Reflections of the multimple rabies threads

[paranoid-viking]

I have noticed that over the last 2-3 months or som there seems to pop up threads form someone ferociusly fearing rabies almost every second day now. Has there been a major breakout of rabies in the UK or USA the last months or is there nightmare stories in the english language media that has been triggering this off?

Last year, when I joined here I think there were only ONE rabies thread; by a young woman who believed; I repeat BELIEVED that she had been bitten by a bat and was sooo convinced that she was dying oif rabies. She kept posting the fear for months, but in the end she came to her senes. But she was CONVINCED she had this extremely rare in human ilness and interpretated absolutely every discomfort under the sun as rabis. Now I see it again, except that is everywhere on this forum now. New threads every day, including one who seriously believes there are rabies virus on his bedsheets.

Let me tell you; from one hypocondriac to another: I myself had a major rabies fear in 2003; 14 years ago. And that fear and panic lasted a year or so; a whole year of my best age wasted on such a ridicilous worry. I wish I could have that year back and that I coul re-live it without wasting it on rabies fear.
Rabies is almost non-existing in humans, this is especially true in the Western world. Now; if some of you WERE in a third world country; let us say in a village in India and was bitten by a aggresive and foaming stray dog I would telle you to go to the nearest hospital and get the first rabies shot ASAP; but this is not the case with the rabies posts here.
Let me tell you this; if a person develops rabies symptoms; it goes extremely fast and the person will die a horrible death within 5 to 10 days. If you guys really had rabies you would not be able to sit and post all this on an Internet forum. You would be foaming at the mouth, have delirium and go crazy because it attacks the brain and nerve system.
So...this is my take on it. I would say save your worries to you`d need it.
I can not convince you that you dont have rabies; but I have been where you are; I was convinced I had it but....I am here. And so are you.

[Fishmanpa]

Illnesses and fears seem to run in cycles here. Part I believe is due to members reading and being triggered, some are news related (remember the boards during the ebola scare? ), I'm surprised there weren't more eclipse posts too! Then there's nodes, ALS, cancers of all kinds and often times, they're the rarest of the rare diseases. The list goes on and on and on.

The rabies threads are frankly totally fantastical in nature. I would be curious to understand the thought patterns and process that makes someone believe a disease that's been eradicated in most countries afflicted them (a bat sneaks into a home, bit someone undetected and escaped totally unnoticed for example).

Positive thoughts and bats

[sportboy]

I'm one of the rabies posters.

My health anxiety obsessions were gone for 2 years and one day I just looked my hand and there was a hangnail wound. I don't know why, but I googled rabies and it all started. I don't know what happened but suddenly bats were everywhere, every situation was a threat. The interesting part is that when I looked my browser's history I noticed one rabies search a month before. Just one search. Very interesting.

It's very strange how health anxiety starts. One morning you just google something and 2 months later you have many other diseases. For example, now I can't get over of VCJD. Currently I'm trying other methods to eliminate my OCD and I have hope that I don't have to bump my VCJD thread anymore and that I win this battle.

[NervousSubject]

I've dealt with the rabies hypochondria since 2014, but this year it seemed to have spiked for me mostly due to the fact that in the county I live in, three bats a few towns away from me tested positive for rabies within a week last June and it was all over social media.

[AntsyVee]

The invisible bat has bitten many a poster on here and AZ.

[MyNameIsTerry]

The subconscious aims to find the most scariest thing it can find for you, would it be so reinforcing if it was a cold? For some it even is the minor illnesses too but like intrusive thoughts anxiety is trying to tick the boxes i the cycle and it does that by looking for your Achilles Heal. You panic, it gets it's feedback and on we plod with those new core beliefs.

Fight or flight is there for a good reason, it aims to reinforce fears to protect us. Sadly, it's running rampant with us and building fears about irrational stuff. It really doesn't matter whether your fear the most deadly cancer known to man or fear changing your t-shirts (like I did), it's about what is scary to YOU.

That's why they tell us to break that cycle, starve it.

As far as Rabies goes PK, those here longer will have been seeing them before.

People fear the rare BUT do they fear the benign or pick only the terryfing stuff?

Some of it's the media, some social networking sites, how about someone watching a film and a fear "sticks" (I've heard that many a time on here)?

[paranoid-viking]

The invisible bat has bitten many a poster on here and AZ.

Strange, isnt it? There are about 2 unfortunate victims apparently of rabies in the US annually in a population of 300 million. And both of these, plus couple of others all seems to be hypocondriacs posting on NMP.

[Haloinreverse]

I get odd fears all the time though this is my first rabies scare. I woke up with a rash. Thought it was a bite spend all day finding a bat that wasn't there. Granted I'm under so much stress. In the caretaker to my brother who has non hogkins lymphomas. Turned out it was shingles. Which should have been my first concern since I'm caring for an immune suppressed person.
Just a few weeks before it was P.A.M.
I don't show my anxiety around my brother but fresh I'm a worrywort.

[paranoid-viking]

I guess I should bump this up out of support for people whose keep posting rabies fears. Even today. Maybe this should be in the "sticky" section.

[AntsyVee]

I think it should be, "The Invisible Bat Strikes Again!"