View Full Version : Rabies fear: How to deal with it?
NervousSubject
20-08-17, 14:17
I've had this phobia of bats and rabies for a few years now. Most of the time I was able to rationalize and get over it, but this summer it's been getting really bad....
The reason why it's been so bad this past summer was because in June, three bats in the county I live in tested positive for rabies. None of them were in my town per se, but it did hit pretty close to home....And ever since then I've been faced with this horrific scenario that a bat somehow brushed up against me or bit me without my knowledge and gave me rabies or that a bat bit me in my sleep and escaped my house without me knowing...
Every single time I feel some kind of symptom, I freak out....I've been drinking a lot of extra fluids simply to test if I can still swallow water, I'm always checking my temperature to find out if I'm running a fever...I just always feel like any little sniffle could be the beginning prodromal symptoms of rabies.
For the past few days, my main symptom is that tonsils have felt a little swollen and some tonsilloths (tonsil stones) came out when I prodded them with a toothbrush.
Anyway, I really need some help in debunking this fear I have...I really would love to hear from some bat experts, if there are any on this forum...or just people that have gone through similar things that I have.
Take a look at some of the other rabies (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=206003) threads (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=206212) currently (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=206173) on the boards. They should help you realize the irrationality of contracting it.
Positive thoughts
NervousSubject
21-08-17, 13:48
I really do wish there was just a way to get over this easier....
I really do wish there was just a way to get over this easier....
Perhaps try this...
Answer the question: Is the sky green? The answer is the answer to your fear.
You're speaking of a scenario and fearing things that are literally impossible. There's just no wiggle room or what ifs here. This is all in your imagination and doesn't exist outside of your mind.
Positive thoughts
budgie1979
21-08-17, 18:32
I've had fear of rabies a few times in my struggle with HA, so I know well how the mind can convince you that you have symptoms. One of the things that helps me is thinking about how exceedingly rare it is. There are usually only a handful of cases of rabies in humans in the United States each year. And almost all of them have known contact with an animal--often contact with a stray dog in a country where dogs are the primary vector. And even before we had vaccines for rabies and more people spent time working outside (so greater potential for contact with animals), people weren't dying from it on the regular--it was still a really rare disease in humans. The only time you need to even think about rabies is if you were bitten by an animal or somehow got saliva into an open wound. In the case of bats, it's not unreasonable to call the health department for evaluation if you know there was a bat in your house and couldn't catch it for examination. But unless you know bats are getting into your house (in which case you should address that problem) there's absolutely no reason to think one bit you.
NervousSubject
28-08-17, 21:28
What really gets me worked up is when I'm seeing the prodromal symptoms being described as "mild". It makes me think that any slight discomfort can be an initial symptoms of rabies. Now I'm feeling bad itching on a spot on my left leg and these medical sites say that itching at the site of exposure is one of the first symptoms....I'm so terrified that it's starting now...please help me.
I have had rabies panics before, thanks to some flipping raccoons that used to live under our deck (have finally moved on once we had deck replaced).
Anyhoo, just like you, my rabies panics all started with a NON-EXPOSURE. NO raccoon ever came near me, but they were in my environment, drinking out of a cat bowl we left for a stray, and one time one got in my car (long story). I fantasized that the saliva was somehow left behind and, given what you are describing, is incredibly more reasonable than your story of not ever seeing a bat. THis is your imagination RUN WILD, as was my case.
HOw do you get over this? Well, for starters, you need to stop checking yourself. You have a ludicrous rabies fantasy playing in your mind and the self-checking is actually giving it credibility. This is not a quick fix at all but, everytime you go to check, tell yourself, "I'm not falling for this" and set your mind very deliberately to something else. It will take a lot of effort but, little by little, your brain will stop going to the rabies fear because it knows you are fighting back and not giving it the stimulation (i.e. indulging the rabies fantasy) it wants. Logic won't get you out of this, reassurance won't get you out of this. Fighting back against your fear might, although it's work and a hard thing to do.
When I was in the grips of mine, I could see the humor in it as well. Like, who dies because a rabid raccoon left rabid saliva in a trail on their car upholstery. I mean, NOBODY!!!!!! I got to the point where I just had to say, if I go out that way, good for you rabies, as that would be VERY IMPRESSIVE. Find ways to laugh at it, and let your brain know we don't have to indulge these fears. Little by little, it helps retrain your "natural" reaction to whatever triggers the panic.
Catherine S
29-08-17, 00:02
I believe Rabies has been eradicated in most parts of Western Europe and the UK. Im very surprised...through so many posts on the forum... that its still prevailent in the US? :ohmy:
Ok, we don't have racoons and such like, but we do have bats and we never get any public health warnings about them. And because we no longer see dogs roaming freely because the law prevents it now, we tend not to see too many of them foaming at the mouth. It must be really scary to know that you still have rabies in some of your states. How bad is it?
Cath S.
