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STD/HIV OCD - I'm new here
Hi everyone. My name is Kat, I'm 20, and have had OCD for about 7 years. My main fears are contracting STDS, HIV, or some other type of infectious disease. It's a living hell. I hope to find others who are suffering to talk with, and perhaps we can find comfort in knowing there is hope in beating this horrible disorder.
Hi all - I have 100% been there. Please please try seeing a therapist for CBT. This literally changed my life. I still get freaked out about sex, but for while I couldn't cook for othe people, give someone a hug - I was almost going to quit my job and go into a computer field where I wouldn't have to interact with people. All that changed after therapy. I'm not cured, but I'm so much better.
It was an intense year of therapy, but so worth it.
It was an intense year of therapy, but so worth it.
I'm 24 and have been suffering from OCD since I was about 8 or so. The symptoms have changed throughout the years depending on the episode. Sometimes it's worse than others. Since college it has mainly surrounded the idea of me contracting stds- specifically herpes and HIV/AIDS. It started the first time I got a tattoo and I had literally convinced myself that I had gotten HIV from the needle. I wouldn't leave my room and I had already accepted the fact that I had it. I went and got tested and that still wasn't good enough. I still worried I had it. Then when I became somewhat sexually active of course other diseases came into the picture to be paranoid about. Alcohol makes it better but then of course the next morning it's worse as I worry that I've blacked out and had sex that I've forgotten about. I can't be sexually active or even touch a guy anymore. I no longer even have sexual desires because it's not even worth the repercussions. And I know that obviously a healthy fear of stds is a normal thing, but I feel like my obsession is crippling. I won't leave my room or eat for days and I just sleep because it's the only time my mind is free from unwanted thoughts. Today is not a good day.
hey girl,
i have also been in the same boat as u...nice to see some related persons
like me.....
i have also been in the same boat as u...nice to see some related persons
like me.....
I am the exact same!! It's so comforting to see other people also suffer from this horrible thing called OCD.
I have begun checking an obsessing about std's - I have had a clear std check and been examined by at least 6 doctors over the past month yet still feel like I have some horrible disease. My compulsions are so frustrating, constantly examining down there to check if I have anything and finding something ( in my mind) - fixating, researching for hours and finally seeing a doctor to be told its normal and then I wait for the next episode.
Valium really helped me but I felt like It gave me a massive decrease in mood- I have been taking fluvoxamine for 3 years and am now increasing the dose too!
Hang in there guys
I have begun checking an obsessing about std's - I have had a clear std check and been examined by at least 6 doctors over the past month yet still feel like I have some horrible disease. My compulsions are so frustrating, constantly examining down there to check if I have anything and finding something ( in my mind) - fixating, researching for hours and finally seeing a doctor to be told its normal and then I wait for the next episode.
Valium really helped me but I felt like It gave me a massive decrease in mood- I have been taking fluvoxamine for 3 years and am now increasing the dose too!
Hang in there guys
1 Comments
I feel ur pain . How are you now
Purrellgirl
I have OCD too and I am just like you. Ever since I was little and found out what STD's especially HIV/ AIDS were I have been afraid to catch them. I began washing my hands several times a day until they actually began to bleed. Then I went to therapy and psychiotrist. They made helped me alot. I do use purrell alot but I'm not so afraid anymore. You have to realize you can only get STDs by having unprotected sex with someone who has it. Don't live your life afraid anymore. I dont. Its hard at first but you cant live your life in a bubble. Try it!
I have OCD too and I am just like you. Ever since I was little and found out what STD's especially HIV/ AIDS were I have been afraid to catch them. I began washing my hands several times a day until they actually began to bleed. Then I went to therapy and psychiotrist. They made helped me alot. I do use purrell alot but I'm not so afraid anymore. You have to realize you can only get STDs by having unprotected sex with someone who has it. Don't live your life afraid anymore. I dont. Its hard at first but you cant live your life in a bubble. Try it!
Well, you said she stepped into another room, correct? If so, you don't know if she kept the same glove on or not.
Either way, it's not that easy to contract HIV. There's a reason they say the high risk types are those who have sex with someone who has HIV or drug users. This is because the easy way to get it is to have the blood get into your system. Just having POSSIBLY contaminated blood on the glove probably isn't enough.
Either way, it's not that easy to contract HIV. There's a reason they say the high risk types are those who have sex with someone who has HIV or drug users. This is because the easy way to get it is to have the blood get into your system. Just having POSSIBLY contaminated blood on the glove probably isn't enough.
Well, she didn't change her glove that's why I am concerned. Do you think this would be low risk or no risk ?
SN310, I've been there. I'm sure she was enough of a professional to put the glove on to handle the biohazardous materials, and then change into a new one to draw your blood. Plus, as stated earlier, once HIV is introduced to air, it's effectiveness is decreased dramatically.
hey, i just came across this forum and realized that i am not the only one with HIV anxiety. I was at the clinic getting my biokit test done for herpes yesterday, the nurse put on a new glove and then helped another nurse to empty the biohazard bin and then walked into another room to get something and then proceeded to put alchohol on my finger and poked it and squeezed the blood into a tube for my test. I am concerned that she didn't change her gloves again after helping the other nurse emptying the biohazard bin.
