View Full Version : Vcjd fear please help
Hi all, I want to say first off that I know I suffer from anxiety and OCD but I cannot get over the fear of vcjd. I understand that the contaminated beed was fifteen odd years ago but I have researched vcjd alot and cannot find 1 thing to disprove my theory thus easing my fear. Vcjd is caused by abnormal prions (like molecules but tougher than most things). These prions can only be killed at very high temperatures and surgical instruments with them on have to be destroyed as normal cleaning/disinfection/sterilisation has no effect on these prions. The prions were present on the contaminated beef that entered the food chain and I remember as a child eating burgers/sausages which were budget items. I can't see how these super resistant prions can't still be in my house or have been cross contaminated onto other surfaces after preparing these burgers or other beef foods if the prions can only be killed by extreme temperatures.
In the same way how are they not on the pavements outside of restaurants as rainwater would not kill them. We still have the same carpets down as 15 years ago during the beef entering the food chain and the sane freezer they were stored in so how can these things not be harbouring these prions?
This problem has taken over my life because I genuinely feel people do not want to or cannot bear to think about it. I have lost my last two relationships and feel that my parents and their house where I am staying ATM is contaminated because of these prions and the fact we ate beef during the epidemic. I am a really normal guy in most ways and love life but I can't touch anything or eat or drink because I can't put anything to my mouth because this house is so contaminated in my mind with these prions and I can't see how during cooking/washing up the prions can't have been splashed on the floor and walked through the carpet contaminating it and also the pavement outside so it's really hard for mr to get out because I don't want to walk it from the carpet to outside.
I know this sounds really extreme but if these prions are so super resistant how can they not have survived on surfaces here. Also my parents are old and as much as I live him they are not the cleanest of people with dirty items all around me causing stress. Im even frightened to brush my teeth or go to the toilet incase it spreads prions from me to them in blood or fluids. I can't take anti depressants because the box is here and must of become contaminated so I can't get any space I just want to get out the house and live normally.
Please help I'm really stuck
Sorry to bump this and I don't want to sounds crazy but I'm really desperate If anyone can help. Thanks guys!
Hi,
I can tell from your post that this is having a really negative effect on you. I can also tell that you have done a fair bit of internet research...which is not healthy. I understand your fear is real and overwhelming about Vcjd, however, if you are at risk of getting it then we all are. I have eaten countless sausages, burgers etc as a child. Vcjd is a really rare disease. You have to stop researching it...you're feeding your own fear.
As for your house being contaminated...extremely unlikely!! All houses are contaminated with a range of bacteria, however, in a sense we need this bacteria to develop our immune system.
Not eating will make you feel even worse...trust me, I'm talking from experience. Try and have a little something to eat.
I really do think you need to go and see your doctor about this- you need to talk to someone. Also, anti-depressants come in a blister pack as well as a box so they are quite safe.
Hugs :bighug1:
Thanks pan, I feel that because we have the same carpet as during the epidemic and freezer it makes the fear worse because these prions are tough and unlike bacteria can live for a long long time under extreme circumstances.
I've just done some research for you. Yes these prions are difficult to kill- incineration and high pressure steam cleaning were mentioned. It also said that soaking in household bleach destroys it. However, the article also says that the prion can live up to a year, sometimes slightly more, but there is nothing to suggest that it can live for any longer than that. Your carpets are fine. The house is fine. It is safe to eat. Don't worry- I know this is easier said than done.
Hopefully I have put your mind at rest a bit?
I really do think you need to go to a doctor and share your concerns- I'm sure they will be able to help you. Don't suffer in silence xx
Thanks for that it really helps to have facts to disprove my fear. I also worry about my blood and dropletts of it in my saliva being touch on surfaces by other people and because the incibation period for cjd is so long there's no way of knowing if we have it until in kicks in which could be upto 30 years.
Which is why I suppose it is the perfect fear...no way of knowing that you have it. We could be run over by a bus tomorrow! I suppose you can't spend your life worrying about what may happen!! Although. I'm the worst culprit!
You don't want to look back in 20 years time and regret all of the days that you wasted while consumed with fear.
Mental illness, as it is referred to, is as real as a broken leg and requires treatment. Have you been to the doctors to ask for help? I felt relieved when I finally did...she was very supportive and said that it was a positive step that I asked for help xx
I have and was given 1 hr per week cbt. This became impossible because of getting out of the house. I really feel at the moment living here is bad for me because if feels so contaminated I cannot get any space to begin to fight it whereas in a cleaner house I could have that headspace and not be surrounded by old carpets and freezers. The only other treatment available was to go to a and e which I did but they couldn't help any more than to say I have to take my meds which is easier said that done when I feel like this house has contaminated the box and blister pack once I touch them. I asked to be sectioned so that I could stay in an environment where I can feel safe and also get treatment bit they wouldn't. I'm just frightened because I won't eat or drink here and can't get out because it would mean having to come bk.
I really appreciate ur help!
What medication do you have if you don't mind me asking? I promise you, you aren't going to catch anything off the blister pack or the box. Moving or being somewhere else is not the answer- nowhere is completely sterile, not even hospitals!! I can see that this fear has really taken a hold of you. If you moved, the fear would come back, unless you are going to spend a fortune putting new carpets in all the time and buying new kitchen equipment.
These organisms that you are scared of cannot live as long as you think...therefore it is impossible for them to have contaminated your pill packets or anything else for that matter. If you have been prescribed medication, it is because your doctor thinks that you need it. Lots of people here take medication. I really think they will help you.
