What is HIV phobia and how can it be treated?

The global HIV infection rate has been rising year by year. Africa has become a severely affected area of ​​AIDS. With the spread of AIDS, more and more people are suffering from AIDS phobia. So what is AIDS phobia?

What is AIDS phobia?

AIDS phobia (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome phobia), commonly known as AIDS phobia, is such a psychological abnormality: it is a psychological disorder with intense fear of AIDS, accompanied by anxiety, depression, compulsion, hypochondria and other psychological symptoms and abnormal behaviors.

With the rapid spread of AIDS in the world, the number of infected people is increasing, and there is no effective cure. People's concern and fear of AIDS are also increasing. In a sense, this has a positive effect on the prevention of AIDS. However, the concern and fear of some people are far beyond the normal level. They worry too much about getting AIDS, or suspect that they are infected with AIDS without any basis. Patients also have some abnormal emotions and behaviors, which seriously affect their study, work, life and social interaction. From a psychological point of view, AIDS phobia is not a single mental illness, it includes many related mental illnesses.

From a psychological perspective, AIDS phobia is not only caused by a one-sided understanding and misunderstanding of the clinical manifestations and transmission routes of AIDS, but also closely related to the personality foundation and other psychological disorders of a considerable number of people, especially anxiety disorders. AIDS phobia patients can be people who have engaged in high-risk behaviors or people who have not engaged in high-risk behaviors. The fear is completely caused by their own subjective imagination and association.

AIDS phobia usually occurs in the following situations:

1. People who have engaged in high-risk behaviors. On the one hand, such risky behaviors do greatly increase the chance of contracting AIDS. On the other hand, since such behaviors are not allowed by social moral norms, they are often morally condemned and under social pressure deep down. The struggle between reason and desire, morality and instinct will cause them to have a sense of contradiction, guilt and fear, and thus are more likely to develop AIDS phobia.

2. Lack of knowledge about AIDS. Some people do not have a good understanding of AIDS, or have only a limited understanding of it. They believe that as long as they come into contact with the AIDS virus, they will be infected with AIDS. They do not realize that the transmission of AIDS is the same as the transmission of other diseases, and that it also requires a specific transmission route (blood, body fluids, and mother-to-child transmission), and that it also requires a sufficient amount of the virus, and is related to one's own resistance, so they have unnecessary fears.

3. People with poor psychological quality. People who are sensitive, suspicious, overly timid, and detail-oriented are more likely to suffer from AIDS phobia. AIDS phobia is a mirror that reflects their character flaws.

High-risk groups:

The vast majority are men who have engaged in highly risky premarital or extramarital sexual behavior, with prostitutes, hotel escorts, hair salon girls, or promiscuous women they met online. After engaging in the above high-risk behaviors, they worry about being discriminated against by society, losing their jobs and financial resources, being abandoned by their family and friends, and even more so about AIDS.

Some people are infected with HIV physically, while others are infected with AIDS psychologically. To be more precise, they suffer from "AIDS phobia," which is a neurological disorder related to AIDS. The increase in the number of people who are "ill" is related to the increase in the number of people infected with HIV.

At the STD clinic, the highest record is that the same patient did multiple HIV tests, but still felt uneasy, and finally developed depression symptoms. We are also helpless with such patients. We usually tell them a lot of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, hoping to eliminate their psychological fear. For those with serious "diseases", we recommend that they see a psychiatrist.

As a doctor, I hope that every healthy citizen will have sufficient awareness of prevention, and I also hope that patients infected with AIDS will not give up hope and cooperate with our treatment. After all, the prevention and treatment of AIDS depends on everyone, not just medical staff, and "prevention" is always better than "treatment".

AIDS phobia should be treated like this:

1. Believe in science and believe that doctors have confirmed that you are not infected through analysis by doctors and testing for HIV antibodies. Especially for those who have been tested more than twice, you should believe in current testing methods and believe that you are not infected.

2. Learn from the mistakes and cheer up. The mistakes before are in the past. Just remember the lessons. Regret is meaningless. If you put your limited energy into fear, it is equivalent to suffering from "mental AIDS" and you will never be healthy and happy.

3. Love life and get rid of self. Most people who suffer from AIDS phobia have not gotten rid of their own small circle. If you put your energy into a hot career and a happy life, think less about yourself and help others more, you will not make mistakes and panic again and again.

4. Psychological counseling and drug treatment: For those who have psychological defects or cannot get rid of their fear of AIDS, they can go to a psychologist and receive some psychological counseling and drug treatment.

The above introduces the self-help method of getting rid of AIDS phobia. If the anxiety, depression, compulsion, hypochondria and other psychological symptoms and abnormal behavior caused by AIDS phobia cannot be alleviated, it is advisable to seek treatment as soon as possible.