syringe fear and hiv

[thinkbeforespeak]

Ok my story goes way back
Although i had some ocd and anxiety when i was a kid i could manage it preatty well and did not intude with my life much.

On 2010 i had an unprotected sexual exposure.
This incident made me very anxious and ocd i woud test every 2 months for stds, hiv deseases and then going to doctors for every little thing i had. this lasted 2 years and now i am seeing a therapist (psycaiatrist) and i think its going well....

All was going good for me for like one week until i had weird thoughts again.
I have a fear for hiv and i know i am hiv negative. But sometimes for example as i walk the street i think that i may come in contact with a used syringe.

I think about that often, but most of the time i can fight it and realize that its a fake idea as i say to myself that if i was stank by a needle i would feel it and when i think of this my irrational thought goes away.

Now my most recent fearfull even is this and please help me on how to solve it in my mind.
So i was coming out of the metro station when i felt a sting in my leg and i turned around to see what happened i did not see anything. My leg did not have any sign of blood and i did not see a syringe on the floor.
Propably it was something else or a cigarette that was draged by the wind.
I was wearing shoes and i felt this a bit above my ankle.

And i wonder how could a syringe lying on the floor sting me so high on my leg?
Is there going to be any blood after an injury like this?
Is it common from from used syringes?

[thinkbeforespeak]

So are obssesions a normal symtom of anxiety and ocd ?

Yeah I ve been to the forum =]
Good forum!!!!!!!!!!!! (not very good for anxiety sufferers though,,,,)
Althought most people that wright on the forum generaly tend to caml me down and are quite knoledgeble. Just the constant searching and exposing your self in these literature works in a weird way nagative on the anxiety sufferer....(also you year other crazy things by other anxiety sufferers that you shouldnt)

Its very hard for me!!!! i know we live normal but inside me its like a want to cry.....

[RubyWitch]

Regarding your post above, which I have pasted below.......................


"Are you suggesting that these thoughts are way out of the anxiety spectrum?
and that I have some sort of paranoia?

Because you know what that thought can do to a guy like me that suffers from anxiety disorder....   =]"

The answer is no, I don't think your thoughts are WAY out of the anxiety spectrum, but they are on the border of obsessive with a few side trips into irrationality. Don't interpret that as me saying you're on the verge of insanity! THAT would be a quantum leap. You just, (IMHO) have an extroidinarily high level of HIV anxiety and you really need to focus on that with your therapist. (You are also hardly the only one with a high level of HIV anxiety. Ever been to the HIV Prevention Forum?) You really outta check that place out.
You're going to be just fine if you stick with therapy and work hard, it's not easy, and I'm sure you know that by now. But there are millions of us who are living pretty damn normal lives thanks to therapy........with or without some medication.
Teach yourself to relax.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[thinkbeforespeak]

Thank you JG are you currently having an anxiety disorder?

[JGF25]

That's great that you have such a good doctor.  It does sound as if you have been getting a handle on some of your irrational thoughts. I know the STOP very, very well.  :)  I agree, that CBT should always be tried first and if you are seeing progress then don't give up.  Keep trying because while you may not feel like a very strong person at the moment, you really, really are!  Take care.  

[thinkbeforespeak]

Its not a psycologist but a psycaiatrist that my mom used to see for her ocd and anxiety.
She is one of the top in my country and she sees very severe cases of mentally ill people so i trust her.

I started seing her after cristmass and we are doing some cbt and there are some habbits that I have a difficulty of dropping like going to doctors having medical exams...(for everything). She said to trust her that there is nothing physically wrong with me and to stop going to doctors. Thats the first thing that i must do and when there is an irrational thought to just not pay any attention to it and say STOP.

I think we are going quite well althought i would like to see her more ofter like once a week she insists that i am strong and we should start seeing each other with greater intervals.....

I asked her about anti depressents and she told me that i am still young (23) and i have a good chance of defeting this without drugs.

I remember myself being OCD from like 16 but nothing like this,,,,,

The last 2 years my anxiety is very strong....

But i think i have made a good progress on my own, whith the lindel method, Then what helped me was telling it to my parents and finally my psyciatrist is helping a lot i think..... Although some times i get some of my anxiety back with severe symtoms

Any thoughts and comments are welcome =]

[JGF25]

Just out of curiosity, how long have you been seeing someone and I'm assuming this is a psychologist you are seeing?  Have they taught you any cognitive behavioral therapy?  Have you considered medication for your OCD and anxiety?  

[thinkbeforespeak]

Are you suggesting that these thoughts are way out of the anxiety spectrum?
and that I have some sort of paranoia?

Because you know what that thought can do to a guy like me that suffers from anxiety disorder....   =]

[thinkbeforespeak]

Thanks green I know that i have irrational thoughts and i know i dont think straight I tell everything to my psyciatrist. But the problem is that i see her every 10 days so in the mid time i have a lot to worry about since i have extreme anxiety and OCD.

Thanks for the logical explanation I always need a bit of reasurance no matter how irrational my fear is. Its just that at the time i have the fear it seems so real and so ppowerfull..... Imagine that by now i dont think about that event and with your reassurence its completely gone.

Thanks

[RubyWitch]

When you felt this "sting" above your ankle, turned around and looked for a syringe, saw none, that should have ended any and all concerns you had.
The "sting" could have been caused by a number of things. A small stone tossed by the wind, a tiny nerve being pinched can cause a "stinging"  sensation. Even your cigarette theory holds a little water..........but whatever the cause, you had absolutely no sign of any skin damage, no blood. NOTHING.
Your fears are irrational and your thinking is getting out of control. I'm glad you are already seeing a psychiatrist because you definitely need some major help. I trust you are telling him about all these thoughts you're having.
Anybody from this forum who responds to your post will tell you that you need professioanl help, which we can't give you.
Stick with your therapy. We know it's hard work, but it's well worth the blood, sweat and tears.
I wish you the best
Peace
Greenlydia