What Is Rabies OCD?

Rabies OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a condition where a person becomes irrationally afraid of contracting rabies. This irrational fear can cause people to avoid any activity that could potentially expose them to rabies, such as going outside, interacting with animals, or even traveling.

For example, people may be afraid of visiting their family because of an irrational fear that their pet dog will bite them and transmit rabies. Sufferers may also be afraid to take an evening walk because of an irrational fear of bats biting them and passing on the rabies virus.

What Causes Rabies OCD?

The causes of rabies OCD are not known, but it is believed that genetics and environment may both play a role. It can be caused by a traumatic event, such as being bitten by an animal. This experience can cause health anxiety and fear of rabies that can develop into OCD symptoms.

Some people may avoid any activity or situation that could potentially expose them to rabies. Examples include going outside, interacting with animals, or even traveling.

Along with other subtypes of OCD, rabies OCD may also be partly caused by genetics. If a person has a family member who suffers from OCD, they are more likely to develop the condition themselves. This is because OCD may be caused by a combination of environmental conditions and genetic predispositions.

The fear of rabies or contracting the rabies virus may also be seen in individuals with health anxiety. These individuals may also experience hypochondria, in addition to rabies OCD.

What Are The Symptoms of Rabies OCD?

People with rabies OCD often portray similar obsessions and compulsive behaviors. However, the exact obsessions and/or compulsions may sightly vary between person-to-person.

Obsessions Seen In People With Rabies OCD

The obsessions seen in rabies OCD are fear of contracting rabies, fear of death by rabies and fear of becoming a rabies victim. Individuals may have intrusive thoughts about being in the hospital after contracting rabies or dying after catching the rabies virus.

Examples of intrusive thoughts might be:

• "Do I have rabies?"

• "Did I catch rabies from our pet dog?"

• "How long until I show symptoms of rabies?"

Compulsions Seen In People With Rabies OCD

The compulsive behaviors associated with this condition are compulsively checking for rabies symptoms, checking for bites or scratches from animals, compulsively researching rabies, repeatedly washing hands, and compulsively avoiding anything that could potentially expose them to the virus.

Individuals may also engage in compulsive behaviors by constantly seeking out medical advice from friends and/or family. In serious cases, an individual may constantly book appointments with health professionals due to their health anxiety around contracting the rabies virus.

Rabies OCD and Social Life

The compulsions in rabies OCD can have detrimental effects on a sufferer's social life. Due to their OCD, the fear of catching rabies may cause individuals to avoid walks in nature with friends, visiting family/friends with pets, avoiding evening strolls, etc.

These avoidant compulsions may cause additional stress to a person suffering with from this anxiety disorder.

Treatment for Rabies OCD

For rabies OCD, as with other subtypes of OCD, there are various therapies and medications used to treat the disorder. The first part in treating rabies OCD is an official diagnosis by a mental health professional.

There is no one-test rabies OCD diagnosis. A doctor or mental health professional will likely ask a series of questions in order to make a diagnosis. They will want to know about the symptoms and how long they have been occurring. The doctor may also ask about any traumatic events that may have led to the development of rabies OCD.

Once an official diagnosis is made, an OCD specialist might use one or multiple evidence-based therapies to treat the condition. A mental health professional may also combine the use of therapies with medication.

Therapies used to treat rabies OCD include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure response therapy (ERP), mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT).

Using exposure and response prevention, or ERP, involves exposing a person to the things that cause them anxiety or fear. In the case of rabies OCD, this may involve exposing a sufferer to their pet dog. The constant exposure to their obsessions allows them to learn that they can tolerate these feelings without performing compulsions. Repeated practice of ERP may give significant relief to people experiencing severe symptoms of rabies OCD.

If sufferers are experiencing severe symptoms of rabies OCD, they may benefit from outpatient services or intensive outpatient services, as offered by KOR Results. KOR Results delivers online intensive outpatient services, as well as online psychotherapy sessions to patients anywhere across California. If you or someone you know is suffering from rabies OCD, it is important to seek professional help. OCD can be a very debilitating condition, but with proper treatment, most people are able to live healthy and fulfilling lives.

Other Subtypes of OCD

Click here to learn more about other subtypes of OCD.

Rabies OCD: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment