The size of bed bugs is a total opposite of the psychological toll they cause humans. Anywhere from the city and countryside, the words ‘bed bugs’ are enough to strike a chord of fear to house dwellers. Even the apartments in New York face the same pest control problem. The busy environment and the difficulty of detecting the pest add up to the grim effects of bed bugs on households.
Many experts had already ruled out the fear that the bugs might spread transmissible diseases to humans. But with physical effects aside, there are more to the infestation that what meets the skin. Psychological issues are related to this pest’s presence and if not addressed, a home could be stressful instead of being the relaxing abode it should be.
The reason why it’s important to address this matter is that of the alarming situations households tend to befall on. It adds up to the stress at work which can directly affect quality time within the family members. If you haven’t detected it yet, here are some reasons why the bed bugs could be making its way to you and your family’s daily lives.
1. Sleeplessness
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One of the major results of a bed bug infestation is the disruption of the sleeping habits of a person. The bites tend to create the paranoia that the next time you turn the lights off, the critters are all going to crawl and pinch your skin painlessly only to suffer from it the next morning. The thoughts of this send a person restless, tossing and turning in bed while losing hours of supposedly quality rest time. You may start to be jumpy in the event of a slight itchiness.
Lack of enough rest makes a person’s cognitive functions go slow and the home to be the source of stress instead of being the safe place to let loose. Even if you transfer to another room or the sofa, there would still be the feeling of paranoia and in most times, the bugs might just follow your tracks.
2. Effects of bed bugs on households: Anxiety and depression
In worst cases, massive bed bug infestations can send a person into a state of frenzy. People who have the inclination to anxiety can develop a more serious condition that can be tagged with depression. Insomnia could trigger these psychological issues especially if the infestation is prolonged and unattended.
There are very rare cases of homeowners who attempted to take their lives because of the massive bed bug infestation. This could be a very unusual case but the fact that it happens should raise the red flag that it can be experienced by someone else.
It might seem like a common scenario but some households could have it worse. You might also experience the same thing and if you think that the bugs are getting on your nerves, you should ask for help immediately.
3. The idea of ‘invasion’
Almost all people consider their homes as the safest places they could ever be. But when bed bugs continuously attack and disrupt their lives, it starts to form the notion of ‘invasion’. This makes the person want to be away from home, possibly affecting his relationship with his family. Such case would lead to intense anxiety and possible depression if the person is highly susceptible to mental problems.
The bed bugs can also take its toll on mentally healthy hosts. When the attacks and invasion become too much to bear, the person might start to lose sleep, develop irritation, and then succumb to a nervous breakdown. These effects of bed bugs on households tend to be very grim.
If the home is no longer a convenient place to be in, the person might have the notion of detachment. Insecurity comes next that will add up to the problem.
4. Isolation from family and friends
Bed bugs bring itchy and irritating bites. What’s more is that it can cling to people’s clothes and spread an infestation to another property once they get off. This will make family members and friends keep distance to the house or worse, to the person who’s already carrying the burden of the infestation. Of all the possible scenarios, this is the most devastating. The person could start feeling self-pity and being alone in the problem.
Another thing is that it’s hard to convince other people that the bed bugs are 100% gone from your house. We all know that these critters are tiny bloodsuckers that are excellent in hiding. Other people may tend to get nervous or paranoid in your presence.
The emotional themes of a bed bug infestation are observable especially for those people who have visible skin bites. Other people tend to be disgusted with the sight of it which will send another emotional blow to the host.
5. Effects of bed bugs on households: Worry
Constant worrying is by no cost healthy. It fuels anxiety and when that condition starts to be serious, the affected person could be on the verge of heart problems. This isn’t an exaggeration as experts in Harvard had found a solid link between the two. Overwhelming worry or the one that lasts for more than six months can change the body’s response. Anxiety attacks could raise the blood pressure of a person that may or may not result in high blood pressure, palpitation, and stickier platelets.
The alarming part here is that the symptoms of a heart attack could be mistaken as the onset of an anxiety attack. The two condition shares same signs like lightheadedness, heavy breathing, sweating, and a pounding heart. It’s better to seek medical help when you start experiencing this to be sure. Anyway, the best cure here is getting the bed bug population exterminated at the soonest possible time.
6. Expenses
For those who are on a tight budget, the expenses of eradicating the bugs could be the root of many psychological issues. A person could be plagued with worry and the paranoia of how to make ends meet after paying thousands of dollars to pay for a neglected infestation in the property.
Many times, homeowners would already be vulnerable to the mental problems linked to a bed bug infestation. The cost would induce more suffering as the person experiences further stress and insomnia. Overall, this could have effects of bed bugs on households like disrupted diet, daily activities, and quality of work.
It all boils down to mental and physical health of the person as the disturbance takes its toll on the human body.
7. Compulsiveness
After experiencing a major infestation, a person could develop compulsiveness of cleaning and performing preventive measures. Some people tend to bleach the possible hideouts with the fear that the bed bugs may come or continue infesting. Such thing can happen even after the bed bugs are already treated and eliminated. The paranoia would linger until the person had the chance to seek professional help or slowly lose the tension.
In worst cases, the person can develop the dreaded Ekbom Syndrome or delusional parasitosis. Some people inflict cuts to their skin thinking that they have to remove bugs or insects inside but in reality, there is no present infestation. Other symptoms may include constant brushing and cleaning of the area with the belief of the insects still harboring inside the property.
When this happens, it’s pressing that the person seeks medical help as the lesions could cause infections and jeopardize the physical health of the individual. Such effects of bed bugs on households are life-threatening and have to be addressed right away.
8. The never-ending torture
Bed bugs don’t just hide on mattresses, they could also infest every single piece of furniture in the household. If the infestation starts to go out of hand, the process would be a never-ending torture especially if the person just resorts to dysfunctional DIY methods.
If the psychological issues pile up, the person would have a feeling that he’s in an endless process of suffering from the pest. Other personal problems could also affect the person’s mental health that will make the situation worse.
The effects of bed bugs on households may vary depending on the extent of infestation as well as the mental condition of the occupants. What’s important here is to detect the alarming signs and deal with it even before it takes the best away from you.
If you’re already observing some serious signs of stress and anxiety due to an infestation, you should seek the help of experts immediately. We would also like to hear from you in the comment section.
