Convinced im going to die of rabies or prison

[Anxiouspotat0]

(Yes we have a type of rabies here only in bats)
5 weeks ago I woke up with this mark on my hand.
Google lense said it could be a bat bite.
I went to urgent care who said it doesnt look like a bat bite, who contacted ukhsa / rabies team, who said because I didnt see a bat in the room I didnt qualify for the jabs. Since then I have been convinced im going to die. I even wrote a goodbye letter to my children. I sleep with the window open and I am convinced a bat flew in and bit me and flew out.

I then went on holiday and had a run in with a bat there and came home completely panicked. Id been having rabies symptoms for most of the holiday so I was horrifically anxious the whole time and this was just the cherry on top.

Then I stupidly over exaggerated the exposure/ what happened on holiday at urgent care. This was fueled by ny anxiety from the "bite" here and that id been having what in my head were rabies synptoms, and having another run in with a bat over there also, I wasnt thinking straight and it just came out in the moment. I regret it badly.

Ukhsa then recommended the jabs based on that but I panicked as I read lying/ over exaggerating and getting treatment as is a criminal offense/ fraud against the nhs. But I was just terrified, anxious, not thinking straight and wanted to not be scared anymore. I declined the jabs as im terrified of getting into trouble.i dont want to be a bad person. I just dont want to die.

I just want to be okay again. My mental health is in tatters, im not eating, cant stop crying, cant parent my children, can barely work, my hairs falling out, panic attacks.

I did admit to multiple doctors that I wasnt completely honest about the exposure and thats why I declined the jabs as they probably woukdnt have recommended them otherwise,
and one doctor told UKHSA this also, so there is now evidence I wasnt honest that can be used against me and im so scared.

A a&e doctor recommended I just get the jabs even though UKhsa woulsnt have rexommended tbem if I had not exaggerated, because my mental health is suffering so bad -- I had a full breakdown on him- but im convinced I will be convicted of fraud if I do. Id lose my job and what if I went to prison. I have kids..

But im convinced ill die if I dont get them.
Even though logically I know theres a chance it isnt a bat bite. But no doctors can tell me what it could be. Im just so scared.

Im having really scary thoughts as I just want this all to go away. I feel hopeless and trapped and im terrified

What would you do? Risk legal trouble and get them? Or risk rabies.

I’m fairly sure that IF a bat flew in your window at night, bit your hand, and then flew out the window again, you would be aware of it. It wouldn’t just quietly glide in, land, bite and quietly glide out. It would be flapping about all around the room, banging into the walls/ ceiling/ window frame.
I got bitten on my arm by a spider a few years ago. It didn’t hurt, but I had two fang marks just like what you have on your hand.

I am very scared as since the bite I have has numbness tingling crawling on that hand and arm on and off. Today I woke with both my arms tingling and burning like crazy and it wont go away. I dont know what to do. I wasnt anxious when asleep so cant put this down to anxiety

Of course you can be anxious in your sleep. Why do you think people have anxiety dreams?!
Tingling and numbness are classic anxiety symptoms.
No bat. No rabies. No prison.

I’d disagree. I’m a calm stoic type when awake, but asleep I often have fitful anxiety dreams and grind my teeth all the time…honestly, if you think about any body part enough you can make it hurt/ache/tingle.
I’d forget the bat injections and get your self to a private mental health Dr if your GP isn't being helpful.

you didn’t feel it when you were asleep.

tnis is just going round in circles as you can’t move away from it, you know you need to make a doctors appointment about your mental health as that’s the issue, but as you’re so mentally unwell you can’t get past the rabies thing, even though you also know logically if you were having symptoms you’d be dead by now.

no one on here can help you and this thread is simply enabling you to continue to fixate on it.

According to this there has only ever been 4 cases of bats giving humans rabies in the whole of Europe and since 1902 there hasn’t been a single case of a human in the UK with rabies that was acquired in the UK.

It’s so rare that it seems very unlikely that this is what you have.

I think, like many others on this thread, that your symptoms are related to poor MH and you need support for that urgently

Aw, I was 40 before I had panic attacks, I had no patience with people who had them before then.
Mine began when I smoked cannabis for the first time, at 40.
The first time I just fainted, wasn't even aware I was hyperventilating.
Then, the first awarness was the buzz that began around my elbows and arms.
It, to me, is a sure fire sign you're having panic attacks.
Mine eventually stopped when I stopped smoking spliffs. (smoked for 10 years😜)

You're hyperventilating, google how to stop it.
Something is driving your anxiety, for me it was smoking spliffs.
Try to work out where it's from.

PLEASE listen to to me @Anxiouspotat0. I went through something almost identical as far as your thought patterns and level of anxiety are concerned. It turned out I had (have) OCD. Your spiralling obsessive thought patterns are screaming OCD to me. Please speak to a gp- they can help xx

This is an episode of escalating symptoms, not bats. OP, found your threads as far back as 2023. Have you been in this state for many years now? Or have you had a period of remission? It does sound like severe OCD.