I believe Rabies has been eradicated in most parts of Western Europe and the UK. Im very surprised...through so many posts on the forum... that its still prevailent in the US? :ohmy:
Ok, we don't have racoons and such like, but we do have bats and we never get any public health warnings about them. And because we no longer see dogs roaming freely because the law prevents it now, we tend not to see too many of them foaming at the mouth. It must be really scary to know that you still have rabies in some of your states. How bad is it?
Cath S.
I think we USA-based hypochondriacs are giving you the wrong impression. Per google, there are only 1-3 human cases reported annually, and some of those cases were contracted by people traveling abroad. I cannot speak to how many people get the vaccines after exposure, as that saves just about all of the people who would otherwise have died- I have to imagine that # is also low.
We don't worry about the dog and cat population in the US since all pets (well, obviously depends on compliance by owners) are vaxed for rabies- the law says every 3 years. The cases of rabies come from wildlife. Bats, raccoons, foxes, and a few other critters are known as disease vectors.
A stray cat killed a bat and left it in my garage one night, and I actually had it tested. The officials there told me only about 1% of the tested bat population has rabies.
Wild animals with rabies are not present in every state. I believe its worse on the east coast of the US. IN my state (midwestern), only 11 animals were confirmed to have rabies in 2017 so far (so maybe 20 total). There have been no cases of rabies in my county, but there has been wildlife testing pos for rabies in counties that surround mine. Because of that, the counties on the periphery of those counties where there are documented cases have eradication efforts, and they leave vaccines out in the open where wild animals feed, so there is some vaccination of wild animals in my state and I am sure many others.
All of this information comes to you courtesy of countless hours spent learning about rabies. Googling is bad, yes, because it fuels the fear. But, I get genuinely interested in this stuff from an intellectual standpoint once I really get going. :blush: LOng story short, rabies is not much of a risk in the US but is not totally eradicated.
MyNameIsTerry
29-08-17, 00:53
I have had rabies panics before, thanks to some flipping raccoons that used to live under our deck (have finally moved on once we had deck replaced).
Anyhoo, just like you, my rabies panics all started with a NON-EXPOSURE. NO raccoon ever came near me, but they were in my environment, drinking out of a cat bowl we left for a stray, and one time one got in my car (long story). I fantasized that the saliva was somehow left behind and, given what you are describing, is incredibly more reasonable than your story of not ever seeing a bat. THis is your imagination RUN WILD, as was my case.
HOw do you get over this? Well, for starters, you need to stop checking yourself. You have a ludicrous rabies fantasy playing in your mind and the self-checking is actually giving it credibility. This is not a quick fix at all but, everytime you go to check, tell yourself, "I'm not falling for this" and set your mind very deliberately to something else. It will take a lot of effort but, little by little, your brain will stop going to the rabies fear because it knows you are fighting back and not giving it the stimulation (i.e. indulging the rabies fantasy) it wants. Logic won't get you out of this, reassurance won't get you out of this. Fighting back against your fear might, although it's work and a hard thing to do.
When I was in the grips of mine, I could see the humor in it as well. Like, who dies because a rabid raccoon left rabid saliva in a trail on their car upholstery. I mean, NOBODY!!!!!! I got to the point where I just had to say, if I go out that way, good for you rabies, as that would be VERY IMPRESSIVE. Find ways to laugh at it, and let your brain know we don't have to indulge these fears. Little by little, it helps retrain your "natural" reaction to whatever triggers the panic.
Were they like the ones in the film The Great Outdoors? :D
http://kbjackson.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/tmb_3505_480.jpg
I have a very vague recollection that my dad used to LOVE that movie and would rent it ad nauseum from the library, but I for the life can't remember a thing about it :-)
All I can say is that my raccoons were bold little sh*ts that would stare me down in my own garage. They smelled really bad too, like their gross stench would linger.
They are really cute though!
NervousSubject
29-08-17, 03:20
I think we USA-based hypochondriacs are giving you the wrong impression. Per google, there are only 1-3 human cases reported annually, and some of those cases were contracted by people traveling abroad. I cannot speak to how many people get the vaccines after exposure, as that saves just about all of the people who would otherwise have died- I have to imagine that # is also low.
We don't worry about the dog and cat population in the US since all pets (well, obviously depends on compliance by owners) are vaxed for rabies- the law says every 3 years. The cases of rabies come from wildlife. Bats, raccoons, foxes, and a few other critters are known as disease vectors.
A stray cat killed a bat and left it in my garage one night, and I actually had it tested. The officials there told me only about 1% of the tested bat population has rabies.
Wild animals with rabies are not present in every state. I believe its worse on the east coast of the US. IN my state (midwestern), only 11 animals were confirmed to have rabies in 2017 so far (so maybe 20 total). There have been no cases of rabies in my county, but there has been wildlife testing pos for rabies in counties that surround mine. Because of that, the counties on the periphery of those counties where there are documented cases have eradication efforts, and they leave vaccines out in the open where wild animals feed, so there is some vaccination of wild animals in my state and I am sure many others.
All of this information comes to you courtesy of countless hours spent learning about rabies. Googling is bad, yes, because it fuels the fear. But, I get genuinely interested in this stuff from an intellectual standpoint once I really get going. :blush: LOng story short, rabies is not much of a risk in the US but is not totally eradicated.
