HIV Phobia

[Chev350]

Hoping someone can assist. I have a terrible HIV phobia which has impacted my life on multiple levels. Im currently 2 weeks out from another test after stepping on something sharp at the beach. This was after spending 3 months believing I had caught HIV after an exposure to a mobile phone that I believed had blood on it. Test was Negative. I don’t use drugs and have not been intimate with anyone for 2 years. I’ve been to 2 GP’s though felt somewhat ridiculed in addition to both GP’s not being aware of risk outside of m2m sex, I’m not gay either. I just really need someone to talk too who can help as the continuous stress is debilitating

thank you in advance

[S_D]

Hi there and thanks for your post.

Phobias can be very stressful. I hope you get your results back soon! Very sorry to hear that you felt ridiculed by your GP's as well, it's awful when you go to see a medical professional and do not feel like they are taking your concerns seriously. Hopefully you can find another doctor who you feel more comfortable with. It may be worth seeing if they could refer you to a mental health professional who could assist in developing some strategies to tackle your phobia. I've suffered from phobias myself over the years and was lucky enough to find a therapist who was able to help me overcome them with time. They say it takes the average person six or more counselling sessions before they start to see the benefits of therapy. It definitely took at least six sessions for me before I started to notice a reduction in the symptoms of my phobias. I hope this helps and that you are feeling a bit better today.

[Emmen]

Hello Chev350,

Welcome to the forums.

I'm sorry you're struggling with this. There are many in our community who struggle with anxieties over their health, and unfortunately, these often culminate in us thinking we have a debilitating disease. Have you seen a mental health professional? Counselling will definitely be useful in helping you cope with these fears. I'd strongly encourage you to consult your GP about these ongoing fears/anxieties if you haven't raised this with him/her yet and get a referral.

With such anxieties, we often tend to think of the worst case scenario. In your case, that you have somehow contracted HIV. Most times, reality is not as serious as that. Unfortunately for us, to be able to take a step back and recognise that the situation isn't that bad requires us to not be in a tensed state of anxiety (far easier said than done!). I personally find practicing mindfulness to be a way to manage my catastrophising. Try using apps like Smiling Mind or Stop, Breathe & Think. It puts you in a calmer frame of mind, which makes it easier for you to control these fears. But I'd still say a mental health professional should be your priority. The app can be a useful supplement to therapy.

I hope this helps.

Take care,
M

[Chev350]

Thank you

[Chev350]

Thank you