Scared of brain eating amoeba....

[Carys]

I would like to point out that this OP is from the states, where this 'brain eating amoeba' thing originates, therefore maybe just maybe hearing frightening stories (albeit a rare condition and certainly not related to tap water) has resulted in their fear. Yeah....sorry....but I HAD to look it up Its not a scientific impossibility like some other examples you mention.

[glassgirlw]

I know this might sound stupid, but I am super scared
I was washing my face with tap water, and some of it got in my nose, I read somewhere that you can also get the amoeba from tap water so I dont know.
The water looked clean to me. Also I should add that the water was cold

So back to the OP’s original topic - what part of the states do you live in, Gambit? Quite honestly it’s been so cold lately across such a broad portion of the states, I highly doubt any amoeba are still living. If they are, it won’t be in your tap water, which is typically treated many times over to be safe for human consumption. Take a deep breath and relax. You’re safe

[MyNameIsTerry]

OK, I give up as it has become off topic. I end by saying I am not fearing something science believe is impossible, like getting HIV from doorknoobs and such; a fear which I still see is still alive and well on some posters here even though it was proven in the 1980s to be impossible.

This is a good example of stigma within the anxiety community - my fear is more credible than yours. It's not, you fear an invisible bat. You fear getting cancer not that you have it. That's more credible but not that you do have it.

None of my anxiety is about HA. But based on what you have said here you would view many of my anxiety themes as beneath yours. What message does that send?

I agree with axolotl, this is just negative thinking making your fear important to your subconscious. You look to validate it's worthiness.

So, compare the likelihood of you getting pancreatic cancer to being killed in a car crash. By that comparison shouldn't you be more terrified of a car crash yet I'm yet to see you mention it. Why is that?

Probabilities are important in challenging fears but don't lose sight of what irrationality actually is. None of my fear about work would have killed me but it's still fear and causes anxiety.

It's about the fear. Someone can be terrified of spoons to the same level as you are of cancer. Someone with cancer can be les terrified as the fear isn't as strong.

You have to also remember that this stigma within a community is experienced outside of it too and that tends to upset anxiety sufferers. "Pull yourself together, it's just a lump". So, what would someone like that say to you about your fears? We have to learn to be open minded about what fear is otherwise we aren't that far from those people.

[Carys]

OOOOooooo, great great post above! A thought provoking and erudite reponse, which I entirely agree with (but couldn't have written myself )

[AnxietySufferer]

the fact that it came from the tap makes this highly unlikely. Tap water is actually the cleanest source of water (cleaner than bottled water).

[Carys]

Well, Gambit didn't return to read or respond anyway....so there we go...

[paranoid-viking]

This is a good example of stigma within the anxiety community - my fear is more credible than yours. It's not, you fear an invisible bat. You fear getting cancer not that you have it. That's more credible but not that you do have it.
:

Disagree. I have had rabies fear myself and looking back on it I can conclude with nothing more than that such fear is beyond riddicilous and pathetic. Yes; I have been there and can not believe what stupiodity I allowed for myself to control my life and disable my life quality for a whole year. I am not angry at those who riddiculed my fear back then; to the contrary I AM GRATEFUL THEY DID! Because it helped my healing process and allowed me to look at myself seeing how utterly riddicilous and PATHETIC that fear was.

[Carys]

Well, great that it worked for you, I genuinely mean that....but ridicule and being told you are pathetic fortunately isn't a standard therapy technique.

[paranoid-viking]

Well, great that it worked for you, I genuinely mean that....but ridicule and being told you are pathetic fortunately isn't a standard therapy technique.

Well, it made me see what I was actually doing. It is acalled self awareness.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Disagree. I have had rabies fear myself and looking back on it I can conclude with nothing more than that such fear is beyond riddicilous and pathetic. Yes; I have been there and can not believe what stupiodity I allowed for myself to control my life and disable my life quality for a whole year. I am not angry at those who riddiculed my fear back then; to the contrary I AM GRATEFUL THEY DID! Because it helped my healing process and allowed me to look at myself seeing how utterly riddicilous and PATHETIC that fear was.

You missed my point.

What of the rest? Why is your fear of cancer more real than my fears?