And as I've said a few times before, this massive anxiety I've had towards rabies has spiked this summer due to the fact that three bats tested positive a few towns away from where I live. This could just be because they're monitoring where I live (Long Island, NY) for rabies more this year because last year, a raccoon tested positive...
And as I've said a few times before, this massive anxiety I've had towards rabies has spiked this summer due to the fact that three bats tested positive a few towns away from where I live. This could just be because they're monitoring where I live (Long Island, NY) for rabies more this year because last year, a raccoon tested positive...
BUt, three tested positive out of how many bats tested and of what number of total bats in your area?
The testing that they do really tells us nothing, since they are not getting random samples. I don't know that the numbers really mean anything.
What means something is actually knowing without a flicker of doubt that a bat/raccoon/possum/fox/whatever actually bit you. THen, sure, worry.
You expressed that this did NOT happen to you, though, so you must see this is all an overactive imagination working through the power of suggestion.
MyNameIsTerry
29-08-17, 05:23
I have a very vague recollection that my dad used to LOVE that movie and would rent it ad nauseum from the library, but I for the life can't remember a thing about it :-)
All I can say is that my raccoons were bold little sh*ts that would stare me down in my own garage. They smelled really bad too, like their gross stench would linger.
They are really cute though!
A classic family comedy, John Candy & Dan Ackroyd. :yesyes: Two families staying in a log cabin in the woods and there is a big bald bear that stalks the woods...ending in John Candy following up on his dad's shot (blew the hair off her head) which blows the hair off her bum! :D
They are like that in the film. No matter how they protect their rubbish, the raccoons have seen it all before and still get at it.
NervousSubject
30-08-17, 21:42
I wish that someone could make a "Why you don't have rabies" stickied post like they had on AnxietyZone before they shut down :P....It would seriously help me and and many others out dealing with this.
I wish that someone could make a "Why you don't have rabies" stickied post like they had on AnxietyZone before they shut down :P....It would seriously help me and and many others out dealing with this.
Well... because basically it's a yes or no answer. Were you actually bitten by a rabid animal? Based on the overwhelming evidence that no one posting about this fear has been bitten or has been in close intimate contact with such an animal the answer is NO, you don't have rabies. Besides you're still here right? :whistles:
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
31-08-17, 01:13
I wish that someone could make a "Why you don't have rabies" stickied post like they had on AnxietyZone before they shut down :P....It would seriously help me and and many others out dealing with this.
Imagine all the stickies we would need on here to cover rabies, HIV, cancers, ALS, etc.
But at the heart of them there is likely a very similiar issue and that's the issue to be tackling. The theme shifts, the underlying issue is the same.
Can't you use the Wayback Machine to get at the old sticky you mention?
I wish that someone could make a "Why you don't have rabies" stickied post like they had on AnxietyZone before they shut down :P....It would seriously help me and and many others out dealing with this.
We need a "why you don't have rabies", "why you don't have brain eating amoeba" and "why you don't have schizophrenia" on here. And maybe throw in a "why you won't spontaneously combust" for good measure.
tryingtosurvive1
31-08-17, 05:55
You sound totally irrational to someone not in the throes of this fear. Look, I get it, I keep thinking I have ALS because the same person at the hospital manages my condition and the ALS clinic. But just because you have some bats in your county doesn't mean you could have got rabies from them. It's the wrong kind of proximity! Can you access the reasonable being that lives deep within you?
Also if you are even using the phrase "prodromal" you are too far down the rabbit hole. Really.
NervousSubject
02-10-17, 21:59
Okay, so last Monday, I had to hold my basement door open for somebody at around dusk/nighttime. It was unusually warm that week, so I actually saw a bat flying around my tree...but that's actually not what worries me this time. I know I did not make contact with the actual bat I saw, but when I was opening the door, I could have sworn I heard some kind of squeaking sound and now I'm terrified of the possibility that the squeaking I heard was a bat that was near my head or whatever and now I'm going to die soon of rabies.
For the past few days, I'd had a sour stomach and I cant help but think that this is how it begins :( I wish there was something that debunks my fear but I honestly fear this is it :(
I wish there was something that debunks my fear but I honestly fear this is it :(
Therein lies the real issue. You honestly believe in the impossible.
Positive thoughts
ServerError
02-10-17, 23:10
If the fact you haven't been bitten by a rabid animal doesn't debunk your fear, what will? What can anyone on a forum say?
NervousSubject
03-10-17, 01:10
If the fact you haven't been bitten by a rabid animal doesn't debunk your fear, what will? What can anyone on a forum say?
Because I'm worried about the possibility of a non bite exposure
ServerError
03-10-17, 01:44
You're worried about something that's borderline impossible. It's even less likely than a bite. The question remains - what can we say to help? Rational responses don't work, so what can we do?
Like I said... you believe in the impossible. History has shown this belief has lead to great discovery and advancement of mankind. Sadly, in this case, it's doing quite the opposite :weep:
Good luck and as always...
