HIV hypochondria after several tests

[Ljj44577]

So for a while, I've been worried about having HIV. I want to make sure that this message is short. I don't want it to be too long. So back in March, I shook hands with someone who had HIV or AIDS. But I'm worried if there was blood-to-blood contact. Then, about four weeks later, I noticed symptoms such as coughing, headaches, muscle aches, a swollen lymph node on the right side of my ear, sleepiness, etc. I looked up the symptoms and realized these were symptoms of early HIV infection. It made me feel scared. I spent a lot of time having anxiety about it.

I never had sex and I've never shared needles.

I am 18. I am a male. I go to a community college.

I have taken at least six HIV tests and all of them have came out negative.

7/14 - took an HIV test on my campus and received the results two weeks and they were negative.

8/26 - took another HIV test, which came back two weeks later and was negative.

9/16 - took an HIV test and it came out negative.

9/23 - took another HIV test and it came out negative.

10/15 - took another HIV test and it came out negative.

11/10 - took an HIV mouth swab test and it came out negative.

However, I'm still worried. I'm worried that HIV could get into my body in another kind of way. So far, I've never had sex and I have never shared needles. I always worry if there could be random blood-to-blood contact from shaking hands with random people. A lot of people say that you cannot catch HIV from shaking hands.

I need help getting rid of my anxiety.

I realize that I am a hypochondriac.

What can I do to get rid of my anxiety?

Please help me. I want to stop having anxiety.

Sorry if this post was too long.

[Fishmanpa]

With respect, being that you've had so many negative results and in light of the fact that no sexual activity or drug use obviously makes your scenario literally impossible.

The best course of action would be therapy and/or meds to help you deal with the irrational thoughts. This is an internet forum. You can be told all the obvious things and read till your eyes go red but it still comes down to acting on your own behalf.

I posted on another thread a quote from a fellow HA sufferer that actually had a serious medical issue. They said "Hypochondria is a disease of thought, not one based on reality." Your HA is the illness you should treat IMO.

Good Luck and positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

The symptoms you mentioned are also a sign of a basic illness like a cough/cold or other minor infection. Lymph nodes swell when they detect a localised infection, it's a standard part of the immune system.

Thinking rationally, if we could get HIV/AIDS from shaking hands (or remember the old toilet seat one years ago?) then we would have serious public health issues across the world and we would be treating these conditions in a very different way. Back in the 80's they started running awareness campaigns over here and these worries all bubbled up into myths that created stigma for these people, especially in the gay community.

Are you a hypochondriac? Do you have other worries about your health? If not, it's also possibly this is OCD as fear of contracting HIV/AIDS is one of the known forms.

I think seeking help from a doctor is a good starting point and then you want therapy. CBT can work with these contamination worries, usually in the form of one of it's elements Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.

Did you find each test gave you some shortlived reassurance?

[stressedanxious]

You don't have it, seriously.