View Full Version : Huge rabies fear! Please help!
MagpieWitch
23-08-18, 00:05
Hello!
As title says I have a huge fear of rabies. It's after I developed a low grade fever that is still here after 5 days. No doctor believes I have rabies but I am already convinced I need to start writing my will.
Why I think so: A month ago my neighbors adopted stray kittens. I live in a country considered at low rabies risk with most risk being wild fox and wolves. I played with the kittens and one of them scratched me on the arm when I tried to move it out of the way from my dad's car. I instantly feared rabies but no one else seemed concerned.
2 weeks later I went and the kitten was still fine and playing with the others and with the owners kids.
5 days after that I saw the kittens relax and were still fine.
Yesterday (1 month and 8 days since) I saw the kittens sitting with the kids. Today my dad told me my little brother and the neighborhood kids were playing with them. So this means the kittens werent sick with rabies at the time of the scratch incident? Google says animals can only effect you when the animal is shedding which js why its put in 10 day quarantine before being dismissed as not rabies.
I cant sleep or eat for a week now and I don't know how much longer I have to shake in fear day and night expecting to suddenly develop numbness in my arm or fear of water before I die in one of the most terrible ways possible? I know a lot of ppl fight rabies fears or had rabies fears so I am asking for opinion and advice, please :(
Read this (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=219591) as many times as you need to.
Positive thoughts
MagpieWitch
23-08-18, 00:59
Read this (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=219591) as many times as you need to.
Positive thoughts
Thank you for this post! I am sorry I made a new thread seeing people were tired of saying the same thing over but I was actually scratched by an animal so I don't know what to think? :(
I was actually scratched by an animal so I don't know what to think? :(
No need to apologize but a little common sense and reality is needed here. The facts, based on the reality speak volumes. Look at those facts and you're living proof of the reality so...?
Positive thoughts
MagpieWitch
23-08-18, 05:49
I am on day 6 of this hell and I don't know how much longer I have to wait to get over my fear of this or before I die from rabies :(
I also have a therapist and I am taking my prescribed medication but it seems to no avail so they mighthave to give me a bigger dose.
utrocket09
23-08-18, 13:04
I am on day 6 of this hell and I don't know how much longer I have to wait to get over my fear of this or before I die from rabies :(
I also have a therapist and I am taking my prescribed medication but it seems to no avail so they mighthave to give me a bigger dose.
Unless the cat bit you, you are fine. You have to actually be bitten to have any ounce of chance of rabies. Take care of the scratch. Cat scratches take a while to heal.
If the kittens are still alive, you can not have rabies. An onfectious kitten would have died with 10 days of having transmittable rabies. So that you have seen them alive a month after scratching you, there is a 0 chance that you have rabies.
You posted this on anxiety central:
I am just googling rabies stories.
I responded there and you did not reply...
Please stop Googling.
You are feeding the HA beast, do you see that?
MagpieWitch
23-08-18, 22:28
If the kittens are still alive, you can not have rabies. An onfectious kitten would have died with 10 days of having transmittable rabies. So that you have seen them alive a month after scratching you, there is a 0 chance that you have rabies.
This is what ny parents, therapist and doctor said too but the fear can convince you of literally anything. Those kittens mightve been dropped in that yard but all the neighborhood kids play with them daily.
---------- Post added at 21:28 ---------- Previous post was at 21:26 ----------
You posted this on anxiety central:
I am just googling rabies stories.
I responded there and you did not reply...
Please stop Googling.
You are feeding the HA beast, do you see that?
Im sorry for not replying I forgot but yes today I was told by a lot of people irl to stop googling rabies symptoms, stories and patient case documents. I did block those pages for now and will try to stop reading. But I just need support to get out of my fears because I've fallen into a deep hole and theres nothing but fear and death here. It's really unpleasant so I have to try and connect with people.
I get some of the fears here. Rabies however, is not one of them. If I were to try an analogy of your scenario, it would be like me saying I'm afraid to leave the house because of the Perseid Meteor Shower (which comes around annually for a few days in August). In fact it was last week and I pulled over to watch for a bit after a show.
I'm truly sorry you feel this way. I hope you feel better soon.
Positive thoughts
This is what ny parents, therapist and doctor said too but the fear can convince you of literally anything. Those kittens mightve been dropped in that yard but all the neighborhood kids play with them daily.[COLOR="blue"]
You need to talk back to the fear. There is absolutely zero chance. Kittens can not live with rabies longer than 10 days if they are at the infectious stage of rabies. They are only infectious when it has reached salivary glands. And once there, they are goners in 10 days or less.
