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Sure! Coping mechanism: The chessboard analogy. Imagine the rivaling thoughts in your head as pieces on a chessboard battling it out. One thought could be, “Oh no, I’ll get HIV if I walk near this bandaid” while another could be, “That’s ridiculous. This is ocd, why do I keep thinking of this”. The idea is that you let these thoughts battle it out on the chessboard that is separate from you. You are going about your life while this is happening. To help you visualize, you can imagine the chessboard floating above your head as you go about your day. As for the therapeutic technique, ERP is the most effective, at least it was for me. I recommend finding a behavioral therapist to do it properly. I am not a professional, but I can at least give you the basis of what ERP is. ERP is Exposure Response Prevention. You essentially expose yourself to the trigger that causes you anxiety (walking near a bandaid). That makes your anxiety peak. You prevent yourself from ritualizing or performing whatever action that reduces your anxiety such as washing your feet or walking away. Do this for X minutes a day and slowly increase X. Gradually, you will habituate to that level of anxiety and it won’t be as cumbersome. Now, this is a very difficult technique. When I did it, I was at an Institute where I had coaches guide me through it for 2 hours a day. I’m assuming you don’t, so don’t try this yet is what I recommend. Definitely try the coping mechanism and tell me what you think! I have more if it doesn’t work, but give it an honest try. It’ll work out bro. You got this.

I used to have this when I was a kid. I even was convinced that i had aids because i touched some things in a hospital ???‍♀️ I still get grossed out and avoid walking on or near bandaids, needles and stuff, but it doesn’t get me that anxious now, cause now I know how it does and how it doesn’t get transmitted

Well, would you like some ideas for coping mechanisms or for therapy to help reduce those obsessions? The difference is that coping mechanisms help you in the moment so that you can focus on what you’re doing at the time. The therapeutic method is a long term solution.

Nothing helped me until I got tested by a doctor. Grated this was after actual sexual activity. I did an at home test and then I halfway believed it. Then I went to the dr and got a blood test and it was negative. I have a compulsion to google search for reassurance but HIV can be treated to almost undetectable levels so even if you were contaminated, think about whether it really really would be as scary as we think it is in the middle of an attack. I don’t recommend getting tested unless you actually have a risk factor like sexual activity with someone who’s status is unknown. Otherwise it falls into reassurance seeking. When I was a little girl, I was about 9 and my mom and I were watching this movie about these girls who were kidnapped and they contracted HIV during that time. I was extremely triggered and washed my hands a lot. I was little and internet wasn’t something I ever used much At the time but I lost years of being afraid to cook, swim, and I had cracked hands. Just know you’re not alone. I think labeling it as what it is would be a good first step. “It’s not me, it’s my OCD”

Don’t ask if you would get HIV, look into researching the facts about HIV. How it’s transmitted etc. having at least some actual knowledge that HIV can’t live outside the body was helpful for me as a starting point

Yeah I definitely recommend just fact checking yourself as the situations come. HIV is SO preventable now days because research has come so far. :)