Aa
*Sigh* I still need help with HIV anxiety :(
I suffer from HIV anxiety terribly bad. I just cant get it to go away. I'm currently on Effexor and Visatril, i have to take an Effexor every 12 hours, and can take 2 Vistarils every 4 hours.
Some days i do okay, other days i do horrible like today and cant even leave my bed.
I could really use the help of someone who has gone through this.
I've gotten tested and tested and tested. my last one was a 6.5 weeks and it was negative, it helped a LITTLE to know almost all people would have had a positive result by now if they were infected, but it still wasent enough to calm me.
Im convinced that i was infected with HIV at an Aids walk, I got tested in the testing tent while i was there and since then i cant let it go.
"what if the needle wasent clean?"
"what if he was out to hurt me?"
"what if..." "what if..." "what if..." is all i do to the point im exhausted.
Everyone around me thinks im insane and doesn't understand.
I try really hard to remind myself "They were there to PROTECT YOU not INFECT YOU"
but it seems like an endless battle that i continue to lose.
Can someone please help me?
I have a facebook and a couple of messengers if anyone wants to talk to me through more than forum comments.
Im desperate.
Some days i do okay, other days i do horrible like today and cant even leave my bed.
I could really use the help of someone who has gone through this.
I've gotten tested and tested and tested. my last one was a 6.5 weeks and it was negative, it helped a LITTLE to know almost all people would have had a positive result by now if they were infected, but it still wasent enough to calm me.
Im convinced that i was infected with HIV at an Aids walk, I got tested in the testing tent while i was there and since then i cant let it go.
"what if the needle wasent clean?"
"what if he was out to hurt me?"
"what if..." "what if..." "what if..." is all i do to the point im exhausted.
Everyone around me thinks im insane and doesn't understand.
I try really hard to remind myself "They were there to PROTECT YOU not INFECT YOU"
but it seems like an endless battle that i continue to lose.
Can someone please help me?
I have a facebook and a couple of messengers if anyone wants to talk to me through more than forum comments.
Im desperate.
It would be great if people could just "forget about it", but unfortunately with OCD, it's just not that easy. You likely had HIV Anxiety, or even a bit of a phobia, which is different from diagnosed OCD.
I'm glad for you that you got through it. There is an HIV Anxiety group here. You should share your experiences there, and what you did to work through it. It would help a lot of people.
Here's the link:
http://www.medhelp.org/groups/hiv_anxiety_support
I'm glad for you that you got through it. There is an HIV Anxiety group here. You should share your experiences there, and what you did to work through it. It would help a lot of people.
Here's the link:
http://www.medhelp.org/groups/hiv_anxiety_support
I have gone through this and it *****. But let me just say that you after having a 6.5 week negative test you have like a 0.0000001 percent chance of being positive.
When I went through this I had real trouble sleeping. The best thing I can tell you what to do is let go. Just forget about it, you have been tested and are negative. Once you get to 3 months take another test, but after that comes back negative, move on. For now, there is really nothing you can do but wait.
Find small comforts throughout your days, like watching a good tv show or a favorite movie. Take a deep breathe and when you feel a panic or anxiety coming on, close your eye and take a deep breathe. You are taking every precaution you can. Just relax and take your 3 month test. After 3 months your test is absolutely 100 percent accurate. So once you get a negative there, you need to move on.
In the future with any sexual partners make sure they get tested before you have sex. If they are negative and you are negative, you cannot get it. You cannot get HIV through anything except unprotected sex.
I have been through this and what really helped me was speaking with a counselor or therapist. If you need to reach out to anyone please feel free to reach out to me. I have been through this so I can definitely relate.
Best of luck
When I went through this I had real trouble sleeping. The best thing I can tell you what to do is let go. Just forget about it, you have been tested and are negative. Once you get to 3 months take another test, but after that comes back negative, move on. For now, there is really nothing you can do but wait.
Find small comforts throughout your days, like watching a good tv show or a favorite movie. Take a deep breathe and when you feel a panic or anxiety coming on, close your eye and take a deep breathe. You are taking every precaution you can. Just relax and take your 3 month test. After 3 months your test is absolutely 100 percent accurate. So once you get a negative there, you need to move on.
In the future with any sexual partners make sure they get tested before you have sex. If they are negative and you are negative, you cannot get it. You cannot get HIV through anything except unprotected sex.
I have been through this and what really helped me was speaking with a counselor or therapist. If you need to reach out to anyone please feel free to reach out to me. I have been through this so I can definitely relate.
Best of luck
I responded to your PM, but I'll add a few comments here as well.
Effexor (SNRI) is a commonly prescribed antidepressant to treat anxiety, and of course everyone has different experiences. You haven't been on it long enough to really make a judgement yet. If in another few weeks, you are not noticing some improvements, you may require a higher dose, or a different medication all together. Vistaril is basically like Benadryl, it is an antihistamine. It also can be used to treat anxiety. For some people, it works well. Other people may need something stronger, like a benzodiazepine (i.e. Ativan, Xanax). Again, in another 2 or 3 weeks, if this current regimen isn't starting to help, you need to have a discussion with your doctor. Also, make sure your OCD is being managed by a psychiatrist, not a GP. They are the best equipped at handling treatment for OCD and the medications best used to manage it.
I'm sure you know that OCD is basically a lifelong battle you will have, with varying levels of discomfort about the issues you may obsess about. Medications can be very helpful in controlling the thoughts and compulsions, and therapy is also a must. If you aren't in therapy, I'd suggest you seek it out, ask your doc for a referral.
My other advice would be, until the OCD is better contolled, to avoid anxiety producing situations (like an AIDS walk). The gesture is fantastic, and the idea behind it (an "exposure therapy" kind of approach) is also great, but not when your OCD is in a period of exacerbation.
I know my words may not reassure you, but I can promise you that you were not at risk by either attending the walk, or having an HIV test there.
Very best to you.
Effexor (SNRI) is a commonly prescribed antidepressant to treat anxiety, and of course everyone has different experiences. You haven't been on it long enough to really make a judgement yet. If in another few weeks, you are not noticing some improvements, you may require a higher dose, or a different medication all together. Vistaril is basically like Benadryl, it is an antihistamine. It also can be used to treat anxiety. For some people, it works well. Other people may need something stronger, like a benzodiazepine (i.e. Ativan, Xanax). Again, in another 2 or 3 weeks, if this current regimen isn't starting to help, you need to have a discussion with your doctor. Also, make sure your OCD is being managed by a psychiatrist, not a GP. They are the best equipped at handling treatment for OCD and the medications best used to manage it.
I'm sure you know that OCD is basically a lifelong battle you will have, with varying levels of discomfort about the issues you may obsess about. Medications can be very helpful in controlling the thoughts and compulsions, and therapy is also a must. If you aren't in therapy, I'd suggest you seek it out, ask your doc for a referral.
My other advice would be, until the OCD is better contolled, to avoid anxiety producing situations (like an AIDS walk). The gesture is fantastic, and the idea behind it (an "exposure therapy" kind of approach) is also great, but not when your OCD is in a period of exacerbation.
I know my words may not reassure you, but I can promise you that you were not at risk by either attending the walk, or having an HIV test there.
Very best to you.
about 3 or 4 weeks.
I've been on paxil, all kinds of prozac made, and xanex over the years.
none of those seem to work for me.
I've been on paxil, all kinds of prozac made, and xanex over the years.
none of those seem to work for me.
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