OCD Checking HIV and AIDS Anxiety
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder presents itself in many guises, and certainly goes far beyond the common misconception that OCD is merely a little hand washing or checking light switches. Although those are valid OCD compulsions, such perceptions fail to acknowledge the distressing thoughts that occur prior to such behaviours and also fails to highlight the utter devastation that constant compulsions (no matter what they are) can cause.
Although there are infinite forms of OCD, it has been traditionally considered that a person’s OCD will fall into one of these five main categories, with themes often overlapping between categories too.
Checking
Contamination / Mental Contamination
Symmetry and ordering
Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts
Hoarding
The person suffering with OCD will be convinced, perhaps through unprotected and protected sex or sexual activity that they have become infected with HIV or AIDS. The person suffering may worry that they weren’t careful enough during a past sexual encounter and in addition avoids new sexual encounters. They will Google symptoms, and go for HIV tests, sometimes more than once until they ‘feel’ they’re not at risk. Further sexual encounters can sometimes trigger the return of the obsession. The secondary obsessional fear and worry is that the illness is present and they will be guilty for spreading the virus to someone they care about through sexual encounters or passing of blood or saliva accidentally.
Although there are infinite forms of OCD, it has been traditionally considered that a person’s OCD will fall into one of these five main categories, with themes often overlapping between categories too.
Checking
Contamination / Mental Contamination
Symmetry and ordering
Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts
Hoarding
The person suffering with OCD will be convinced, perhaps through unprotected and protected sex or sexual activity that they have become infected with HIV or AIDS. The person suffering may worry that they weren’t careful enough during a past sexual encounter and in addition avoids new sexual encounters. They will Google symptoms, and go for HIV tests, sometimes more than once until they ‘feel’ they’re not at risk. Further sexual encounters can sometimes trigger the return of the obsession. The secondary obsessional fear and worry is that the illness is present and they will be guilty for spreading the virus to someone they care about through sexual encounters or passing of blood or saliva accidentally.