Car
My Email:
Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 1:10 PM
My tire has low air pressure AGAIN. The guy who is driving and working on my car is sleazy, sweaty, and wearing disgusting clothes. I'll be driving the car immediately after he worked on it. Can I get HIV from sweat and grime?
Dr. Garrett's Reply:
Wed, Aug 19, 2020, 3:26 PM
No you can't get HIV that way.
My Email:
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 6:54 PM
Want to quell my OCD? My headphones touched the arm rest of the seat on the train, then I put them in my ear, they're still in my ear. Is that a reason to worry? I'm mostly concerned with HIV.
My Email:
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 7:49 PM
I have a sharp pain inside my right pointer finger, fingerprint area. I'm worried did something stick me, like a hypodermic needle? Do I now have HIV? I must remind myself, it's OCD, and an overwhelming panic attack that my life is changed forever, and I'll have no friends.
My Email:
Thu, Aug 20, 2020, 7:52 PM
The more I think about why I have a pain in my fingerprint area on my right pointer finger, I was eating muscles at a French restaurant today. It's probably a result of opening them up with my hands. That's a harmless and happy reason why. I must not catastrophize the worst.
HIV - Hot Dog Bun
My Email:
Sun, Aug 23, 2020, 7:54 PM
I'm actually doing much better with the HIV OCD catastrophizing. I tell myself: there I go again. It's the same OCD panic attack again, and again, and again - just different scenarios. Catch it, check it, change it. HIV is a fragile virus.
But today I succumbed to the OCD, I've got a question:
I just came back from a long walk around the neighborhood. Let's say hypothetically speaking I stepped on something that contained HIV. My mom gave me my dinner as I was taking my shoes off. As I lifted the shoes, the bottoms came really close to my hot dog bun. Foolishly, I still ate it because I was hungry.
My question: say HIV was on the bottom of my shoe, say it touched the bun, then I ate it. Can I get HIV that way?
There I go again. It's gross but it's OCD.
Dr. Garrett's Reply:
Mon, Aug 24, 2020, 5:36 AM
I am glad to hear you are doing better with the contamination fears. They can be a torment. Keep up the "There I go again" reframing.
My Email:
Mon, Aug 24, 2020, 5:26 PM
It's that time again for contamination fear of the day. It's almost comical if the thoughts weren't so tormenting.
At Starbucks, the Barista's hands were wet as she was making my Nitro Cold Brew coffee. Some of the water got into my beverage. It was gross.
Just moments ago, I was ripping open a cardboard Amazon delivery box and gave myself a paper cut.
Can I get HIV either of these ways? THERE I GO AGAIN! I must recognize it's the same broken record again, and again, and again. It's unpleasant but the likelihood of getting HIV like this is slim to none. I'm trying to fight it off and let it go. Interestingly enough, once I move on to a new contaminate I forget about yesterdays (the previous ones).
Dr. Garrett's Reply:
Mon, Aug 24, 2020, 9:27 PM
Good observation that you forget yesterday's fear and replace it with a new carbon copy. More proof that it is a broken record. Keep up the "There I go again1"
HIV Madness
My Email:
Fri, Sep 11, 2020, 11:54 AM
I went to Quest Lab to do bloodwork because I'm catastrophizing about HIV - which is ridiculous, to begin with.
She drew blood from my arm. Then when I got home, I took off my shoes, touched the bottoms, washed my hands, dried them on a towel. The towel was wet now.
So I took a shower. After the shower, I tried cleaning the open cut. I wiped it from the wet towel spot. How ironic would it be if I put HIV into the cut, trying to protect myself from HIV?
I know this is madness.
Dr. Garrett's Reply:
Fri, Sep 11, 2020, 12:59 PM
It is madness.
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