illness anxiety with hiv

[mixj]

Hi guys Im new to all this so I'll see how I go.

Im in a constant state of stress due to thinking I contracted hiv. I have a young family and worry I could have somehow given it to them. This all is crazy as Ive had so many tests and theyve all been negative. The anxiety I feel makes me think theres definitely something wrong physically. Im constantly so tired I feel like i could sleep all day its horrible.

Does anyone else get extreme tiredness? I also get numbness in my hands and feet many times throughout the day.

I am so caught up in my head its completely taken over my life, Ive been diagnosed with illness anxiety and now depression. Im just at a loss as what to do next. Ive been to see a neurologist as I thought that there must have been something going on in my brain as Ive had visual disturbances and sensitivity to light as well as the tiredness etc. Tests All came back normal.

Its really hard for me to believe all this could be anxiety and stress doing all these physical things to me, I just cant get my head around it.

I find myself so anxious worrying about my family its horrible.

My psychiatrist has suggested ect which Im seriously considering doing. Its a scary thing to have done but if it helps I would be so thankful.

Thanks for letting me vent guys. Maybe someone else has had a similar experience who knows.

[Zeal]

Hi mixj,

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sorry to hear you're in a constant state of anxiety over your health. I've had OCD/anxiety for 10 years now, and my anxiety centres on avoiding germs, illness and vomit (I also have a vomit phobia). So while I don't fear HIV, I can relate to your health/illness anxiety. I struggle with tiredness too, and for me, concentration is an issue as well.

The level of anxiety you're experiencing sounds intense and debilitating, so definitely keep seeing your psychiatrist. Does your psych work on psychological coping strategies, such as thought challenging or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)? Here is the link to a resource I would highly recommend: http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/infopax.cfm?Info_ID=53 I was referred this by a mental health nurse.

Here are some previous conversations about health anxiety that you may like to check out:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety-and-constantly-need-reassurance-#qkznmnHzvGGEbv8AAOnT_A

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety---how-to-undo-what-you've-googled-

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/anxiety/health-anxiety---ringing-in-ears

I hope this forum can be a supportive place for you 🙂

Best wishes,

Zeal

[rational_thinker]

Hi there,

I am in a similar situation to you. I had a low risk exposure and all these nurses and doctors were saying low risk, testing would be for peace of mind. But I was so afraid and braced myself. I would compulsively check the internet and call hotlines out of anxiety. It pretty much derailed my life.

I tested negative at 6 weeks and then wondered if there had been an administrative error. I tested negative again at 10 weeks and was still worried because the official window period is 12 weeks. I then tested negative at 13 weeks and found some temporary relief because that should be it. All the testing just bought temporary relief but the fears are ongoing.

I've decided to stop testing and get on with life which is hard, because there is something in the back of your mind saying 'what if'? You try to forget but there is this worry in the background that such a horrible virus is silently replicating in your body and one day you will fall seriously ill. And it is so hard to get rational thoughts to dislodge it.

When was your last test? If done sufficiently after the event, it would pretty much prove you don't have it. I also recommend a book called 'The man who couldn't stop' by David Adam, which is specifically about a phobia of HIV and OCD, this is quite helpful. Sometimes knowing the facts and the statistics helps- if the test was negative at 6 weeks then that pretty much means 99% chance you don't have it.

[BlackeD]

Hey everyone. Could someone help me, please? I have some HIV symptoms, and I am afraid and I actually don't know what to do. I am always feeling tired, I have lost some weight and some other symptoms.. What should I do ? I have read about rna tests, but I don't know what it really is. What is hiv rna test ? I need some details.