Hi Everyone.
A few months ago I started to become deathly afraid of getting AIDS by thinking that I touched a surface with blood on it or ate a food with blood on it. Lately I often find myself looking behind me to see if i stepped in blood that could splatter on my leg and go in a cut. I know, I know, you think I'm crazy. But this is a real problem that I can't seem to get over. Another ritiual that I find myself doing day after day is picking off all of the red specs on my food that could be blood. By time I'm done with a meal I find that half of it is going in the trash. But if I try to fight the desire to rip off all of the red spots on my food I just get anxiety. I wish that just one day I could wake up and forget all about this phobia thing, but I can't. It has changed my life in so many ways that I can't even begin to explain. Does anybody have any reasurring words?

Thanks for all the help.

Hey Kenny,

First of all, try not to think that you're abnormal or weird or anything, most people have some kind of irrational phobia of something or other, all to different degrees. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

The only thing I can really suggest is that you go about finding a therapist who can help you fingure out what it is that's caused it, why you're so afraid and finally to help you resolve it so that you can get back to living a normal life.

I really hope you get on top of this phobia soon.

xxx