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
03-10-17, 02:02
Okay, so last Monday, I had to hold my basement door open for somebody at around dusk/nighttime. It was unusually warm that week, so I actually saw a bat flying around my tree...but that's actually not what worries me this time. I know I did not make contact with the actual bat I saw, but when I was opening the door, I could have sworn I heard some kind of squeaking sound and now I'm terrified of the possibility that the squeaking I heard was a bat that was near my head or whatever and now I'm going to die soon of rabies.
For the past few days, I'd had a sour stomach and I cant help but think that this is how it begins :( I wish there was something that debunks my fear but I honestly fear this is it :(
The CDC website debunks your fear. Medical history debunks your fear. If God* came on here and told you you couldn't get it, it wouldn't stop your fear if the whole whole history can't.
You could have a daily rabies test and still have your fear.
The issue is inside your subconscious.
Think about it. Bats fly around us all the time at night. So, do you stay indoor because of that at night? If you have ever gone outside at night in your lifetime, you have exposed yourself to your fear.
And then you have far more likely fears in your country that could harm you yet do you worry so much about them? You would never leave the house or answer the door if you did.
That all points to irrationality. Getting help to correct this faulty thinking will mean you can live your life without all this.
* or hairy cornflake monsters for the aetheists. :yesyes:
NervousSubject
11-12-17, 00:21
Yes, I know it's winter and it's been super cold and there is no way that any bat or anything flew near me or anything in this weather recently.
But for some reason, I just can't shake this fear that I somehow got exposed months ago and I'm beginning to have have the beginning prodromal symptoms of rabies and I'm gonna die soon. I've been having arm pains for the past few days and for the past two or three days I've been having this kind of burning/scratched sensation on my left bicep...I don't know what to think anymore....It's not even that it's constant...It just randomly happens sometimes....
Ever since this ****ing rabies fear started back in 2014, it's been nothing but years and years of self-gaslighting, constant doubts and worries....I just want to not worry for once....
I don't know what to tell you here. There's no logical reason to even think about this but I guess that's what anxiety is all about :shrug:
Perhaps downloading the free CBT resources (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=211324) and working on the modules would be in order.
Positive thoughts
NervousSubject
22-12-17, 00:52
Basically, Sunday evening I developed a sore throat and have been having cold symptoms since then...Of course, when you have a fear of rabies like I do...It can't "just be a seasonal cold". It's the beginning flu like symptoms of rabies and I'm gonna die soon....I'm so sick of this shit.... :(
I don't have a fear of rabies but I have fears and know exactly how you feel... I too am sick of this crap :(
tryingtosurvive1
22-12-17, 01:59
I promise you don't have "R"
Go get a rabies vaccine. it's good for 10 years.
I am bracing for the day that I come down with a bad cold. I had a bad R word panic last week after getting licked on the lips by a dog...and I'm doing okay but know that first sickness is not going to be fun!!!
paranoid-viking
22-12-17, 04:00
Basically, Sunday evening I developed a sore throat and have been having cold symptoms since then...Of course, when you have a fear of rabies like I do...It can't "just be a seasonal cold". It's the beginning flu like symptoms of rabies and I'm gonna die soon....I'm so sick of this shit.... :(
You think you have rabies? Why? Have you been bitten by a dog or a bat in a third world country?
SAME. Had 2 pin pricks on my knee a littleness over a month ago and when I started worrying about it and thinking about the marks I kept rubbing it and checking and now it feel s like I have a slight twinge or tingle in my knee. But if I a man busy or distracted I don't feel it. I feel it right now as we speak. This has been going on for 3 days so one would assume I would be progressing worse and worse with more symptoms.
NervousSubject
15-01-18, 19:14
Apparently today in Florida, a kid died of rabies due to a bat bite...I managed to kind of forget about my fears for a while and now this is bringing all of them back...I'm so worried one is in my house right now....I know it's very cold where I live but I cant help thinking that one might be in my house right now....
Yeah.. great! Media hysteria alert! Here come the rabies threads! :lac:
Positive thoughts
Deep breath...
So one among your 350 million countryfolk has died of something you fear.
It's triggering, but it changes nothing.
Deep breath...
So one among your 350 million countryfolk has died of something you fear.
It's triggering, but it changes nothing.
I read the story... the dad found a sick bat, put it in a bucket to get rid of it, told the kid to stay away. He didn't. Terribly sad story but a more than a million+ to one chance.
RIP little guy....
Positive thoughts
NervousSubject
15-01-18, 19:38
The scariest part is....I don't think there is a way to prove that there isn't a bat in my house right now.
The scariest part is....I don't think there is a way to prove that there isn't a bat in my house right now.
There's no way to prove the existence of aliens either ;)
Positive thoughts
Mindprison
15-01-18, 19:44
Interestingly here in the UK (and most of europe) bats are protected by european law. Basically we aren't allowed to harm them or their habitat unless a surevyor comes out to see what the situation is. If they deem there is no alternative then they will arrange for the bats to be moved.
