Originally Posted by peacefulday

So these past few days (as I somewhat suspected would happen) my negative thoughts regarding rabies started coming back. I think it started coming about because I was looking up cold/flu symptoms since I was trying to self-diagnose (like Batbite mentioned).

Somehow through that, the questions about rabies symptoms started popping back into my head. Before I knew it, I was reading message boards that were saying how the vaccine doesn't guarantee anything (especially the longer you wait) and the titer doesn't guarantee protection. Medicine and science is all based on probabilities of how much something might be effective. I don't WANT probabilities, I WANT to know that I'll be 100% okay.

I had all the positive facts and logic behind me (I got vaccinated within 36 hrs, I have a great titer level, I've had no major symptoms in the last month, etc). But I still fell to the same level of self-induced anxiety and panic that I had fallen to in the past.

My mom called it an addiction, and I'd say that's a pretty good description. My mind is addicted to this morbid fear, and sometimes it feels like I just can't get away from it. Its also coming back at the worst time, while I'm trying to study for two exams coming this Monday.

Most of my cold symptoms are going away, which is good. But I have a feeling the anxiety is gonna stick around for a little bit.

I know its probably only Batbite hanging around here now, but this group has once again served as a great source of support for an issue that very few people understand.