I understand rabies fear and how consuming it is. I really do. But, even I know when to give up. And, your scenario is a give it up immediately one. There is absolutely no grey area in this situation.
Just don't get scratched again!!! :winks:
you have to come into contact with saliva from a rabid animal to contract rabies, which didn’t happen when the kitten scratched you! so there’s no way you could get rabies (even if the kitten was rabbid, which I am 200% certain it was not). you do not have rabies. it is literally impossible for you to have rabies. I know how consuming the fear can be, but try to focus on the facts! hope this passes soon xx
MagpieWitch
24-08-18, 20:38
Hey guys.
I am over a day google free from this and I am still scared but I am trying not to google. I just want some people to discuss my fears with outside of my bubble of how I will make the headline and how sad and dramatic my death will be.
I am still worried about the low grade fever I have and that my throat hurts a little but not when I drink or eat. It's been roughly 8 days now though, I don't know if I have to wait a lot more to convince myself.
You’ve had some very helpful replies. What else do you need to hear?
What do you think you need to do?
Well done for not googling.
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MagpieWitch
24-08-18, 20:51
You’ve had some very helpful replies. What else do you need to hear?
What do you think you need to do?
Well done for not googling.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't know, replies are what people generally tell me including my GP. Just sometimes fear is stronger.
Do you guys on here ever get so scared you imagine your funerals and your deathbed and the headlines if you make the news? It's very distressing and intrusive but I can't shake it off :(
I’ve never imagined a newspaper headline, but I can understand what you’re saying.
The reason you’re getting that advice is because it’s the right advice. I’m not sure what you want to hear? Perhaps ask specific questions to receive specific answers.
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I don't know, replies are what people generally tell me including my GP. Just sometimes fear is stronger.
Do you guys on here ever get so scared you imagine your funerals and your deathbed and the headlines if you make the news? It's very distressing and intrusive but I can't shake it off :(
Yes, I do.
IMO, hypochondria relates to a very active imagination and easiness empathizing with other people's situations, almost feeling what other people go through. It's not the only factor, but I think it is a big part. And, it's why these diseases are so scary...because you feel like you can predict exactly what you would go through and what it will feel like for yourself and the family left behind.
Instead of rabies, why don't you read about hypochondria and how what you are going through with this is text book? For me, knowing that my brain runs away with "stories" (like Girl dies of rabies, News at 10) is sometimes helpful in moving myself along.
I think we get mired in these stories because we are kind of bored, btw. Our brains need mental stimulation, but we aren't giving it enough of the right kind, so our brains seek out this garbage.
You don't have rabies...so...learn more about what you do have and really understand it's not about the rabies at all.
MagpieWitch
24-08-18, 23:55
I know that none of you here are doctors but I have to ask. I suddenly felt a little better mentally and could this be because of the rabies? I remember something about hyperactivity being a symptom :(
Also how do I tell if I have difficulty swallowing or if it's just anxiety?
Do you guys on here ever get so scared you imagine your funerals and your deathbed and the headlines if you make the news?....
I've literally faced death several times in the last ten years. I was scared, it was an enormous struggle, but never have I had those thoughts or imaginings. I understand I don't have HA but you're correct, it's distressing. Especially in light of the reality of your scenario :weep:
What are you doing to treat your anxiety?
Positive thoughts
Yes, I do.
IMO, hypochondria relates to a very active imagination and easiness empathizing with other people's situations, almost feeling what other people go through. It's not the only factor, but I think it is a big part. And, it's why these diseases are so scary...because you feel like you can predict exactly what you would go through and what it will feel like for yourself and the family left behind.
Instead of rabies, why don't you read about hypochondria and how what you are going through with this is text book? For me, knowing that my brain runs away with "stories" (like Girl dies of rabies, News at 10) is sometimes helpful in moving myself along.
I think we get mired in these stories because we are kind of bored, btw. Our brains need mental stimulation, but we aren't giving it enough of the right kind, so our brains seek out this garbage.
You don't have rabies...so...learn more about what you do have and really understand it's not about the rabies at all.
This was a great reply and the OP ignored it.
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paranoid-viking
25-08-18, 09:42
As a former rabies fearer myself I can only 100% agree that everything that needs to be said about this matter has been said and written in here and that the only thing OP can do now is to battle the anxiety.