So y'know, at least you're not in europe? :yesyes:
Interestingly here in the UK (and most of europe) bats are protected by european law. Basically we aren't allowed to harm them or their habitat unless a surevyor comes out to see what the situation is. If they deem there is no alternative then they will arrange for the bats to be moved.
So y'know, at least you're not in europe? :yesyes:
Well according to Wikipedia, there have been 15 cases of human rabies in the USA (that weren't contracted overseas) since 2008, and only an estimated 30% of cases come from bats.
In a country of 350m people and no doubt millions of bats... well you see where I'm going with this.
Bats are amazing creatures very susceptible to habitat loss so I'm glad we have protection! Even though we are officially rabies-free in the U.K., bat-workers have to have a rabies shot due to a couple of cases of rabies-like viruses being contracted from bats, but these are people whose job it is to annoy bats, not people who happen to have one lurking in their house.
Mindprison
15-01-18, 20:50
Well according to Wikipedia, there have been 15 cases of human rabies in the USA (that weren't contracted overseas) since 2008, and only an estimated 30% of cases come from bats.
In a country of 350m people and no doubt millions of bats... well you see where I'm going with this.
Bats are amazing creatures very susceptible to habitat loss so I'm glad we have protection! Even though we are officially rabies-free in the U.K., bat-workers have to have a rabies shot due to a couple of cases of rabies-like viruses being contracted from bats, but these are people whose job it is to annoy bats, not people who happen to have one lurking in their house.
Oh i'm not disputing that it's irrational, not in the slightest. I actually quite like bats and wouldn't want to see any harm done to them or their habitats.
Just thought it would offer some perspective, we are more dangerous to them than they are to us.
Terribly sad story but a more than a million+ to one chance.
Actually...
Going on stats on Wikipedia and some back-of-a-cig-packet calculations...
There were 15 human cases of rabies contracted in the USA between 2008 and 2017.
Elsewhere, it says c30% of cases in 2015 were from bats, so let's extrapolate that to the cases across that whole time period.
Which means around 5 cases of bat-borne human rabies in nine years. 0.556 cases per year in a population of 323 million people. Let's make that 0.5 to make my sums easier...
So, very roughly, you have about a one in 646 million chance of getting rabies from a bat in the USA in any one year, which is the equivalent of winning the lottery 46 times.
Of course that's very crude - it's dependant on State, habitat, line of work you're in, etc, so obviously not every American has the same odds... but you see how astronomically unlikely it is?
Interestingly here in the UK (and most of europe) bats are protected by european law. Basically we aren't allowed to harm them or their habitat unless a surevyor comes out to see what the situation is. If they deem there is no alternative then they will arrange for the bats to be moved.
So y'know, at least you're not in europe? :yesyes:
They are also protected in the United States, well the species that are endangered that is (there are a lot of bat species in the US many of them are endangered but maybe not all). Even if the poster found a bat in the house, he might not be able to legally evict it, since they are in hibernation now and exterminators have to wait until spring to chuck them outside and close up holes.
paranoid-viking
15-01-18, 21:54
Yeah.. great! Media hysteria alert! Here come the rabies threads! :lac:
Positive thoughts
Yeah, there has been very few lately. But here they come.
And Nervous Subject,
I get it. I am a rabies worrier. But, an innocent child died from something horrific and your post is all about you. Of course, HA makes one incredibly ego centric, but come on. You know, right, that you are no more likely to find a bat in your house today than you were yesterday? The fact that this kid died bears absolutely no relationship to your life, or bats in your house, or bats far away from your house.
Stepping back and looking at myself make others' misfortune about ME has always made me squirm. Does it make you squirm, even if you have to unpack it? Because that might be a helpful nudge to think differently about this news story and challenges using it to legitimize your HA fear.
NervousSubject
25-02-18, 20:33
This is from two weeks ago, when I was in Ft Myers Florida visiting my grandfather, I was in his screen room and when I opened the door to his main house (it's in the screen room) I felt something scratch my thumb and when I put hand sanitizer on it and washed it, my thumb stung.....I managed to push it to the back of my mind, but now that I'm worried about death in general, it's coming back up again. I'm so worried that something scratched my thumb then escaped the screen room :(
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.
Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.
It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.
Elen
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
26-02-18, 14:14
I'm still a little scared though :P
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
27-02-18, 13:17
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...
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
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?
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.
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
27-02-18, 18:40
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?
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.
paranoid-viking
27-02-18, 19:27
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.
It will always work out fine if it is within 24 hours.
Where was it BTW? Were you on a backpaker trip? I did tht a lot when I was young.
It will always work out fine if it is within 24 hours.
Where was it BTW? Were you on a backpaker trip? I did tht a lot when I was young.
It was in Thailand, yes, just on a trip! I live in Asia though. I had heard that the vaccine works best 8 hours after the initial bite. I apparently was saying to my friend "Look, i'm Ceasar Milan, dog whisperer" ahahaha. Where did you backpack to?
Anyway, I think the original poster doesnt need to worry to much, but this is an anxiety forum, so easier said than done!
