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Could you please help this OCD victim?

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ohnotooks

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 19:56:12
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I have been battling OCD with bedbugs being a main focus as of late. (I won't get into my long history of anxiety.) I have never met a bed bug in person and have never been bit (that I know of). But I was convinced I had them for a while. I am now in therapy for OCD (again). My trusty book tells me that I am overestimating the risk and that I should do what a prudent (non OCD person) would do in certain situations.

So what do you prudent, non OCD people do when you....

1. Receive packages in the mail from family, from amazon, from anywhere?

2. Buy new things from a department store?

3. Receive gifts?

4. Sit down in public?

5. Have out of town visitors (I am thinking of my mother) stay at your house that arrived via airplane?

6. Guard your house on a regular basis from the pests?

I have ruled out hotel stays for a bit. But I have read how to search rooms and what to do with my stuff. I have also ruled out movie theaters. But I rarely went in the first place, so that's no big deal.
P Bello

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:19:26
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OK, I'll try to help but I'm a "bug guy" and not a psycologist. In fact, the one place ai have trouble removing bed bugs the most is from between people's ears.

This said, I'd encourage you to stick with the advice on dealing with OCD that you receive from quaified individuals who are medically competent to best help you with that.

Regarding your list of questions above, I really don't do anythiong special or take any undue or out of the ordinary precautuons opposite the items you listed above.

I do take precautions when traveling to hotels but have not yet brought a flashlight to a movie theater to check for bugs yet. Although that possibility would totally suck !

Overall, you may be overestimating the risk to yourself so, perhaps, take a deep breath, count to ten (or one thousand, which ever works best) and relax a bit about BBs for the time being.

Good luck, hope this helps, paul b.
rs1971

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:21:22
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To be clear upfront, I'm not advocating any particular level of vigilance and certainly not suggesting that anyone should emulate my behavior . But if you are looking for data points, I don't personally do anything special in any of the circumstances you've listed. The one exception is that I probably would run new clothes / linens through the dryer before I'd wear / use them, though I buy that stuff so infrequently that I cant' say for sure.

When I was at the height of my bed bug paranoia (I didn't have them) I did take certain precautions. For instance, if it could be avoided I wouldn't sit in cloth chairs in public places and I was always careful to open my packages outside and toss of the packing material right into the dumpster.

For me this period lasted about a month and things gradually got back to normal. At this point about the only difference in my behavior from before I knew anything about bed bugs is that when I travel I do do a fairly thorough (15 / 20 minutish) inspection of any hotel room I check into (I'm always sure to carry a flashlight with me) and also take reasonable precautions (ie, don't leave clothes on the bed) for the duration of my stay.

-rs1971
punaisedelit

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:21:23
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I am on the same boat, my disorder was in check, but has returned full force with the bed bugs, even more so since I have no clue where my infestation came from. These are my answers from one OCD to another:

1. Receive packages in the mail from family, from amazon, from anywhere?
Yes - depending what's in the package and what the store return policies are. Will packtite whatever is not safe.

2. Buy new things from a department store?
Yes - but nowadays I wash and dry on hot any textile I buy. I haven't bought clothes since this started, but when I do, I'll probably do the same and/or will packtite what I bought.

3. Receive gifts?
Hell yes! Packtite.

4. Sit down in public?
I have found myself checking seats before I seat down, and only sitting on surfaces that are less bed bug prone.

5. Have out of town visitors (I am thinking of my mother) stay at your house that arrived via airplane?
Yes, depending on whether they're willing/able to abide to a strict bed bug control regimen.

6. Guard your house on a regular basis from the pests?
I don't know what you mean, none comes inside my house, I packtite the clothes I have to reuse every night (coat, scarf, etc), keep other things in ziploc bags. I think it's normal?

-----
Anecdote: I took the plane three days ago (holiday travel), and after my trip started with a major meltdown, I got comfier. When I arrived at my destination, I went through a series of precautionary measures: the person who picked me up arrived with trash bags, in which I put my suitcases and purse (before I traveled, my suitcases had been packtited, my clothes had been: washed on hot, dried on hot way longer than necessary, and re-packtited, and put in ziploc bags. Packed suitcases were kept inside sealed contractor bags inside plastic bins until I left my home). I had asked the person who picked me up to bring a light colored sheet, which I put on the car seat... and had them wash after. I'm now rewashing all my stuff at my relatives' place, and keeping whatever cannot be washed in ziploc bags, which I have thoroughly inspected) - if I brought bed bugs to my relatives after the measures I've taken, I think it will seriously send me over the edge.

I am actually less scared about picking bed bugs for myself than I am about giving them to someone else. That's all I want to avoid (and that's why I thought about not traveling at all for the holidays - but decided to do it anyway, for my own sanity, because I needed to see my loved ones and get the hell out of my apartment). So I guess the guests issue is: I wouldn't want my mum to come because I wouldn't want her to get bed bugs. I would not think about her bringing any to my place.