Once virus is outside its host,it won't be a problem for you. You are not ar risk. I also keep repeating myself.Hope it helps for you.
Wow. I can empathize with all of you. I have felt like you all have at one point or another. Right now I am in a hotel room and there is a stain on the chair, and now I am on the verge of tears because I am afraid to touch anything else.
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to chime in as I seem to be suffering with the smae thing that you guys are. For me it seems to be triggered by a time when everything seems calm. I start thinking, well this can;t last, I don't deserve to be this calm and happy, something bad is def going to happen and for me the scariest thing that can happen would be acquiring HIV I have always been very careful but I start thinking about low risk things (like a recent kiss) and become obsessed with thinking that i may have contacted HIV through this contact (I am now scared to kiss anyone). It makes me miserable for weeks on end. I have been seeing a therapist which does help but the thoughts still creep in sometimes. It makes me feel better to talk to other people who can relate. If anyone on here wants to chat please feel free to message me.
I just wanted to chime in as I seem to be suffering with the smae thing that you guys are. For me it seems to be triggered by a time when everything seems calm. I start thinking, well this can;t last, I don't deserve to be this calm and happy, something bad is def going to happen and for me the scariest thing that can happen would be acquiring HIV I have always been very careful but I start thinking about low risk things (like a recent kiss) and become obsessed with thinking that i may have contacted HIV through this contact (I am now scared to kiss anyone). It makes me miserable for weeks on end. I have been seeing a therapist which does help but the thoughts still creep in sometimes. It makes me feel better to talk to other people who can relate. If anyone on here wants to chat please feel free to message me.
yes sometimes alcohol will give panic attack when we are drinking and suddenly we cannot think rationaly. I am so stupid that I drink it.Now I fear about a woman who squeezed her friend's pimple and came to massage me and my legs have several red dots. I checked information from medhelp and poz ,they say I'm fine but sometimes I still fear but I don't want to make a 50th test in my life. :-(
I suffered from fear of STDs for a few years and tested very frequently, all coming out fine. I have recently developed a fear of something terrible happening to me. I think about it all day and night. One night of drinking and things being blurry did this to me. I constantly think about, what if something awful happened to me and i don't know. My friends I went out with assured me I am fine and nothing happened but their reassurance isnt enough for me. I cant possibly get anymore answers than I have already gotten and now am left to just deal with it. Alcohal only makes things worse when dealing with OCD. I have been seeing a therapist who has helped me to think about these thoughts as irrational which has brought my anxiety down a bit.
yes I have ocd for hiv for 3.5 years and tested for 40 times!!!! I'm 28 my OCD stated at 25.
No testing for unprotected sex. Most of tests were stupid such as blood in environement ,etc. I cannot express how I feel cleary. I can still have some fun in lifes ;however,sometimes it's hard to sleep.Yeah!! it's a living hell!! Many times I use alcohol but in the next morning it seems worse. From alcohol,it drives me to visit massage parlor but no sex,just touching ,etc but it makes me mad enough to test again and again.
A website suggests we should read a lot about ocd to know it more.We should learn to relax like mediatation but I know it's hard.Another thing is find communities! like in this sites we can talk and share!
I now try to think about reason and I can still do my study eventhough I do it quite slow and slugish. I think all of us just have to move on no matter what we are.Cheers!
No testing for unprotected sex. Most of tests were stupid such as blood in environement ,etc. I cannot express how I feel cleary. I can still have some fun in lifes ;however,sometimes it's hard to sleep.Yeah!! it's a living hell!! Many times I use alcohol but in the next morning it seems worse. From alcohol,it drives me to visit massage parlor but no sex,just touching ,etc but it makes me mad enough to test again and again.
A website suggests we should read a lot about ocd to know it more.We should learn to relax like mediatation but I know it's hard.Another thing is find communities! like in this sites we can talk and share!
I now try to think about reason and I can still do my study eventhough I do it quite slow and slugish. I think all of us just have to move on no matter what we are.Cheers!
Hey, I have known that I have had OCD for several years. Im 19.
I was blackout drunk the last night and noticed a red mark on my arm the next day. I automatically assumed that it was a needle mark and that I had contracted HIV from this. I thought about it so much that it seemed plausible after some time. I have not done any rituals lately, though, nor am I tempted to. Is this still OCD? (I have done rituals for other purposes in the past)
I was quite scared, I still am.
How are you feeling at the moment?
I was blackout drunk the last night and noticed a red mark on my arm the next day. I automatically assumed that it was a needle mark and that I had contracted HIV from this. I thought about it so much that it seemed plausible after some time. I have not done any rituals lately, though, nor am I tempted to. Is this still OCD? (I have done rituals for other purposes in the past)
I was quite scared, I still am.
How are you feeling at the moment?
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Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