NervousSubject
11-05-18, 04:02
And I'm scared that the chirping sound I heard could have been a bat on the ground and even though I looked underneath all the wooden logs on the ground bordering the garden I didn't see anything other than bugs, but I'm so worried that there could have been one that went out of view.
Please help me before I freak
ServerError
11-05-18, 04:22
If you hear hooves, think horse. Not zebra.
It was probably a bird. They're especially chirpy this time of year.
Not that you have anything to worry about if it was a bat. Which it wasn't.
MyNameIsTerry
11-05-18, 05:03
Bats tend to make sucking noises.
Chirping is most likely a bird. Some species are quite adaptive and will nest near to the ground.
The Robin is a good example of this. They will nest in tin cans turned on the side or even buckets. They don't mind being close to people.
If you hear hooves, think horse. Not zebra.
Great response !
ServerError
11-05-18, 09:05
Can't claim credit for it. It's a line I picked up from Dr Cox in Scrubs!
Well, wherever you got it, you remembered it and used it and now I'm going to use it too !!!!
Also bats will try to go out of their way to avoid you, they don't swoop in and attack or bite for no reason, I used to have 20 acres and had horses and cows and bats were flying around everywhere, had one land on my shirt, never bit me, it sat there for a moment and then flew off, would go into the barn to feed the horses and the bats would be hanging upside down from the beams, never even came down, they fluttered a bit, but yeah, you really have nothing to worry about, hope you haven't been watching to many shows with bats where they swoop down and get tangled in hair and try to bite, that is just nonsense.
WiseMonkey
11-05-18, 21:18
And I'm scared that the chirping sound I heard could have been a bat on the ground and even though I looked underneath all the wooden logs on the ground bordering the garden I didn't see anything other than bugs, but I'm so worried that there could have been one that went out of view.
Please help me before I freak
Is it a plane, is it a bat ... oh maybe it's a bird (or a cricket)!! You were given ears to detect sounds and a brain to identify them! For goodness sake NS, get a grip, this is utter nonsense :doh:
Also bats will try to go out of their way to avoid you, they don't swoop in and attack or bite for no reason, I used to have 20 acres and had horses and cows and bats were flying around everywhere, had one land on my shirt, never bit me, it sat there for a moment and then flew off, would go into the barn to feed the horses and the bats would be hanging upside down from the beams, never even came down, they fluttered a bit, but yeah, you really have nothing to worry about, hope you haven't been watching to many shows with bats where they swoop down and get tangled in hair and try to bite, that is just nonsense.
Holy crud, that gave me a heart attack. I would DIE omg I would DIE, lol
MyNameIsTerry
12-05-18, 02:17
Also bats will try to go out of their way to avoid you, they don't swoop in and attack or bite for no reason, I used to have 20 acres and had horses and cows and bats were flying around everywhere, had one land on my shirt, never bit me, it sat there for a moment and then flew off, would go into the barn to feed the horses and the bats would be hanging upside down from the beams, never even came down, they fluttered a bit, but yeah, you really have nothing to worry about, hope you haven't been watching to many shows with bats where they swoop down and get tangled in hair and try to bite, that is just nonsense.
That sounds great! Maybe it landed on you and was wondering what on earth this big thing was and why it's not on the ground...until it realised you were. :D Either that or perhaps you had a big juicy moth on you :yesyes:
I've been in bat houses, one with a tunnel in that you walk through too. They do buzz you but that's about it and only because they were flying through a low tunnel, the rest of the time they are higher up.
I see them at then local park if I go when it's going dark as they are feeding on insects over the lake but they are still higher than head height when around you.
Their echolocation is excellent at stopping them bashing into objects so they won't want to land on what could be an enormous predator like us unless by mistake.
I didn't see anything other than bugs
Crickets "chirp".
Positive thoughts
I'm with Terry and his bats - I adore them. I go on bat walks to find them, and have a bat echo locator. I've held a couple (with gloves) and as it happens have threee round the garden at the moment. They are the most amazing creatures and its good to see them around, as they are a sign of a healthy environment - the moths are the first sign, and then the bats come.
I wonder that too, Terry, if he or she was wondering what I was, yes they are amazing about how the can use echo location.
NervousSubject
04-06-18, 03:14
Sometime last month, when I was mowing my lawn, I grabbed the lawnmower bag in my shed and I felt something sharp poke my finger. At first I got scared but then I managed to rationalise that a blade of sharp grass or a twig that was poking out of the bag might have pricked my finger...
But today, I've started to feel a bit "off" and I'm worried that I was wrong and that I did get bitten and these are the beginning signs and I'm gonna die soon :(
Yes I do know this is yet another "invisible bat" thread but I'm seriously really worried right now.
ServerError
04-06-18, 03:20
I reckon five years out from you believed it might be rabies, you wouldn't be posting about it in an anxiety forum. You'd have gone to hospital. You know it's not rabies.
MyNameIsTerry
04-06-18, 04:42
Well, you know it's not a bat as you clearly indicate and the issue is dealing with how you think & feel right now.
