Nile
08-04-19, 17:00
Okay, so I’ve been working on a bat/rabies-phobia (I call it a bat-phobia because I’m not scared of other animals that transmit rabies) since last summer. It was so bad about a half a year ago that I couldn’t go outside at night without looking at the sky and over my shoulder in a panic every few minutes. Now, I’ve been spending more time outside at night without too much trouble. I still get worried occasionally, but I’ve been able to get over the anxiety within a few hours.
I’ve been having mild anxiety for a little over a day now, which is why I decided to hop on the forum for some help.
Basically, two nights ago I was walking in a Chicago suburb—carrying a bag of takeout—and I heard a fluttering sound to my right. I stopped and looked, but didn’t see a bat or feel one make contact with me. I kept walking, got in the car, and went home. Around an hour later, I started feeling worried that I had somehow “missed” the bat and it had bitten my finger without me noticing, since I wasn’t concerned at the time. (I hate this—my brain tries to convince me that if I’m not worried, I’m not being vigilant enough.)
I looked at my finger and found two incredibly tiny dots—no blood or redness—on the underside. In all honesty, the dots are so small and so unnoticeable that I had to really work to search them out, which makes me think they were probably just part of my skin.
Anyway, I guess I just want someone to add another voice of reason to combat my anxiety, since my voice is rather weak right now. There’s no way a bat could bite the underside of my hand without me noticing, correct?
Anyone else in the same boat with bat/rabies-phobias?
I’ve been having mild anxiety for a little over a day now, which is why I decided to hop on the forum for some help.
Basically, two nights ago I was walking in a Chicago suburb—carrying a bag of takeout—and I heard a fluttering sound to my right. I stopped and looked, but didn’t see a bat or feel one make contact with me. I kept walking, got in the car, and went home. Around an hour later, I started feeling worried that I had somehow “missed” the bat and it had bitten my finger without me noticing, since I wasn’t concerned at the time. (I hate this—my brain tries to convince me that if I’m not worried, I’m not being vigilant enough.)
I looked at my finger and found two incredibly tiny dots—no blood or redness—on the underside. In all honesty, the dots are so small and so unnoticeable that I had to really work to search them out, which makes me think they were probably just part of my skin.
Anyway, I guess I just want someone to add another voice of reason to combat my anxiety, since my voice is rather weak right now. There’s no way a bat could bite the underside of my hand without me noticing, correct?
Anyone else in the same boat with bat/rabies-phobias?