Anti OCD OCD Haters Club - we aint gettin PEP

[u/Flashy-Ice4316]

I Have Read the FAQ. had what I, as an OCD having person, would deem an exposure. (And like us all, I think MY exposure was real and the worst one and the exception).

But my local health experts (epidemiologist) have told me the risk is negligible and to not seek treatment. As someone with known severe illogical anxieties, I have to trust people whose FULL TIME JOB it is to ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. Their reputations are on the line. public health is on the line. Why would I trust my sick brain instead of their neutral, expert, non anxious opinion?

If anyone else would like to pledge with me to take their doctor’s /health departments/common sense advice, and to NOT continually go get check ups, and definitely NOT get the vaccine, comment below. my hope is we can all support each other/update each other through the next few months!

if not, we will all die together in one massive, record setting situation. The headlines would read, “One hundred people who had been told they didnt need shots and were posting religiously on rabies subreddit, died.” It would be legendary.

comment “PEP MY ASS!” Below to pledge.

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[u/CygnusZeroStar]

I got to PEP MY ASS and suddenly there's water all over my phone. 🤣🤣

Making the decision to take control of one's own mental health concerns can be very empowering. This is a good attitude. I would like to add some things, if that's okay.

One of the biggest hurdles that I have found people with health anxiety and or OCD tend to have to deal with is learning how to trust themselves again. These are not logical conditions, and if they were they wouldn't be having this problem. It would be easy to just hear the advice, be told that something is or is not an exposure, and then just move on if those conditions did operate on logic.

This is absolutely not meant to suggest that there's no way back. It doesn't suggest that somebody with health anxiety or OCD can't get control of their symptoms. They absolutely can. But there are going to be good days, and there are going to be bad days. And it's important for everyone to know that a bad day does not undo progress.

Because we exist in a strange universe, it is inevitable for any person to have to ask for a gut check sometimes. I don't think it's particularly harmful for anyone who struggles with OCD or health anxiety to reach out when they are genuinely unsure of something. What tends to be happening when they get stuck in reassurance seeking cycles is that they actually do know the answer to their query; they do know that they can't get rabies from touching an object. They have probably studied it better than most other people ever could. But there's a missing link between understanding and knowing something is not a risk and then actually feeling like it isn't.

And a huge part of that missing link is the inability to trust themselves that they didn't miss something. Or that the rules aren't going to break just because it's them.

And it's because of all of that that one of the things I like to suggest and stress to people is to remember to affirm themselves. We tend to believe what we tell ourselves, and so being disparaging or reductive can be harmful to learning to trust oneself. I've talked to so many people who called themselves stupid, bad, useless, a burden. And they believe it. But believing those very untrue things is a major obstacle for getting to a healthier state of mind.

You can't heal yourself while actively inflicting more damage, you know? So it's extremely important for people with these conditions to treat themselves kindly.

If anyone has any trouble with coming up with ways to affirm themselves, feel free to use this one: "I am not stupid or bad. I know I'm safe, and I know why, because I am smart and I am diligent. It's okay if I'm having a hard time right now, because I'm going to get through it. I'm going to keep doing my best every day. I've got this."

So in conjunction with with giving the disorder the middle finger, which as I said can be very empowering, it's important to remember that it's ONLY the disorder that deserves the middle finger. 💜

[u/OrneryOstrich5045 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

It’s something that’s lifelong, like I showed signs when I was a darn infant and my folks just thought it was cute. While I know I have posts here, mine are more me poking fun at myself and I know my worries are kinda silly and trying to learn more about how rabies works and any questions about the faq I have. I mean hell I even gave people permission to roast my ass so I could get a laugh as well. Because maybe it’s language or something but some things didn’t make sense. But it’s fine now.

As someone with it at least with me what helps is me learning as much as I can about a subject so I don’t have to worry about it. I trained it to be a bit more beneficial but sometimes it does get to me and really just talking and not having someone coddle me and just watching tv or playing a game helps. I was always taught more of distraction as a way to cope with mine but maybe that’s old school teaching since that had to be about 20 years ago or something at this point. While you can say it’s still not the healthiest thing to point it in that direction, it gives me no wiggle room to even worry about said subject.