So, what strategies can you think of that are positive/neutral?
paranoid-viking
04-06-18, 11:28
Sometime last month, when I was mowing my lawn, I grabbed the lawnmower bag in my shed and I felt something sharp poke my finger. At first I got scared but then I managed to rationalise that a blade of sharp grass or a twig that was poking out of the bag might have pricked my finger...
But today, I've started to feel a bit "off" and I'm worried that I was wrong and that I did get bitten and these are the beginning signs and I'm gonna die soon :(
Yes I do know this is yet another "invisible bat" thread but I'm seriously really worried right now.
What are you doing to treat your anxiety? You know deep down that this is not rational I hope?
Meanwhile, you should stick to your original rational explenation. I feel "off" today aswell, but I dont have rabies.
What are you doing to treat your anxiety? You know deep down that this is not rational I hope?
Meanwhile, you should stick to your original rational explenation. I feel "off" today aswell, but I dont have rabies. Totally agree with your comments as there is no other explanation ATB
NervousSubject
26-07-18, 21:39
So I was looking out my door window, and I couldn't help but notice this weird flying thing near my garden. At first I thought it was a hummingbird or butterfly, from the way it would sort of hover around the plants, but it had wings that weren't like any butterfly I've ever seen, they were rather small, almost bird like. That's when I got worried at the possibility that it could be a tiny bat even though it was daytime. Mostly because the thing was black in color. When it flew over my house, I caught a glimpse of it's underside...I still couldn't really tell, It seemed to have some kind of yellow or white coloration, but I really couldn't be certain. I also saw it again in my front yard flying over the fence to my neighbor's house...
Right now I'm a little perturbed because I'm not sure if what I saw was a bat or not. It sort of flew low to the ground and glided sometimes. It kind of looked like a butterfly, but it didn't look like any other butterfly I've seen on Long Island.
AMomentofClarity
26-07-18, 21:41
Let’s say just for discussion sake it was a bat....who the hell cares?!?! What difference does it make?
NervousSubject
26-07-18, 21:51
Let’s say just for discussion sake it was a bat....who the hell cares?!?! What difference does it make?
Potential rabies exposure is a difference.
utrocket09
26-07-18, 21:58
Potential rabies exposure is a difference.
You have to have been bitten to be at risk
Looking at a bat isn’t going to give you Rabies and that’s if it even was a bat, which you don’t know for sure anyway.
AMomentofClarity
26-07-18, 22:02
You have to have been bitten to be at risk
Beat me to it...Yes this!
Bats are not bio-warfare bombs. Even if it was a bat flying over your house, it is not "exposure" to anything remotely dangerous.
You have HA and need to be tackling that, not some "googly-eyed" virus :lac:
The others are right....just seeing a bat poses no risk to you. Why do you think you should be fearful of that?
I mean, I get it. I have periodic rabies fear, and I know how the mind can full in details that never happened, how you can mis-remember, how you don't know what to trust. Is that what's happening to you?
MyNameIsTerry
27-07-18, 08:11
To be fair to the OP they never mentioned a fear due to perceived exposure therefore saying it's impossible might be completely irrelevant. They may be fearing potential future exposures just as anyone who sees a mouse may think about Hantavirus or someone being triggered by a Daily Mail article.
The issue is the trigger.
OP - in the daytime it's very unlikely to be a bat. Butterflies aren't that large. Everything points to a bird.
paranoid-viking
27-07-18, 08:56
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=219591
What are you doing to treat your anxiety? We have nough rabies threads now. More than enough! The link above says al there is to know. The rest should be up to the therapists. But us in here are not therapists.
NervousSubject
27-07-18, 14:53
To be fair to the OP they never mentioned a fear due to perceived exposure therefore saying it's impossible might be completely irrelevant. They may be fearing potential future exposures just as anyone who sees a mouse may think about Hantavirus or someone being triggered by a Daily Mail article.
The issue is the trigger.
OP - in the daytime it's very unlikely to be a bat. Butterflies aren't that large. Everything points to a bird.
It actually wasn't that large at all. Probably about the size of a monarch butterfly, but the thing that kind of tripped me out was that the wings didn't look like the usual butterflies I see over here.
The fact that it was flying low and sort of hovering around the plants does tell me that it was most likely a butterfly, but it just seemed like a very unusual looking one.
Why not get to know bats better? They are fascinating little creatures.
2 weeks ago at an area summer camp there was one by a cabin. It was small, but absolutely, without a doubt, a bat... it did not sort of look like one, or sort of look like a butterfly. It was 100% a bat. So adorable minding his own business even though he had an audience.
They are much more interested in finding mosquitoes than bothering any of us.
It was almost certainly a humming bird. They are small, hover near flowers, are out during the day, and have wings that don't look like butterfly wings. Bats, on the other hand, are only out at night, do not hover near flowers, and are larger than a butterfly.
shannonmegaw1
29-07-18, 20:23
Hey. No need to be worried. I have held bats before. You are safe trust me
Shadowhawk
29-07-18, 22:20
Why not get to know bats better? They are fascinating little creatures.
