Hiv again

[Snowflake]

Hi, for those who have read my continuous posts about HIV, you might be aware that I work in a shop. For some reason I keep coming in contact with dry blood. This morning I had to clean a mirror, the spray I was using had a giant blood stain on it so I cleaned it off (for someg exposure therapy) I didn't use gloves, which I really should of done. But I did not. I used some paper towle. To my knowledge I didn't come in contact directly with the blood. Few moments later I cleaned a mirror that also had a smear of dried blood, I sprayed it with glass cleaner then wiped it with a paper towel. Now I'm in an obvious state of panic. I cut my finger last night so what if it managed to enter my cut. Why do I keep seeing blood? What the hell is going on?! 

I seriously need some help. 

[taurean]

1 hour ago, Snowflake said:

Hi, for those who have read my continuous posts about HIV, you might be aware that I work in a shop. For some reason I keep coming in contact with dry blood. This morning I had to clean a mirror, the spray I was using had a giant blood stain on it so I cleaned it off (for someg exposure therapy) I didn't use gloves, which I really should of done. But I did not. I used some paper towle. To my knowledge I didn't come in contact directly with the blood. Few moments later I cleaned a mirror that also had a smear of dried blood, I sprayed it with glass cleaner then wiped it with a paper towel. Now I'm in an obvious state of panic. I cut my finger last night so what if it managed to enter my cut. Why do I keep seeing blood? What the hell is going on?! 

I seriously need some help. 

What is going on is that your OCD is priming your brain to look out for what could be blood, then make connections to what OCD deems a threat e. g. you cut your finger yesterday. 

As is usual OCD is scanning for potential triggers then, when it finds one, focusing-holding on it in your brain.

Then it exaggerates any threat it perceives. 

Then it makes "connections" to other, unconnected, things - alleging there is a connection. 

Why not save this response so you can refer to it when you need, until you get the hang of this and gradually ease away from reacting to the intrusions with belief plus the anxiety response? 

[Snowflake]

3 hours ago, taurean said:

What is going on is that your OCD is priming your brain to look out for what could be blood, then make connections to what OCD deems a threat e. g. you cut your finger yesterday. 

As is usual OCD is scanning for potential triggers then, when it finds one, focusing-holding on it in your brain.

Then it exaggerates any threat it perceives. 

Then it makes "connections" to other, unconnected, things - alleging there is a connection. 

Why not save this response so you can refer to it when you need, until you get the hang of this and gradually ease away from reacting to the intrusions with belief plus the anxiety response? 

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I agree with you, I'm looking for problems that  connect to blood and hiv. I think I did a big step today by cleaningcuo the  blood . I feel exhausted because of the panic attack I had before. I keep forgetting the facts about contamination of hiv. It dosnt last long on surfaces anyway. I really appreciate your help. Thank you, I will save this response for future anxiety attacks. 

[Binxy]

5 minutes ago, Snowflake said:

keep forgetting the facts about contamination of hiv. It dosnt last long on surfaces anyway.

Just be careful with this... it's easy to turn this "reasoning" into a compulsion whenever you are exposed to something that you're worried is a risk... before you know it you're googling or asking doctors or calling helplines (been there!) to support your argument. The best response is probably to not respond

[PolarBear]

Chances are, what you think was blood, was not. Because you play OCD's game, you see blood everywhere, when it's not blood.

[Handy]

This will float by just like before. 

Cleaners wear gloves it’s common sense to. 

[PolarBear]

Cleaners don't yypically wear gloves because of blood, unless in a hospital. The reason they wear gloves is because they want to limit their exposure to cleaning chemicals.

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

 

Very few are infected with something which cab give you anything.

[Handy]

14 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Cleaners don't yypically wear gloves because of blood, unless in a hospital. The reason they wear gloves is because they want to limit their exposure to cleaning chemicals.

If you're a cleaner with a cut finger you wear gloves that way you don't expose your customers.

[taurean]

2 hours ago, Handy said:

If you're a cleaner with a cut finger you wear gloves that way you don't expose your customers.

I wouldn't think that would be the reason. 

If they cut their finger then they would apply any necessary first aid then apply a plaster (band-aid in the USA). 

Same as anyone else in general. 

[dksea]

6 hours ago, taurean said:

apply a plaster (band-aid in the USA). 

I gotta admit, this one confused me at first when I started on the site.  In American English plaster is pretty much only used to refer to the hard stuff you use to make walls, or things like casts for when you break a bone. I was trying to figure out why you'd apply that kind of plaster for something as simple as a cut!  

@Snowflake  I want to remphasize Roys excellent post above:

On 17/06/2019 at 21:18, taurean said:

What is going on is that your OCD is priming your brain to look out for what could be blood, then make connections to what OCD deems a threat e. g. you cut your finger yesterday. 

As is usual OCD is scanning for potential triggers then, when it finds one, focusing-holding on it in your brain.

Then it exaggerates any threat it perceives. 

Then it makes "connections" to other, unconnected, things - alleging there is a connection. 

Why not save this response so you can refer to it when you need, until you get the hang of this and gradually ease away from reacting to the intrusions with belief plus the anxiety response? 

Seriously focus on this, take it to heart, this is a very good explanation of how OCD is affecting you and accepting it can help you beat OCD.