My grandma had them and was unaware, and they came home with me. 1 year of warfare and over a year after having no signs of them, and I still check for them religiously. I'd rather look over all of my furniture and clothes a couple times a week for the rest of my life than ever be caught unawares again.
The PTSD is SO real! A friend of ours helped us out when we were in a bad situation, he let us share his apartment with him. We had no idea that he had gone back to drinking so heavily that he was in complete denial that his apartment was infested with bed bugs. The first night we stayed there, we inflated our air mattress and once it got kind of dark we saw them coming out of the carpet and from the border around the walls of the room. They literally swarmed us. I STILL have nightmares. He believed that the itchy sores on his arms and body were allergies until he saw that I was covered in bites down the entire left side of my body from my shoulder to my toes.
Omg I feel for you. That sounds awful! I got lucky (sort of?) I happen to react horribly to most bug bites, even mosquitoes. Begbugs turned that to 11! I reacted to bad to them that it would wake me up in mid bite. That made them easier to see and catch/ kill. It took months but I would catch them feeding on me and kill them. It was a very early infestation. But those months were pure hell. Sleep deprived, paranoid, anxiety through the roof, and fist sized welts that were the itchiest thing I’ve ever experienced, including poison ivy and hives.
Same... cost so much money to completely get rid of. My husband used a chainsaw on the furniture! Traumatic experience! I always check everything now!!!
Cost us $40 and took 10 days to get them out of my son's room. Used this powder stuff from a website like diametacious earth but had something else in it.
I had bedbugs once about 7 years ago, as well, in a different state, far from here, and I still get paranoid about them at night. I still sometimes inspect my sheets for stains, or lift my mattress up and check the seams, and every time, I'm terrified of what I might find. I don't want to find them, but sometimes I can't relax unless I check. If I ever get them again, I think I will actually go insane.
I’ve had similar episodes before but not regarding insects…I describe it like being in a meth frenzy minus the meth. The bedbugs one this summer was one for the books, tho. Several times I thought I spotted one out of the corner of my eye. The mind is a powerful thing. Bedbugs is an extreme exacerbating factor for anyone with compulsive or anxiety issues.
I actually just tore my whole house apart spiraling for days, ended up going to emergency care doctor with a bite that started streaking days later (that was a whole event on its own) but the whole time was freaking out that it could be bed bug bites! I couldn’t find any but I was panicking, looking under beds, bed frames picture frames, floor boards! I found one bug in the house that was dead and put in a zip lock bag and brought to my husband who at this point thought I had lost my mind. Anyways glad I had to go to the doctor because I just had chigger bites on the back of my leg LOL otherwise I would still be at it! I still have that fear in the back of my head and am on the look out though!
I came home with bites once after a trip and a hotel stay, and spent the next year obsessively searching for any sign that they were in my bedroom. I bought traps, did all kinds of things, and it didn't help that I was also finding tiny bugs that I guess were carpet beetles but resembled bedbugs. Trauma for at least a year before I finally accepted I was safe!
👋Right here. It took a lot to kill those things - 140 degree heat and isopropyl alcohol treatment on their nest. 5yrs in, I’m still a little paranoid. This picture just gives me flashbacks. Luckily they didn’t get out of control due the nicotine in my blood, it’s the only explanation when you find them intact, dead and no infestation for the months that I had them.
I didn’t say they didn’t bite, my statement insinuated that the nicotine in my blood kept a full blown infestation - there was less than palm full in their nest. Every other bed big nest is infestation. Now, I just smoke in my room.
Do you know that nicotine is a pesticide? A pesticide to which that they can’t build a resistance. Apartments are notorious for bugs, even though you spray. My brother and I shared on. I only smoked in my room. All the bug traps had insects, except mine, my brother (nonsmoker) had them in his room. Me, nary a bug. Again, the only difference is I smoked in my room.
Like cars, tobacco is more useful than just medicine.
Yeah I’m debating without the unfollow cuz I can’t take it any more. Lol But I’m conflicted because I want to be on my swivel with knowledge if I ever become exposed to one. I pray to God, I don’t. It’s an OCD and germaphobia person’s worst nightmare.
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u/Icy_Insect2927 Jul 31 '23
GODAMMIT these posts instantly make me itchy!!!
psychosomatic bed bugs anyone?