Is there anything that you can do to distract yourself? This morning I was having a really bad morning, so I put my ipod on loud and did some housework...it kind of helped being distracted.
Do you have any friends that you can talk to? xx
It's just if the prions can live fir a year I can't see how they wouldn't be on my blister packs mate. I'm on sertraline 50mg and I do get what u say about new carpets having to be laid every time. It's hard for me to move here because of the fear so I'm pretty much stuck in bed but I have my iPod!
Any factory that produces anything like that has to follow strict guidlines to ensure our safety. The problem is, that in your head these prions are everywhere. They aren't. I promise you. It is perfectly safe to take your pills and eat something. I can stay online with you if you like while you try to eat or take some medication?
Perhaps you should try and go for a walk and get some air? xx
Hi mate ur advice is really helping not sure if there's a private message thing on here but if so I'll drop u a message. Cheers again!
Deepest Blue
16-03-11, 22:50
Hi Triplex,
I thought I would post something on your thread.
I used to have a fear of this many years ago too especially when this first started to surface in 1996 I believe. I have spent many months worrying about this because I had of course thought I had eaten a lot of bad meat especially when I was younger eating things like Macdonalds and beef in general.
This got to me so much that I started to have sleepless nights then I even begun to believe I had the symptoms, I was absolutely convinced I had it, lack of sleep, depression, poor eyesight, dizzness, tiredness... but all this was really caused by me panicing and worrying about it too much causing me to be so restless.
Anyway, I then started to research more about this disease because I really wanted to know how at risk we all were. I learn't all about the prions and how they incubate before they mutate and so forth.. However, like all the other illnesses in this world that we are exposed to, it really depends on your body's genetic make up and if you're susceptable to the rouge prion. In other words, the entire world may have well been exposed to the prion but it's really about if your body will be susceptable for it to escalate. Now, with this particular illness, the chances are very slim because of the following facts about vCJD:
"People can be V V (homozygous), M M (homozygous) or M V (heterozygous).
Since 1994, around 200 cases of vCJD have been identified worldwide, and all those tested have been M M homozygous. About a third of the UK population are M M homozygous."
This would indicate that people really do have a slim chance of developing this illness and it certainly did put my mind at ease once learning more about the facts. Certainly up until now, there hasn't been THAT many cases, although still sad to hear about any case, it isn't a huge number over a period of nearly 18 years.
Hope you feel better,
Take Care.
Danny.
i have the same extreme feer, and im getting everyone of the early symptoms (memory loss slurring , anxiety , depression) ur not alone :P
I too have an extreme fear of prions.
People say they aren't everywhere but they are!
When contaminated animals are buried, the prion stays in there, who knows if the prion can be transmitted to wheat, fruits, legumes????
And even if it doesn't the prion is everywhere in the food chain, from cosmetics to beef! It just needs that one contaminated animal goes through the tests and infects the entire alimentary chain!
But what scares me most is the very high probability for everyone to be contaminated with the prion, only one prion is needed to denature the healthy prp protein!
Then the prion replicates through polymerization and it's over for you!
Also the incubation period is at least of 34 years in healthy individuals and ranges from 40-50 years in average. The first case in 1996 and those after were probably people with either a weak immune system or people who ate a lot of contaminated beef.
Recently there was a study on cannibals with Kuru disease (same as CJD), cannibalism was forbidden in 1960 and yet in 2000, several thousands of indigenous came to the hospital with prion disease, so we could all have the disease and not know about it, this is what frightens me more.
I'm not hypocondriac but I hate being insure whether I'm contaminated or not overall because of symptoms.
I have an history of bad insomnia, sometimes I couldn't sleep for several days in a row and over the days I would become insane with extreme memory loss, loss of coordination, paranoia, etc... (this is gone now phew) and I know that prion disease causes TOTAL insomnia that means 0 hours of sleep from the onset of the disease that can last as long as 2 years and this is extremely scary to me due to my experience with insomnia, this is the worst thing in the world to happen to a human being, never being able to sleep and slowly become brain damaged and totally mentally ill.
Researchers don't seem very motivated and there is no full treatment as to this date and there probably won't be until there's a massive prion outbreak and even with that, we probably won't find something to destroy the prion.
It takes 275 degrees and a 100 000 psi pression (1500 times more than the pression needed for a bicycle wheel) to start destroying the prion, it is an almighty molecule. :weep:
I don't understand people who can stay calm with such a danger, I overall don't understand that prion elimination has not become a real health concern, of course beef is tested for prion disease but what about the rest?
Prion can also be caused iatrogenically and most scarily sporadically.
Where does the sporadic prion comes from? It probably comes through contaminated soil and this is being transmitted into the food chain, this explains why symptoms only appear at 45yo at least because that's the incubation period.
So yes I agree with OP, prions are everywhere and we can't destroy them.
It is really important that scientists find a drug or a natural compound that can destroy this almighty prion.
Prion is the AIDS of the 21st century and we've got a lot of work to do.
This fear is driving me insane, everyday when I have some time to go on the internet, I can't resist looking for information on prions, I want to find the treatment and have my peace of mind again.
All of this prion fear started when I typed on google "worst diseases", one of them was FFI (fatal familial insomnia) and when I looked up on wikipedia to know what that was, I immediatly saw the word "prion" then I started looking for this deadly protein and now I've been living in complete fear for weeks.
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