Thank you very much for sharing that with me Mama Lama. My daughter is a big fan/listener of the Dalai Lama if there's any connection! I used to be a heavy drinker- in fact, it was because of...
I drink no alcohol whatsoever and eat tons of fruits and veggies every day. But I was a heavy drinker in my 20's and 30's. Obviously, when facing this any of us are bound to have a lot of concerns....
Thanks ppm guy. Well, I just (finally!) found this U.S. veterans' site that gave me info on AST and ALT and how they can be 'normal' even when the liver is damaged....
@ ppm guy I'm a bit confused. When you say you 'got healthy,' do you mean your blood tests were normal? Can you have normal blood tests and have cirrhosis? Or did the cirrhosis come on suddenly?...
Someone may recognize me as the guy with an HIV phobia from that forum. Fortunately, I have not been exposed to that virus- I only imagine that I was. HCV is another matter though as I first knew I...
Some weeks later and I'm sure now that the HIV test results were negative. I'd like to mention again that the medical check here in China for a working visa is bureaucratic procedure- if you check...
While there is no need to be on medication that does nothing or makes things worse, I can also say that I've been taking Clonazepam 2mg/day for some years now and found it eliminated and panic...
I have been reading anxietynetwork.com/content/coping-statements-anxiety and it really helps a lot. For me, especially the 'When Anxiety is Near' section. Yesterday I did foolish bad move and went on...
It's interesting to note that while we look to childhood traumas for answers, they're often just the first incidences in a pattern. Traumas continue throughout life of course, and although I in no...
Ever since Scaredy Cat wrote 'think positive thoughts,' my struggle with HIV phobia has gotten better. Not to say it hasn't cropped up dozens of times today or clouded my thoughts about the future,...
Thanks oslooskar and as always, S.C. I would definitely obsess over something like that, and as you might imagine with an obssesion for statistics, risks, and googlitis I have learned some things....
I'm doing pretty well today. Sometimes I almost 'give in' to the 'fact' that I'm HIV negative (too remote to even consider). I say 'give in' because for the obsessive mind uses worry and fear of a...
Thanks Larry. Yes, I know that, although with some caveats. thebody.com is a good source of info. But my problem is not a lack of information- it's an obsessive search for information, clutching at...
Briefly here's my situation: I work in China where every year we undergo a medical check (all public workers do, not just foreigners). I am technically still married with a Chinese woman, though the...
Thanks for the answers. I will post again because I always write too much (nothing wrong there! just the way I am :). I'm also sorry for not responding much to post in this forum- I'm not sure why...
I first developed HIV phobia when I was 25. I was convinced I would not live to see 30 or the year 2000. Now I'm 52 and, as far as I know still negative and still afraid. I have not been continuously...
@S.C. Thanks! @AnxiousTexan That's the exact time frame that I have! That's when my phobia began and was at its absolute worse. I got tested four times in six months and had psychosomatic symptoms....
Hi all. I've gone a month without an HIV-phobia attack. I've done some brain exercises, talked to my doctor several times, and have NOT considered going in for a test (I'll be tested for lots of...
I appreciate your honesty and compassion. Actually, I broke this phobia today, so I guess it lasted nearly 36 hours though the worst was the first couple of hours. I consider, and really feel, myself...
DawnGrump, On no- on offense taken at all. First, I thought you might be wondering if I ever had a false positive. I could see how that could easily result in subsequent anxiety. My...
Thank you all for your support! @DawnGrump Public workers in China have to undergo a general health exam every year, including a test for HIV, as well as a lot of other things. We foreigners are not...
I have decided a while ago that compulsive testing for HIV is NOT the answer. A practical 'Plan B' if I did ever test positive for HIV is more practical and helpful, but I realize that though the...
I did it again- Google Doctor. I read the worst prognosis and looked at the extreme images. I couldn't stop it seems. I did this for at least 45 minutes. Why? :nono: Aside from my morbid dwelling...
Thank you Scaredy Cat. I think the best thing is that I have decided to take action- not about coping with HIV phobia specifically, but seeing the HIV issue as a symptom and a trigger in the whole...
Hi All. Just want to introduce myself. I notice that the anxiety forum is second only to the chronic pain forum. It has been said that we live in an age of anxiety- certainly the number of entries in...