Rabies fear: How to deal with it?

[AntsyVee]

Most rabies cases in the US come from skunks. I guess people aren't as scared of creatures they can smell coming a mile away...

[NervousSubject]

I'm still a little scared though :P

[42Falcon]

Look, I hear you. Personally I have a minor fear of rabies, myself. Here's a brief backstory. I go to college, and with the cold dry weather my hands got dry and chapped, which I thought could be a bat bite, but ultimately debunked. Then a few days ago, I was petting a friendly dog that someone was walking on the street, and it jumped up and kissed my cheek, but also scratched my arm with its claw. I will emphasize here that it DID NOT BREAK THE SKIN, which is required for rabies to be contracted, and it did not use it's mouth either, but my arm has been feeling a little weak/pained because I've been laying on it in bed wierd and my mind screams "RABIES" at the top of it's lungs. All dogs are by law vaxxed here. But life keeps moving. Frankly, I know it's ridiculous but at the same time I shake with fear. Focus on eliminating the variables that start the fear, if you can. For example, if I don't see anything on the news within a few days about a local dog having rabies, I will be more certain I'm in the clear.

[NervousSubject]

I'm still worried about that stupid scratch I got 2 weeks ago. It could have been the door that did it or whatever, but I'm still so worried that a bat was in the screen room...even though I didn't see one...

[Fishmanpa]

This is truly a black and white issue. Your failure to be able to see that is the real problem. I'm afraid nothing or no one here can quell your fear. Real life professional help would be the prudent way to go.

Good luck

Positive thoughts

[NervUs]

The chance of getting rabies from a bat that you didn't know bit you is literally .6 in 1 BILLION (yes they studied it!, and that is people who actually saw a bat!

Do you ever think it's strange that you've had so many rabies exposure from bats, when less than 1 in a billion get rabies that way?

What do you think explains that?

[au Lait]

Rabies isn’t the true issue here. Your health anxiety is. The phantom bat that people fear is a figurative representation of anxiety. You can fear the phantom bat or you can face it. Facing it means accepting that anxiety is the real issue and seaking treatment for it.

The “phantom bat” can be a literal fear of an unseen bat or any phantom illness that people here worry about. People love to act like rabies HA fears are so “out there” and bizarre. A non HAer would say that about literally all of the fears expressed on this forum. The fear itself is immaterial. Whatever it may be, the root cause is an anxiety disorder and without some form of treatment, either professional or self help, it’s just going to keep occurring.

[jojo0328]

This is likely not going to be of any help to you, but I was bitten by a stray dog in a "third world country" as someone else put it and I still didnt get rabies. I have had a bat almost caught in my hair in said country and I still don't have rabies.

I understand that I am not you, but so many stars would have to align for that to happen. If you dont know if you got bit by a bat or a dog or etc, then you didnt. There is no know or dont know. If it happens to you, you know, I can assure you. That being said, I know it is likely that nobody can reassure you, and that you will continue ti have this fear regardless.

So you have 2 choices. You can spend the rest of your life fearing you're going to get rabies and die. We are all going to die at some point, but I dont imagine the stress is helping.

OR

You can get help for your HA. Instead of wasting a good deal of your time being scared and worried, wouldn't it be nice to spend it happily with people who you care about? There are a few members on this board who have survived cancer and etc. and i'm sure they could all gives you some insights on how valuable life is, and how silly it is to waste ones life worrying about impossibles.

[paranoid-viking]

This is likely not going to be of any help to you, but I was bitten by a stray dog in a "third world country" as someone else put it and I still didnt get rabies. I have had a bat almost caught in my hair in said country and I still don't have rabies.

But did you have the vaccine after that exposure from a stray dog in the 3rd world?

[jojo0328]

But did you have the vaccine after that exposure from a stray dog in the 3rd world?

Over 12 hours later. I was drunk and woke up the next day with a dog bite, then didnt seek medical attention for it for another 5 or 6 hours. Not my smartest move.