Oh; and to repeat myself for maybe the thouseneth time: if you had developed terminal rabies there is no chance in the entire universe you would be able to sit and post this on the Internet. But deep inside you allready know that, right?
Could the admin be so kind to merge this thread with the sticky rabies thread? We dont need more rabies threads here now which bacically is just variations of the same impossible nightmare scenarios with no base in reality.
MagpieWitch
25-08-18, 14:06
@Scass I did not ignore that reply. I read it, over and over few times.
I understand all of this, but I wish making myself believe it could be easy and could be done with a click of the fingers. But there is fear and there is doubt and they tell you "What if you're wrong" "What if this time it's real and once you think it's not it will come and get you."
I am afraid recovery is a process and yes I do fabricate a lot of stories, but my brain genuinely believes them until it decides not to.
Please tell us then, how you as well as the kittens are still alive and healthy or exhibiting symptoms 6 weeks after the scratch? Facts only. And no "what ifs" or "yeah buts" involved in the answer.
Positive thoughts
nomorepanic
25-08-18, 15:35
[QUOTE=paranoid-viking;1819534
Could the admin be so kind to merge this thread with the sticky rabies thread? We dont need more rabies threads here now which bacically is just variations of the same impossible nightmare scenarios with no base in reality.[/QUOTE]
No, that is not what the sticky thread is for. We can't merge every single rabies thread into one.
MagpieWitch
25-08-18, 15:58
Hey, I hate having to revive this thread again but it seems my mind is just set on "You have rabies" and I can't move past it.
I remember a while back, me and my baby brother were walking down the river and suddenly a rat crossed our way and went into the water. I am now convinced that the rat bit me on my leg and I just simply don't remember or didn't feel it?
Because around two weeks ago I got this horrible itch on my leg and I scratched it until it bled in few spots but I didn't notice a rash and also then it was tingly for some time. And then I got back pain and then the fever came and here we are two weeks later, I am in horrible rabies fear. (Because I remember a while ago when I had my rabies fear I read a story about a Chinese woman who was bitten by a dog on the leg and had numbness and back pain before she died)
Could I have been bitten by a rat and not felt it? Or maybe scratched or something?
Hey, I hate having to revive this thread again but it seems my mind is just set on "You have rabies" and I can't move past it.
Please tell us then, how you as well as the kittens are still alive and healthy or exhibiting symptoms 6 weeks after the scratch? Facts only. And no "what ifs" or "yeah buts" involved in the answer.
You can include in your answer an explanation about how you saw a rat cross your path and using it's "Flash" like super powers, bit you and you didn't feel it.
Positive thoughts
Hey, I hate having to revive this thread again but it seems my mind is just set on "You have rabies" and I can't move past it.
I remember a while back, me and my baby brother were walking down the river and suddenly a rat crossed our way and went into the water. I am now convinced that the rat bit me on my leg and I just simply don't remember or didn't feel it?
Because around two weeks ago I got this horrible itch on my leg and I scratched it until it bled in few spots but I didn't notice a rash and also then it was tingly for some time. And then I got back pain and then the fever came and here we are two weeks later, I am in horrible rabies fear. (Because I remember a while ago when I had my rabies fear I read a story about a Chinese woman who was bitten by a dog on the leg and had numbness and back pain before she died)
Could I have been bitten by a rat and not felt it? Or maybe scratched or something?
How old are you, friend?
AnxietyVeteran
25-08-18, 16:44
Hello!
As title says I have a huge fear of rabies. It's after I developed a low grade fever that is still here after 5 days. No doctor believes I have rabies but I am already convinced I need to start writing my will.
Why I think so: A month ago my neighbors adopted stray kittens. I live in a country considered at low rabies risk with most risk being wild fox and wolves. I played with the kittens and one of them scratched me on the arm when I tried to move it out of the way from my dad's car. I instantly feared rabies but no one else seemed concerned.
2 weeks later I went and the kitten was still fine and playing with the others and with the owners kids.
5 days after that I saw the kittens relax and were still fine.
Yesterday (1 month and 8 days since) I saw the kittens sitting with the kids. Today my dad told me my little brother and the neighborhood kids were playing with them. So this means the kittens werent sick with rabies at the time of the scratch incident? Google says animals can only effect you when the animal is shedding which js why its put in 10 day quarantine before being dismissed as not rabies.
