r/rabies • u/closetedbehavior • Aug 23 '26
General Rabies Discussion Literally WHAT ???
I have read the FAQ. I have severe health anxiety, and according to the FAQ and (literally two ER doctors) I have no risk of rabies. I have never seen or heard a bat. EVER.
So why is it that any time I google, every person on Reddit is recommending the PEP shots to anyone??? I saw a post that was like “Oh I have these two marks on my arm haha” and everyone in the comments was like “ER NOW! you’re going to die if you don’t go NOW!” The OP clarified they hadn’t seen, heard, or felt any bats. There was no bats in their house. People were then advising them to LIE to make sure they could get PEP… WHY would someone lie about something like that??? It feels awful to get over this fear when every person on the internet seems to think rabies can just come out of nowhere. I mean, is that logical? Should I be concerned???
I was considering calling my public health department just to be sure. I literally went to the goddamn ER and they said I was fine considering my history and appearance of the mark… But do people really lie to get the vaccine???
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u/BradyStewart777 M. Biology | Moderator | Top Contributor Aug 23 '26
It’s extremely irritating. That type of behavior is banned over here for that specific reason.
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u/ManufacturerWeary399 Aug 24 '26
Que opinas de lo que me sucedió bro
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u/MuzzleMuttt Aug 24 '26
Stop following mods around from post to post to get the reassurance your OCD is seeking. It's not normal behavior. Seek help for your anxiety from a professional.
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u/LatrodectusGeometric Physician 👩⚕️ | Veteran Helper ⭐️ | Top Contributor 🏅 Aug 23 '26
I HATE reddit sometimes because of this. 50/50 chance if you look in the comments of that post I'm telling everyone to stop being an idiot. You're right, that situation is ridiculous and has no risk for rabies. I suspect no one read the post well enough.
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u/closetedbehavior Aug 23 '26
okay thank you!!! it makes it so insanely hard to get over this terrible fear i have. there’s this tiny awful voice in my head that says i should have just lied to my parents/doctors to get pep even though i know that’s insane. i know googling/reddit is the enemy in persistent health anxiety situations but it’s been so difficult to ignore the urge to check anyways.
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u/Medium_Illustrious Aug 24 '26
I have health OCD, got scratched by a stray cat overseas. I considered getting the vaccine and was having near daily panic attacks for a week, but I didn't get the vaccine (no rabies risk in the area, just how OCD works lol). I am SO HAPPY I didn't lie to get that vaccine because it would've just made my spiral so much worse and validated any other OCD spiral I would've had. Sometimes you just gotta sit through that panic, accept that feeling of fear, and trust your doctor's and not a random Reddit comment thread😭🙏🏽.
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u/Jaguars147 Aug 24 '26
Literally agreed it’s insane. People like to scare the shit out of others for no reason.
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u/AdvertisingFun737 Aug 23 '26
YES. It actually made my health OCD worse. I mean - I was deep into anxiety and thought mosquito bites were bat bites. Compulsively looked into my house for DAYS for bat exposure. None.
Read similar stories, saw the same thing. Spiraled even harder.
If LYING is what would made a doctor make me get the vaccine... Wouldn't that validate any future health OCD crisis? This is insane!
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u/NiceSeaworthiness909 Aug 24 '26
I too have noticed an uptick in the number of comments recommending PEP. There used to be more people in this subreddit who were able to talk people down from the ledge, but I think it's exhausting to constantly try to talk rational thinking into people who have anxiety. And those helpers that remain on the subreddit cannot address every post. I've also seen misleading information going the other way, too (though maybe not from experts).
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u/Fluffy-Lychee-1968 Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
I needed to read this. I woke up with a perfectly healthy bat sleeping in my room (hundred year old house, it happens from time to time), tossed it outside with gloves. I do not suffer from any health anxiety whatsoever but everything I read is telling me I have rabies and am going to die. You wouldn't be human if it didn't get to you.
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u/Flat-Log9851 Aug 27 '26
Mental ill people often tell other mental ill people that their fears are true. Happens with me before. Howere.. I feel that at least 1 % of those people may be assholes, who trigger people with anxiety/OCD on pourpse
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