You were not bitten by a bat. You don’t have rabies. You don’t need a jab. You are not going to gaol. However your acute poor mental health is causing physical symptoms. You need urgent treatment for your mental health, if you have the money I’d be looking at a private clinic with inpatient treatment in the immediate term. If not, go to GP and get the ball rolling otherwise.

I have severe parathesia today in both arms and muscle pains so im convinced this is the end for me. Havent stopped crying im so scared.
I have a doctor appointment on tuesday.

You had pins and needles and think you’re going to die? I hope you get the help you need for your mental health on Tuesday, and I think people should stop feeding into what is clearly serious mental illness, as no one here can help you.

I really think you should go to a hospital with this level of anxiety and distress. You’ll probably be referred to the crisis team.

Hi OP, i am so sorry you are feeling this way. I am a health anxiety sufferer too and when there are genuine health concerns it is terrifying. From what i've read in your posts and the comments, it is very very clear that the real threat to your health is your anxiety at this moment. The way your whole body is reacting right now causes a cascade of real physical symptoms, some of which are really harmful if they continue too long. Your body is flooding with stress hormones and your lack of sleep and nutrition make all this extra taxing. So i totally believe you are not functioning at the moment and you feel really really unwell. Your symptoms (parasthesias or numbness) are a direct effect of (silent) hyperventilation.

You need medical care asap for your fried nervous system, not for the rabies you think you have.
I am saying this as someone currently also going through a spiral caused by some labs that are off but potentially as a result from stress; pathological anxiety can and will actually make you ill at some point if it isn't treated.

Please let your doctors treat your anxiety disorder.

Oh and i forgot to add; a previous poster said something about pitting and the image she uploaded looks very very similar to your photos, so take this with you as a possible diagnosis too.

I wish i could tell you you are going to be fine, and while i truly believe you do not have rabies, i am afraid you are not going to be fine because if you don't seek help for your mental health you are running yourself into the ground...

If you have to wait a few days to be seen i can highly recommend gentle exercise (walking or swimming) to calm your nervous system and see what your body is actually capable of. Also follow "Cherellethinks" on Instagram or youtube. She is a wonderful young woman who had dibilitating health anxiety and has lots of educational videos, and she does 1-1 sessions (online) too. But first- doctor/hospital/crisis team to get you out of this current spiral.

Good luck OP. You can do this. Take care of yourself 💪🍀

This!,☝️

I agree with everyone else that it's severe health anxiety (with OCD level ruminating, maybe you have OCD)
Knowing someone who is like this I know there's not much anyone can say to calm you down. I would say take the jabs. If you didn't suffer with this level of anxiety you could accept the likelihood that you're fine (re rabies). But your anxiety has latched onto it.
Get the jabs as better get them than risk your anxiety latching on to this for the next year, and urgently investigate some sort of therapy/help with the mental health. Because this level of anxiety does not let up by itself, it just waits until the next trigger snd then goes into overdrive again and I know, it's torture (hence you not wanting to wake up).
You will NOT be in legal trouble or go to jail. Definitely not. But even if your anxiety keeps telling u that, well tell yourself I'd rather be in legal trouble than keep thinking I-ve got rabies.
Also , I am so sorry you are going through this as the thought of rabies IS terrifying. Again I'd urge you to get the jabs to lay that side of it to rest.
I don't know what therapies are effective for OCD level anxiety but definitely look into it. Good luck

Op here are the symptoms of severe health anxiety , you don’t need to have them all. You can see pins and needles are one. You also can physically imagine symptoms into being, if your mental illness is severe enough, which it’s clear it is.

Cardiovascular & Respiratory Symptoms

• Palpitations: A racing, pounding, or fluttering heartbeat, which is often misinterpreted as a sign of an impending heart attack.
• Chest tightness: Sharp pain or a heavy feeling across the chest caused by intercostal muscle tension.
• Breathing changes: Shortness of breath, shallow breathing, or hyperventilation, which can cause oxygen levels to shift and trigger further panic.

Neurological & Sensory Symptoms

• Dizziness or light-headedness: Feeling unsteady on your feet or faint, often worsened by rapid breathing.
• Tingling and numbness: "Pins and needles" or a buzzing sensation in the fingers, toes, hands, or lips, driven by restricted blood flow from the fight-or-flight response.
• Tension headaches: Persistent, dull aches or a "tight band" feeling around the head.

Gastrointestinal & Musculoskeletal Symptoms

• Stomach disruption: Nausea, "butterflies," cramping, acid reflux, or a sudden need to use the toilet.
• Muscle tension and aches: Widespread soreness, twitching, or trembling caused by keeping the body constantly braced for danger.
• Chronic fatigue: Feeling completely drained or physically exhausted from the constant surge of stress hormones.

anti depressants are likely required to reduce the panic. Hopefully your doctor prescribes these on Tuesday and you also get referred for therapy , you can self refer for talking therapy