Oh, and I have gotten anxiolytic drugs: they help.
ohnotooks

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 20:40:46
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Thanks for the replies! It is really helpful. I am working with a therapist, but he also recommended me "The OCD workbook". When I ran across the question, "what would a prudent/non OCD person do" I was dumbfounded. I have been reading and rereading the FAQs. But could not imagine what a bedbug aware person would do.
Its Christmas time and packages are arriving to my house. I, of course, am freaking out. My OCD brain just sees little eggs on everything! This disease is a nightmare!
buggyinsocal

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 21:05:07
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I have said over and over that each person needs to come to an informed decision about how much risk he or she is able to live with. I had a bed bug infestation in the spring/early summer of 2008. I continue to travel extensively (over 25,000 miles a year on planes alone) and work in two places where I get stuff from college students that I take home all the time.

These are where my own personal limits are:

1. Receive packages in the mail from family, from amazon, from anywhere?

Bring them into my house and open them. Seriously. I have a Packtite. I don't run every package I get through one. What convinced me that this was okay with me was to remind myself repeatedly how many people I know who've never had bed bugs do this without Packtiting things all the friggin' time without contracting bed bugs. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I order stuff online all the time, and I don't think this is high risk activity.

2. Buy new things from a department store?

I buy them and bring them home. I generally wash clothes before I wear them, but as a woman, very few of my clothes get washed in hot or go into the dryer on high on anything approaching a regular basis. I do a load of laundry on hot about once every three months.

Before I wear them, they often live in my closet.

3. Receive gifts?

I live on the west coast, but most of my family lives back east. Almost all my gifts get shipped to me, except when I go back east for Christmas.

When I get gifts, I open them. Usually while sitting on my couch.

4. Sit down in public?

I sit down in public. No, seriously, that's about all I do.

It's true that living in the greater LA area, I take public transit less than some people. (Keep in mind that I moved here from the east coast. As a result, I do take buses to and from work when my car is in the shop. I still take the T when I'm in Boston or the Metro when I'm in NYC or DC. I'm a little more cautious in Boston and NYC because I know that there is likely to be a slightly higher density of infestations there, but I decided I couldn't live my life worrying about a .0000007 percent chance of catching a hitch hiker on the 10 times a year I'm on public transit.)

5. Have out of town visitors (I am thinking of my mother) stay at your house that arrived via airplane?

Make sure I stock the fridge before they get there. Make sure I've got clean linens for them.

Seriously, I make it a rule never to place a suitcase on the bed if it's been recently exposed to a possibility of bed bugs. Suitcases live in my living room, not the bedroom.

6. Guard your house on a regular basis from the pests?

I wouldn't say guard, but this is where I do put my faith in proactive behavior.

I made my bedroom less bed bug friendly (I repositioned the bed to make it easier to inspect and to keep it away from the curtains and the furniture.)

I switched to light colored sheets and a synthetic comforter that could be washed (unlike down.)

I keep meaning to put passive monitors in place even though I don't.

I have a Packtite for emergencies, like coming across bed bugs while traveling.

In short, I am aware that bed bugs exist. I take precautions as part of my daily life (like inspecting the bed monthly and inspecting any hotel room thoroughly before I bring my luggage in beyond the doorway/bathroom.) I have a plan in case I am knowingly exposed again.

But I also remind myself that in the 3.5 years since my exposure, I've traveled over 75,000 miles, stayed at no fewer than 10 hotels, placed my bag in the cargo hold of planes that have been in cities like Boston and NewYork, had visitors over from those cities, and have not once had a repeat infestation.

With bed bugs, it can be easy to imagine them anywhere. But I'm also not willing to let those little bastards ruin my life by making me anxious or constraining what I do in daily life. I try to remind myself about just how many times I've done something without getting bed bugs rather than focusing on the possibility that one behavior will necessarily expose me. I mean, I could get struck by lightning, but it's not especially likely, so I don't go around worrying about that. Bed bugs are more likely then lightning, but they're not as catchy as the common cold either unless you're doing really obviously bad idea things like taking no precautions at all.
ohnotooks

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Dec 18 2011 21:25:12
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buggyinsocal, thank you so much! That was extremely helpful! I also have been trying to remind myself that in the last 10 years I have literally traveled around the planet and not encountered bed bugs!!
ohnotooks

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Feb 4 2012 10:51:58
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I was doing so well until my daughter showed me three little welts on her belly in a circle! I panicked. I inspected her bed, stripped it. Sheets/mattress pad are being washed in hot water. Didn't find anything in the inspection. sprayed alcohol all over her bed Chances are is that its a skin irritation/rash. But my OCD caused me to freak out! Arugh!
P Bello

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Feb 4 2012 12:43:51
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Dear ohno,

No insects, no fecal matter, no physical evidence cannot confirm that there are bugs present.

Have you found any physical evidence ???

pb
ohnotooks

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Posted 1 year ago
Sat Feb 4 2012 22:46:03
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Nope, I just found evidence that my OCD is not in remission!
Nobugsonme

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Posted 1 year ago
Sun Feb 5 2012 1:05:35
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ohnotooks:

Of course, as Paul said, there's no evidence you have bed bugs present.

Keep in mind there could be lots of other causes for the skin reaction. Even if the cause is bed bugs, it does not mean your daughter was bitten at home.