Hiv paranoid and phobia

[Vagus12344]

Hello dears

I always paranoid and fear from hiv transmission through blood in the environment,

I met a friend two years ago and accidentally discovered she was hiv and from this moment i have post traumatic stress disease and ocd from hiv, i wash my hands too much , i always fear from anything red coloured,
I avoid touch anything in my home,
Always have hiv in my background

I am really tired from this issue i Don't live my life normally,


Any advice please to overcome these intrusive thoughts.

[Paxiled]

What you're describing isn't OCD, it's a phobia about HIV.  Treatment differs, so don't self-diagnose.  See a psychologist and get a diagnosis and a treatment plan, and if you need meds, you will be referred to a psychiatrist for that.  Generally, if you just have one phobia and this isn't happening in other areas of your life, you can fix it with therapy.  Peace.

[Paxiled]

I have no idea what this is doing here.  This person is clearly describing OCD.  This sounds like a post I made to a different person.  Can this be taken down from this thread, as again, this person is describing OCD.

[specialmom]

Obsessive Compulsive disorder is definitely hard to function well with.  There are known ways to treat it that have been successful for other people.  Do you have access to a psychiatrist which is the specialty of doctor that treats OCD?  They may have therapists that work with them or will refer you to one as well as that is a really important part of overcoming ocd as well.  Many take medication which can be very helpful. Today's medication choices are fairly well tolerated but you must titrate or increase the dose slowly and then titrate or decrease the dose slowly if you discontinue it.  Work with your doctor on that if you both feel medication is necessary but it very often is to treat OCD.  Then therapy wise, they do a specific form of cognitive behavioral therapy which is exposure therapy or ERP. The combination of medication and CBT therapy is usually the most successful and I encourage you to embrace getting that help.  

[specialmom]

here's a link https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/understanding-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-treatment#1

[Paxiled]

I just want to say, usually, first you see a psychologist, not a psychiatrist.  You see a psychiatrist if you need or seek medication.  You have a pretty bad case going, so you might in fact need medication.  But if you are seeking therapy first or an opinion on what's going on, see a psychologist.  While some psychiatrists do perform therapy, they are less trained in psychology than psychologists, and those who do still do therapy charge quite a bit more for it than a psychologist.  Dr. Freud was a very long time ago.  But again, if you are that bad off, it is very likely you would be referred to a psychiatrist for medication, but it is your choice to make.  All the best, but do something about it sooner rather than later so you can have a better chance of overcoming it.