anxiety about catching HIV

[karl123]

I had something that the doctor on this site say is a no-risk situation. handjob from a prostitute, with a possible "cut" on my penis, and i was drunk and did not check her hands for blood.

I had been feeling much better lately, before I got some of the symptoms of HIV ARS. then i started to worry again, and been thinkin about it all the time. Anyone here that can give me some advise on how to get over it? without testing... as it have not been long enough to get the test, and the doctor here says i dont need a test.

why cant i trust the doctor 100% and move on? please help me.

[karl123]

anyone?

[cj29]

First of all, HIV is extremely hard to get and you did not have sex and if a doctor says that you are not at risk, then you are in the clear in my opinion.  'What if?' thinking is very common with health anxiety.  You probably started looking up symptoms of ARS online and connected it to the way you feel, right?  Interpreting symptoms and self-diagnosing can cause many problems and can lead to increased anxiety.  Trust the doctors and if it really bothers you, get tested after the required amount of time, but you really don't need a test anyway according to the doctor...keep us posted!

[karl123]

yeah, you are right, i read about the symptoms, and i started to feel some of them.
Do you have any suggestions for how to not think "what if", and how to look away from my symptoms, that can come from anything, including anxiety (stiff neck f.eks).
I dont know if "white-coating"-increase on my tongue can come from anxiety, and i really dont know how it looked before i checked the symptoms (I wish now that i didn't).

[karl123]

I would be very grateful for any input! please. I feel a sore throat now as well, and just getting even more worried.

[distressed29]

I feel that you are okay.  I experienced the same anxiety over contracting HIV 8 years ago.  First of all, you are at low risk or no risk at all.  Like cj29 said it is very hard to contract HIV.  Second of all, the symptoms you are experiencing are normal bodily sensations that normally you are unaware of, but now are focusing on them more because you are looking to see if you have the symptoms of HIV.  When I thought I had HIV I experienced ARS symptoms as well,......fatigue, sore throat, swollen glands, etc.  Then months later I thought I had thrush (white coating on tongue)....everybody has a white coating on their tongue.  I just never noticed it until I focused on it after reading about HIV symptoms.  It took 4 tests and time for me to finally realize I did not have it.  I still struggle with health anxiety.  Recently, my new anxiety is over skin cancer.  I have been to the derm. once a month for the past 5 months.  We can break this horrific cycle.  One thing that seems to lessen my anxiety is to put a STOP sign up when you start to think about a disease and redirect your thinking to a more positive thought.  I do plan to see a therapist for some help too.  Please feel free to leave me a note if you need to talk.  I'm in the same boat and I do plan to beat this.