Contact with the homeless

[laurenmk]

Let me preface this post by saying that I am embarrassed / not proud to be posting this, but our fears are what they are I suppose.

I was walking down a busy street and someone coming from behind sideswept/bumped into me as he passed me. I glanced, as you do, and my perception was that he was homeless. I immediately felt a sense of panic. I told myself, "You might be jumping to conclusions just because he looks disheveled. Don't be judgmental." Well, just another 100 yards or so up the street, he stopped by a food stand, pulled out a cup, and started asking people in line for money.

The thoughts that started going through my mind were of disease, lice, bed bugs, parasitic infection, etc. I immediately took off my clothes upon arriving home and threw them in the wash. I took a shower. I put on my relaxing playlist. It's not working. I'm just spinning with worry over what I might have caught.

Like always, there's a part of me that knows I'm being irrational, but I'm still spinning with worry.

Please help talk me down!

[countrygirl]

He only bumped you so really you had no contact at all. Any of the things you fear would need alot of bodily contact or sharing a living space. You know this.
If you have washed your clothes and had a shower then there is nothing else you can clean even though you do not need to clean you or your clothes.
You are totally fine honest.

[swgrl09]

I worked with the homeless as well as in a bed bug infested apartment complex for three years and never took anything home with me. you have nothing to worry about.

[Mark501]

I understand you. 2 things that might put it into perspective a little.

1) Princess Diana. She worked with the homeless, AIDS sufferers and a whole variety of unfortunate folk. Remember those news clips of her hugging children with HIV in South Africa? She turned out alright....well, it wasn't disease that was the problem anyway.

2) if you're concerned about hand hygiene, then put some alcohol gel in your bag. Don't worry about things coming into contact with your clothes.

[Fishmanpa]

I probably would have given him some loose change. Pay it forward/good karma thing.

Positive thoughts