2 weeks ago at an area summer camp there was one by a cabin. It was small, but absolutely, without a doubt, a bat... it did not sort of look like one, or sort of look like a butterfly. It was 100% a bat. So adorable minding his own business even though he had an audience.
They are much more interested in finding mosquitoes than bothering any of us.
They truly are amazing. I have been lucky enough to get to travel to Carlsbad caverns a few times, and staying for the nightly bat flight is just incredible. They tend to start off as a trickle, and then just pour out, all in search of a meal. The gentle rustling of the wings in the air is just mesmerizing.
Why not get to know bats better? They are fascinating little creatures.
2 weeks ago at an area summer camp there was one by a cabin. It was small, but absolutely, without a doubt, a bat... it did not sort of look like one, or sort of look like a butterfly. It was 100% a bat. So adorable minding his own business even though he had an audience.
They are much more interested in finding mosquitoes than bothering any of us.
When I was a kid my buddy and I used to catch them. We would take a pair of our mother's nylons (much to the anger of our mothers), put a rock in the toe and throw them in the air when the bats came out where we lived. The bat would grab the the nylons, get tangled up and the rock in the toe would bring them down. We would check them out, untangle them and let them go. Never got bit or anything. They're really cool creatures :)
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
30-07-18, 09:35
It actually wasn't that large at all. Probably about the size of a monarch butterfly, but the thing that kind of tripped me out was that the wings didn't look like the usual butterflies I see over here.
The fact that it was flying low and sort of hovering around the plants does tell me that it was most likely a butterfly, but it just seemed like a very unusual looking one.
Yes, a bat wouldn't be hovering around plants. Bats fly very differently to birds and butterflies flutter which is again completely different.
It could even have been a moth. There are many colourful varieties. Thinking about them I'm pretty sure I've seen ones with very different types of wings. Perhaps the same is the case for butterflies?
NervousSubject
13-11-18, 13:37
For context...this is how it started this month. I was mowing my lawn to mulch in leaves a little more than a week ago, and I saw this thing flying low to the ground...I can't really tell what it was, it didn't appear to be a bird...It was fluttering kind of like a butterfly, but I'm not sure...I didn't get a good enough look at it. It flew to my left and I lost sight of it and never saw it again. God, almost ten days later, this is hitting me so hard. The scariest part is not knowing for sure what the hell that thing flying near me was. I can only somewhat mentally picture it in my head...It looked like it was white, but also maybe a little brown-ish. It was fluttering, kinda like how you'd expect a butterfly would, but it didn't look like it had black wings.. I dont think it touched me, I was wearing long sweatpants and a sweater.
Normally, I'd think it might have been a leaf fluttering in the wind, but it seemed like it was alive.
I know that this sounds crazy, but I can't shake the thought that it was a sick and confused rabid bat that was out during the daytime and in November because it was sick.
WhyIsItAllSoSpooky
13-11-18, 14:49
You'll be fine. It was at the most likely a big moth. Bats don't flutter, they act more like birds. They swoop by fast. Hell, here in New England we get big moths out in the daytime sometimes until late November, and because of Climate Change and all that, we got some in mid December!
I completely understand your fear though. I'm going through the same thing.
Hi
This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.
Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.
It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.
Elen
textsfromthemoon
26-12-18, 08:08
For context...this is how it started this month. I was mowing my lawn to mulch in leaves a little more than a week ago, and I saw this thing flying low to the ground...I can't really tell what it was, it didn't appear to be a bird...It was fluttering kind of like a butterfly, but I'm not sure...I didn't get a good enough look at it. It flew to my left and I lost sight of it and never saw it again. God, almost ten days later, this is hitting me so hard. The scariest part is not knowing for sure what the hell that thing flying near me was. I can only somewhat mentally picture it in my head...It looked like it was white, but also maybe a little brown-ish. It was fluttering, kinda like how you'd expect a butterfly would, but it didn't look like it had black wings.. I dont think it touched me, I was wearing long sweatpants and a sweater.
Normally, I'd think it might have been a leaf fluttering in the wind, but it seemed like it was alive.
I know that this sounds crazy, but I can't shake the thought that it was a sick and confused rabid bat that was out during the daytime and in November because it was sick.
Going through a bit of a rabies thing myself at the moment and I saw someone suggest something further up in this thread that has been helping me, which is actually learning true factual things about bats not pertaining to rabies. It's really been helping me rationalize and realize that I make a lot of HA assumptions for a girl who really knows next to nothing about bats. For example assuming that bats are even active at this time of year in the Northeast US, you said you're in Long Island, I'm in New Jersey (so we're like state neighbors sort of!) and I'm assuming as its been quite cold here it's been quite cold there as well, in our neck of the woods bats start hibernating in Mid-October and don't come back out again from hibernation until the end of march, remember that bats eat bugs and when temps are staying between 20-45 degrees there aren't a heck of a lot of bugs around for them to eat, I seriously highly doubt what you saw was a bat, I hope that you're able to get some ease from this fear, I'm trying really hard to beat it this time and I really hope that you can too:yesyes:
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