Q: I am a 26 years old man suffering from a strange problem. Every time I travel by train, I fear that somebody would inject me with HIV virus. Do I have some mental block or problem?

A:The information provided by you is not enough for me to conclude if you have a psychological problem or not. However, in psychiatry involuntary/automatic, recurrent and anxiety provoking thoughts are often understood as obsessions. In this, a specific thought, involuntarily pops in ones mind and produces anxiety or discomfort which is relieved when the individual carries out an action (common actions are checking, cleaning, washing etc) which is termed as a compulsion. In certain cases, there may not be any obvious actions or compulsions but obsessive ruminations alone. It would be best if you consult a psychiatrist who can assess and evaluate your current mental condition and guide you accordingly.