Some background information first- I’ve been diagnosed with OCD, GAD/GPD, ADD, and depression over the past couple of years. I’m currently on Prozac and hydroxyzine to manage symptoms. (TR: Also, if you have health anxiety and are affected in any way by the mention of anything related to health anxiety- please do not read this post).
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I would like to know if anyone has broken their ocd cycle, and what has been helpful/what hasn’t. I’ve been in therapy for a few years now and I see a psychiatrist regularly- yet I feel like the medication and therapy are accomplishing nothing. Most recently, I’ve had this intense fear of rabies. Mostly it prevents me from going outside- but more recently I’m afraid that a bat will bite me when I’m asleep so I’m afraid to sleep alone. I’m considering going to my doctor as I constantly think I’m being exposed to the virus through various means (ex. a dog licking me) and I physically ask for the vaccine records which makes me seem odd. I’m supposed to go on a trip for a week in a few months and now I want to cancel because of this fear- and sleeping alone. Has anyone had this fear- and what have they done about it? All replies are greatly appreciated!
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Ksmithfield
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I am currently dealing with a fear of rabies. I was bitten by a dog a few years ago and got the post-exposure vaccine and decided to read about rabies just out of curiosity. That's when I first became aware of the whole 'bat bites you in your sleep' scenario, along with some other fun facts about the disease I'd have been better off not knowing. That triggered an OCD reaction for a while but it faded out on its own.
Then a few months ago I had a contamination-themed relapse and rabies has been a big part of it. I'm a very outdoorsy person but I've been very uneasy going to the woods. I won't tell you all my fears so as not to give you anything new to worry about, but in my rational moments I realize that most of my fears are pretty far-fetched. Millions of people spend time outside without ever thinking about rabies and they are just fine. Actually, I didn't think about it myself for almost 40 years, and somehow I survived decades of outdoor activities.
Depending on what country you're in, it might be helpful to think about rabies statistics. I take some comfort knowing that here in the US only about 2 people per year (out of 330,000,000) die of rabies. Everybody else is either not exposed or is exposed in such an obvious way that they know to get treatment. The chance of being exposed and not knowing it until it is too late is just microscopic, especially for those of us who are knowledgeable and terrified of the disease!
Knowing the statistics hasn't eliminated my feeling of unease outside, but it has given me the perspective I need to confidently relabel my fears as OCD fears and not something I really need to worry about. When the anxiety hits, I try to do as desipurple recommended and accept the thought without interacting with it. I know it's just a product of my OCD. I accept that there is a miniscule chance that I may have unwittingly contracted rabies, but it is so small that a normal person would not think about it and would go about their business.
I also try to recognize my anxiety as just an anxious feeling without focusing on the content. The feeling is the same, whether I'm worried about rabies, contamination, leaving the stove on, or whatever. OCD is the real enemy, not the irrational content.
Over time, this approach has helped reduce my anxiety enough that I am much more comfortable going outside than I was when this relapse started. I'm hoping that with a few more months of exposure (going outside, getting triggered, and not responding) I can get back to hiking and camping without thinking about rabies at all.
Concerning your trip, I'd be very reluctant to cancel based on a fear of rabies. Try not to let the OCD make your decisions. I know it's easier said than done, but whenever I push myself into uncomfortable situations I usually come out stronger and less anxious. If it's a few months away you have time to work on your anxiety.
Here's a whole subsection of an anxiety board full of people working through their fears of rabies. Don't read it if it will trigger you, but I found it helpful, and I was surprised how many people suffer from this particular anxiety:
I hope you don't mind me asking, but does the fact that you received the post-exposure vaccine give you any peace of mind, especially if it's been a few years since the dog bite?
It is a small comfort but not much. From my research there seems to be a lot of variability in how long immunity lasts. Some people indicate that any subsequent exposure requires a booster. Of course OCD always picks the worst scenario, so I just assume I'm no longer protected.
One thing about the post-exposure vaccine, that really doesn't have anything to do with anxiety: it's not bad at all, despite what many people still say. It no longer consists of 20 shots in the stomach or whatever it was decades ago. I got 4 shots in the arm over a period of 4 weeks (vaccine) and 4 shots in the rear end (!) near the bite all at once (immunoglobulin). The worst part was the price tag: about $2,000 for the vaccine and $13,000 for the immunoglobulin. Insurance paid about $13K.
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