Prion Disease Fear?
mechanical_fish: You need to speak about this some more with your therapist, or with a different therapist if you want a second opinion. You should do so right away. Pick up the phone! That is what these counselors are there for.The rest of us can't help very much. This is the Internet. It's really good for reciting facts, but the facts of the matter have little or nothing to do with your fear. Fear isn't a thing you can necessarily explain away, as you probably know better than anyone. For example, you already know, consciously, that diseases like CJD are incredibly rare, which is to say: You do not have classic CJD, and you're not going to get it. [1] And yet here you are.You need to learn, with the help of coaches, how to recognize your fear and adopt practical strategies for dealing with it when it arises. You might also derive great benefit from certain medications. If your fear is endangering your happiness or your life it is a serious problem, but it is a problem for a psychiatrist or a psychologist, not for hackers on a message board.---[1] Yeah, I could be wrong. But it is more likely that I will die in an auto accident within the next week than that I am wrong. [2][2] 1.2 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811207.PDF), assume 300 miles traveled per week => my chance of death each week is 3.2 in 1 million. According to the CDC "The risk of CJD increases with age, and in persons aged over 50 years of age, the annual rate is approximately 3.4 cases per million." (http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/cjd/index.htm)