebecca ❤️ You’re definitely doing good things right now—reaching out for help is super important. <3 You mentioned that doctors aren’t always taking you seriously, maybe try looking into an OCD support group? Like an official one rather than these community chats? I’ve been to one and they honestly made me feel so much less alone and less absurd for my behaviors

@Paley Thank you so much I’m gonna try looking up some right now

@Rebecca ❤️ Rabies was the first theme I’ve had that got so bad it finally led to me being diagnosed with OCD. I felt like my brain snapped in half one day and became terrified I contracted rabies from a perfectly healthy dog. I went down all sorts of rabbit holes researching rabies and talking to doctors, and if I could go back in time and tell myself anything it would be STOP researching and seeking answers to unanswerable questions. No amount of googling or talking to doctors is going to confirm that you don’t have rabies. It’s scary for sure. But if doctors and people that love you are telling you they aren’t worried, then you need to take that to heart and stop searching. Any attempts to find certainty will only make you more miserable. I hope this doesn’t come across as harsh because I truly mean for it to be helpful! I wish so badly that someone could have told me it was ocd and told me to stop spiraling looking for reassurance, when unfortunately that kind of reassurance just doesn’t exist. Best thing you can do is continue to live your life, even while you’re still scared. The fear will naturally come down on its own the less attention you pay to it.

@TangerineTango And I’m so sorry that you felt like this before. I don’t wish this on anyone in the world. This is another level of torture

@TangerineTango Hey I wanted to let you know that I’ve been struggling so much with this rabies thing. But your message stuck with me throughout everything I screenshotted what you wrote and Its on my phone background. Everytime I feel unsure and scared I just keep reading it So thank you. Please reach out to me for more tips

@Rebecca ❤️ I’m glad it resonated with you! It really was the scariest time of my life so I can completely understand what you’re going through. I remember saying over and over that I wouldn’t wish that feeling on even my worst enemy. It’s been almost 2 years since I went through that, and while I’ve had plenty of other themes and OCD episodes to deal with, none have been nearly as bad as that one. So it does get easier the more and more you learn about OCD and how to treat it. Hang in there and feel free to reach out anytime!