Rabies. Again.

Hi all, I joined this forum at the beginning of my pregnancy last year. After my initial fear about rabies passed I had a remarkably calm pregnancy. Was afraid I'd end up with a bunch if unnecessary tests that would harm baby. But I didn't do it and she is here. Healthy and beautiful.
Unfortunately so is my rabies fear. Less beautiful.. Please. Please help.
I climbed a ladder last night around dusk. I had to push through some tree branches to reach the top in order to finish up my painting job. At one point after getting poked by branched and bit/stung by God knows what I remember having the thought "what if?"No no no no noooo. Not this again!
I like in rural Texas. We have bats. I have seen bats on my property. A batbonce got into my house. Last year at school a kid brought a rabid bat in his pocket. It's a thing.
I have a bite on my back. Small. 1 puncture as far as I can tell. It does not itch. Stings a little. I am convinced it was a bat. Or that a bat bit me somewhere else and I just can't see it. This day has been an eternity of trying to decide whether to go to the ER. The doctor says she wouldn't. She says if I go in and tell them I think I was bit by a bat they will give me a rabies shot, but it's a fiasco and she didn't recommend it.
To be clear. I did not see a bat. I did not hear a bat. I did not feel bat. My whole family say I was not bitten by a bat and to stop worrying. Animal control were closed so I couldn't ask them. I could call the ER nurses line and they would likely recommend that I come in because of fear of being sued. In the US the shot is $10,000. Maybe worth it to not be paralyzed by fear for months? I don't know.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodmorningellie

To be clear. I did not see a bat. I did not hear a bat. I did not feel bat.

---

Your HA mind is making the bat connection where there doesn't appear to be any grounds for it..

Personally, I think the money would be better spent on psychological therapy...:shrug:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodmorningellie

I did not see a bat. I did not hear a bat. I did not feel bat

---

You did not see a bat, you did not hear a bat, you did not feel a bat, there was no bat, bats are not ninjas

Thank you to you both. Well, I did not go to the ER and now the window for rabies shot is closed, so either I'll die from rabies or this is just anxiety. I will not, however, have reinforced this fear by getting unnecessary treatment, so I'm calling that a win.
I figure if I start down this road I'll be running to get myself or my kids a rabies shot every time I don't thoroughly inspect and outdoor area for bats. There really is no reason to think that there was a bat in that tree vs on the outdoor swing chair I sat in the night before or in the shed where I've gone hunting for things many times in the dark, or near the junction box where I've gone spelunking around with a flashlight dozens of times since we've lived here. My thoughts are still looping and dark and I imagine this fear is here for a while. Sigh. I like to say I wouldn't be who I am without this anxiety, but sometimes it's so completely exhausting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodmorningellie

Sigh. I like to say I wouldn't be who I am without this anxiety, but sometimes it's so completely exhausting.

---

Every human being experiences anxiety because it's there to keep us alive. It's just that anxiety can overwhelm us when we allow our negative thoughts to run feral. That's what HA is.

This is only a 'win' if you don't go down the 'I'm going to die' route and there was zero evidence of a bat, so how could you possibly die from this?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NoraB

Every human being experiences anxiety because it's there to keep us alive. It's just that anxiety can overwhelm us when we allow our negative thoughts to run feral. That's what HA is.

This is only a 'win' if you don't go down the 'I'm going to die' route and there was zero evidence of a bat, so how could you possibly die from this?

---

As I mentioned in my post, I have been having a pretty decent couple of years as far as anxiety goes. I have fought my way back from some real dark places using CBT and exposure therapy, and I'm proud of that.
My go-to is to get the unnecessary test/treatment, so to not do so and to sit with the fear instead is most definitely a win. I said I was going to die as a joke. Like many of you I can recognize that my fears are irrational and joking about them is healthier than indulging them I believe.
Thanks for your support.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Goodmorningellie

As I mentioned in my post, I have been having a pretty decent couple of years as far as anxiety goes. I have fought my way back from some real dark places using CBT and exposure therapy, and I'm proud of that.

---

That's good to hear that you put the effort in, but obviously you need to work on this again because your phobia is back in control.

Your posts only mention rabies. Is your anxiety only connected to rabies? Or is it a more general thing? Because this does make a difference.

Quote:

---

So to not do so and to sit with the fear instead is most definitely a win.

---

I really don't see how living in fear can ever be a 'win'. :shrug:

You live in Texas, so you either have to successfully address this bat phobia or the rest of your life will be lived in fear and you could also pass these irrational fears onto your kids.

Quote:

---

I said I was going to die as a joke. Like many of you I can recognize that my fears are irrational and joking about them is healthier than indulging them I believe.

---

I advocate humour (my life would be pretty shit without it) but I often struggle trying to work out somebody's written 'tone' - especially when emojis aren't used. This is more my problem than yours, but I thought I'd explain...

In this instance I took you literally because that's how it came across to me. Apologies.