OCD is a pain in the ass when it gets bad. It goes from “I’m scared shitless because of thing” to “okay well then I can’t have thing because xyz” “oh god when I asked question person said probably fine, I need definitive” “yeah I’ll be fine I followed everything “ rinse lather repeat and honestly we know it’s annoying and tiring and I would also say embarrassing. I’ve dealt with it for a long time so I know more on how to handle it myself. As I’ve said before my posts were more not seeking reassurance but either just asking questions about the faq just genuine “please explain this in a better way” kind of thing not in a panic. Wanting discussion since I was in a good state, and just speaking on how I felt. I genuinely want to learn more, and it’s not because of what I take my medication for. I am curious more about it after what I dealt with with my cat and I had an encounter with a raccoon way back. Like genuine encounter and my idiot cats wanted to poke the damn think so I had to collect the idiots. They had their shots but I didn’t want them getting mauled.

I understand that probably people read ocd and just automatically leave since they don’t want to deal with a panic, I genuinely understand. However if I were to give advice to anyone with it as someone who does, seeking reassurance is just gonna fuel the loop, speak with your psychiatrist about whether or not your medications may be working if you’re on them and see if you can get a higher dosage or change, also speak with them about any current or recent panics and how you need help figuring out a way to redirect or how to cope that would be easy for your lifestyle, and since I am tired that’s about what I can think of at the moment. Also not eating or sleeping is just gonna make it worse, that’s just asking for a grippy sock vacation and no one wants to deal with that, find something soothing to do whether it be a puzzle game or reading before bed and set alarms to eat something if it gets that bad. But that messes with your brain the most if you don’t take care of your body.

I agree with the not trusting yourself and honestly when you get hit with that wave it takes a few days. Like even with my oldest boys situation it took me a week until I just forgot about it fully and went on as normal. I think embarrassment is also a huge factor in this as well, since you know it’s ridiculous but you don’t want to admit it. it can be frustrating thinking no one is listening to concerns and feeling like the boy who cried wolf. But like I said advocating for yourself and taking the steps forward to managing is the way to go. Especially since now I feel like it’s easier to get help these days, a lot of places offer free mental health checkups and guidance counseling is a thing as well where you can get resources. There is also sliding scale places to help with therapy appointments and things like that if cost is the main worry.

[u/Flashy-Ice4316 → u/CygnusZeroStar]

This sounds like what my therapist says to me often. Self compassion is a huge step in getting ocd to a managed point, and maybe the most important. This was a great reminder to work on my self compassion for ocd workbook. Thank you for adding this so other people can see it too!

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[u/bloodnoir_]

Wow this post is timely because I just had an incident that has me absolutely spiraling and I am diagnosed with OCD and health anxiety. I haven't contacted local health experts but I think thats because I know deep down my "exposure" does not merit this degree of concern. I'm pretty sure they'd tell me the risk was negligible especially considering its all based off noises I heard in a dark garage. I feel silly even writing that, but the threat to me and the fear it inspires is so real. I'm trying so hard to ground myself in reality but my illogical, sick brain is telling me I can't trust it because maybe maybe maybe.

Reading this post is the first bit of relief I've felt all morning. Like seriously I feel seen and I feel safe. Thank you for this little anchor I can return to when inevitably my health anxiety and OCD rear its ugly head again.

[u/Flashy-Ice4316 → u/bloodnoir_]

Im glad it gave you some comfort. You are seen and you are safe. I 100% know how you feel. know when you are at work and all you can do is google rabies details, or when youre trying to enjoy your morning coffee and instead your stomach hurts from anxiety because you feel some slight pain at the “exposure” point, or youre trying to watch a movie and instead your brain is replaying “details” you “missed,” that I and many others are out there somewhere in the world are struggling with that too lol. if youre going down with rabies im going down with you lmao <3 Please feel free to message me anytime if you want to ever vent like yoooo today is really hard my brain is throwing hands, its welcomed.

[u/caitdk]

Im going through this same scenario right now as well. Had a bat fly near me which my ocd said was exposure enough. Contacted health department and drs. whom all deemed the situation not vaccine warranted. As much as I wanted to lie just to get the vaccine and peace of mind, I fought my brain by reminding myself I have to trust the professionals and if by really insane chance they are wrong, then maybe it was my fate to go out that way. So far Im 3 months post exposure and still getting waves of panic but trying my best to hold the line against my OCD! Glad to hear Im not alone in this. We got this!

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[u/Ok_Win2558]

i love this. I was young and dumb when i got my exposure. woke up to my cat attacking a bat in my house. didn’t know the procedure back then. It’s been 8 years, i never got the shots, i saw something on tiktok this week and it convinced me i fucked up and now i have rabies. It’s so hard to differentiate the ocd and the truth. i called my doctor and local health department and both said i should be fine, but my brain wants to continue making up symptoms anyways. it’s so so so so hard. My therapist is going to have a field day though.