Irrational thoughts and ending them

[E.B]

I've slightly touched on this,topics, but how do you let them go...they happened twice today. Centered around rabies fear.

Went somewhere that had feral cats, one got near me...what if it bit or scratched me?

Got to my house, i have a garage in back of my house...was putting some boxes in there, heard some animals above either in eves or above upstairs..have no idea if it was birds, mice, bats, etc..

What if a bat flew and bit me?

Rational people without anxiety would be able to come to a conclusion this was not danger...how do I close the topic and move on and not obsess?

"I am not saying any of you are irrational, strictly speaking on myself"

I actually do better however when people tell me im being irrational

 

[FlipperK]

I actually do better however when people tell me im being irrational

You’re being irrational




What if they didn’t bite you? Why not ask that question?

What got me over the rabies fear is when I was talking to my dad about it. He is a car mechanic, and if you think about it... how many times do you run over dead carcasses on the road? All the time right?

Well if car mechanics touch cars all day long, how come none of them ever get rabies?

Because it can’t happen like that.

No bites, no direct contact, your fine.

 

[E.B]

You’re being irrational




What if they didn’t bite you? Why not ask that question?

What got me over the rabies fear is when I was talking to my dad about it. He is a car mechanic, and if you think about it... how many times do you run over dead carcasses on the road? All the time right?

Well if car mechanics touch cars all day long, how come none of them ever get rabies?

Because it can’t happen like that.

No bites, no direct contact, your fine.

Thank you for the response.

What concerns me is that i realize the truth but still obsess. For example today during the place i saw the cats i scratch my wrist on a piece of metal. I knew that but kept thinking about a cat doing it. Very strange.

 

[matisworried]

you need to remind yourself of how irrational your fears are.

FACTS:
- THERE ARE ONLY 5000 NEW CASES OF RABIES IN ANIMALS REPORTED ANNUALLY. NEARLY ALL OF THEM ARE REPORTED IN WILD LIFE, NOT DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
- THERE ARE 90 MILLION DOGS AND 98 MILLION CATS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ONLY 60-70 OF THEM WILL GET RABIES IN A GIVEN YEAR.
- THERE ARE LESS THAN THREE REPORTED CASES IN HUMANS EVERY YEAR. OUR POPULATION IS JUST SHY OF 400 MILLION.
- THAT MEANS YOUR ODDS OF GETTING RABIES ARE 1 IN 400,000,000 ANNUALLY. YOUR ODDS OF WINNING THE POWERBALL ARE 1 IN 292,000,000. YOU ARE LITERALLY MORE LIKELY TO WIN THE LOTTERY THAN YOU ARE TO GET RABIES.
- MORE MORBIDLY, YOUR INDIVIDUAL ODDS OF DYING IN A CAR ACCIDENT ARE 1 IN 77. NOT 77 MILLION, JUST 77... BUT NONE OF US ARE WORRYING ABOUT THAT, I BET.

Other things to remind yourself that aren't as "fact-based."
- an animal with rabies is not going to act "normal." they are much more aggressive, their behavior can be bizarre and abnormal...
- if the animal is domesticated and living in a home, a pet owner is going to know.

 

[E.B]

you need to remind yourself of how irrational your fears are.

FACTS:
- THERE ARE ONLY 5000 NEW CASES OF RABIES IN ANIMALS. NEARLY ALL OF THEM ARE REPORTED IN WILD LIFE, NOT DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
- THERE ARE 90 MILLION DOGS AND 98 MILLION CATS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ONLY 60-70 OF THEM WILL GET RABIES IN A GIVEN YEAR.
- THERE ARE LESS THAN THREE REPORTED CASES IN HUMANS EVERY YEAR. OUR POPULATION IS JUST SHY OF 400 MILLION.
- THAT MEANS YOUR ODDS OF GETTING RABIES ARE 1 IN 400,000,000 ANNUALLY. YOUR ODDS OF WINNING THE POWERBALL ARE 1 IN 292,000,000. YOU ARE LITERALLY MORE LIKELY TO WIN THE LOTTERY THAN YOU ARE TO GET RABIES.
- MORE MORBIDLY, YOUR INDIVIDUAL ODDS OF DYING IN A CAR ACCIDENT ARE 1 IN 77. NOT 77 MILLION, JUST 77... BUT NONE OF US ARE WORRYING ABOUT THAT, I BET.

Other things to remind yourself that aren't as "fact-based."
- an animal with rabies is not going to act "normal." they are much more aggressive, their behavior can be bizarre and abnormal...
- if the animal is domesticated and living in a home, a pet owner is going to know.

I appreciate you reminding me of those statistics. I wonder why throughout my life i continue to sometimes what if things that didn't happen. Not they possibly did, but that didn't happen...and i roll with that thought.