I cant sleep or eat for a week now and I don't know how much longer I have to shake in fear day and night expecting to suddenly develop numbness in my arm or fear of water before I die in one of the most terrible ways possible? I know a lot of ppl fight rabies fears or had rabies fears so I am asking for opinion and advice, please :(
Take it from me, I'm a rabies fear veteran
Just remember that this is an irrational fear and is not consistent with reality. Try some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy if it gets worse, and if that doesn't work talk to a psychiatrist about getting a prescription for a medicine. But whatever you do, don't seek reassurance from friends and family. This just worsens the fear and you will have to constantly try reassurance forever. Trust me, I tried reassurance and it didn't do jack sh**.
Hope this helps:)
paranoid-viking
25-08-18, 16:51
Take it from me, I'm a rabies fear veteran
Just remember that this is an irrational fear and is not consistent with reality. Try some Cognitive Behavioral Therapy if it gets worse, and if that doesn't work talk to a psychiatrist about getting a prescription for a medicine. But whatever you do, don't seek reassurance from friends and family. This just worsens the fear and you will have to constantly try reassurance forever. Trust me, I tried reassurance and it didn't do jack sh**.
Hope this helps:)
It is the same thing s/he is doing here. As soon as s/he is reassured that something is impossible, a new impossible and creative nightmare scenario is thought up based on "what if me being better means that I have rabies"(sorry but, WHAT?); or; "what if there were an invisible rat or bat in the forrest or whatever"; means that for some HA sufferers; reassurance is like heroin for a junkie; they need a higher dose each time and it goes on in an endless cycle. At that point HA rehab is the only solution. And THAT I dont think anyone here is able to provide as we are just sufferers ourself, not therapists.
MagpieWitch
25-08-18, 16:58
How old are you, friend?
I am 22 and I've been dealing with HA since I was 16 :(
paranoid-viking
25-08-18, 17:02
I am 22 and I've been dealing with HA since I was 16 :(
And how do you deal with it? From what I read here your anxiety seem very intense and extremely creative. A creativity that could no doubt be used to something more useful.
I am 22 and I've been dealing with HA since I was 16 :(
OK. I wasn't sure if you were younger.
I am 46, but in the past 6 years, I have developed HA. I had a reprieve for about 2.5 of those years, well the reprieve is something I worked hard to achieve. Came back when I was put through testing for possible cancer.
My HA started with cancer (biopsied for a cancer 6 years ago, then again about 2 years ago or a little less), but it veered off into zoonotic diseases including rabies. It intensified after discovering a dead bat carcass in my house last March, OMFG!
I have not been diagnosed, but I am really convinced that the zoonotic disease strain of my HA is OCD. Maybe the cancer stuff too. Maybe you should talk to a doc about the possibility of OCD in your case. There is treatment for it and you DON'T want to be associating rabies with all your encounters with animals. That's an intrusive thought and they can be debilitating if you don't lick them.
MagpieWitch
25-08-18, 17:32
And how do you deal with it? From what I read here your anxiety seem very intense and extremely creative. A creativity that could no doubt be used to something more useful.
Well when I am not dying of rabies, I am an architecture student, artist and hobbyist creative writer (mostly young adult and children stories)
Please tell us then, how you as well as the kittens are still alive and healthy or exhibiting symptoms 6 weeks after the scratch? Facts only. And no "what ifs" or "yeah buts" involved in the answer.
You can include in your answer an explanation about how you saw a rat cross your path and using it's "Flash" like super powers, bit you and you didn't feel it.
Positive thoughts
MagpieWitch
your father and a doctor ... did you tell him about your fear?
MagpieWitch
27-08-18, 00:17
I've been having weird symptoms for 12 days now and that's 9 for the rabies worries :(
I don't know if serious severe symptoms would've manifested by now?
---------- Post added at 23:17 ---------- Previous post was at 20:57 ----------
MagpieWitch
your father and a doctor ... did you tell him about your fear?
My father is a doctor and he was next to me when I got scratched. My mom is a ER nurse and she also thinks my fear is baseless. Her colleague from work handles stray feral cats and she thinks so too. My GP is a huntsman in his free time and he said not to worry because I wasn't bitten and the kitten is alive. I asked a lot of doctors trust me. No one is at all concerned which is both relieving but also worrying because "What if everyone is wrong" scenario
I think I trust your father more than you do. So much that I ask you to doubt my doubts. You will never have animal rage
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