I did not want to have to post about this again, but here we go.
About 7 years ago I developed an irrational fear of rabies, but I've always managed to talk to medical professionals about it, which helped me calm down every single time.
Fast forward to 2021, as I had no insurance plan and was in a pretty dark place, I was not able to calm down, even after talking to a friend who's a doctor and a family member who's also a doctor. So I came here and the responses I've got really helped me to calm down.
Ever since then I've been more cautious about making sure that I noticed whenever I scratch or hurt my body so I won't think it was a bite or anything dangerous. And it worked for a good while. But the fear got to me again.
I'm going through a dark time once again, I'm making changes on my medications because the treatment was not working as it should for me.
On Friday I noticed a stain on my hand, this was after I washed it at least 3 times (it's not related to OCD, I just had to clear my hands after going to the bathroom and sanitizing some groceries) and ther first thought that came to my mind was "this is probably a bat bite". I dismissed it at first but I kept looking at it and the fear got to me again. I'll attach the images but it was bigger than 1cm, and I had another stain that had the same color on my finger. I thought it could be from the grape juice I drank earlier, so I cleaned it and it came off. First I was relieved, but then I remembered that I've read that "bat bites leave brown blood stains that are easily washed away".
A picture of the mark, along with some scratch marks on my wrist that were probably caused by scratching: https://i.imgur.com/rOhOLPh.jpg https://i.imgur.com/ctS5LL4.jpg
I talked to my friend who's a doctor and they said that I was, once again, overreacting. I thought about it for quite a while and realized that my thought of the the bat being small enough to leave such a small mark was inconsistent with the mark's location, and that helped me calm down a lot.
A picture of the mark: https://i.imgur.com/jfYolYj.jpg
Then yesterday I noticed another mark on my arm, same side as the first one. Once again I panicked. I thought that it looked like a bite since it composed of a few dots instead of a linear mark. I had to talk to my family member who's a doctor, sent them all the pictures that I took and they said that I was overreacting, that it was probably just a scratch or allergy. It was harder but I managed to calm down again.
Then I went to take a shower, while washing the same arm I noticed yet another mark. This time it had two dots. Once again I panicked. Spoke to my therapist (I had a session schedule for today) and he said that I was not being rational, that I was letting my feelings guide me, which is true.
A picture of the mark: https://i.imgur.com/fps8zC1.jpg
And now I'm here.
I'm not feeling so good today - my throat was a bit scratchy (but it got better), my nose was a little runny (but it got better), I'm having a bad headache, my forehead, neck and sinuses hurt, and it gets worse if I move my head. I'm inclining to think that it's just my allergies acting up since yesterday I handled some things that had a lot of dust, perhaps it's the tension I've felt (and still feel).
But I'm very worried.
Worried that a bat entered my home and bit me while I was asleep, and neither, me, nor my mother, nor my cat noticed it, and it slipped away somehow. Perhaps on the hole that's on my ceiling (my home's water tank broke, it flooded a part of the ceiling which gave in about 3 years ago).
But that again is unfounded. My cat always notices whenever there's any bug or another animal here, yet he didn't act up. But then I think, what if he did act up and I didn't noticed because I was asleep, or because my fan was turned on - it makes a lot of noise so my cat won't even enter my room, but then wouldn't it scare the possible bat as well?
The marks on my arm are more similar to allergy and/or ingrown hair, or even a mosquito bite that was infected because I scratched it or something (I'm getting bitten by mosquitos very often) than a bite mark.
And yet I feel so worried.
I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of all of this.
What do you guys think? Should I go to the ER and take the vaccine? Should I just trust what my friend who's a doctor and family member who's also a doctor told me?
I'm sorry once again.
Thanks in advance.
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Originally Posted by Hypo84
