I feel like this would be an interesting discussion. Mostly dealing with the after psychological effects of these bugs. I feel as though I almost want to call it a form of PTSD.
Now full disclosure I have been diagnosed and am being treated for Generalized Anxiety disorder. I also have a huge phobia of most bugs (even butterflies and ladybugs freak me out). This is something that was prior to these bugs but of course has given me something new to worry about.
I also wonder the effects on people who have had no prior issues with anxiety.
I was the unlucky one who got these critters from a non informed person fogging their apartment in July of 2014. Thankfully everything was noticed quickly and things were taken care of. My fiance was the only one to ever get bit - We also stayed at a hotel for a week because I was so anxious. The one good thing that did come of all this was that I De-cluttered and threw away so many things I just didn't need.
BUT after this experience I became super paranoid about my neighbors and what they were doing. Which is how I found out the people living beside us ended up with bed bugs as well. Thankfully we didn't have any issues arise from there infestation but that was the final straw for me with that complex. I couldn't comfortably live there anymore. Thankfully the lease was up soon after.
The new complex is great. I do like it here but I feel my old habits of being paranoid and overly anxious about neighbors are arising again. If I see large furniture items in the dumpster I get paranoid (even though I know people get new furniture all the time). If I see people moving a lot of stuff in and out I also get nervous.
There are points when I know I should stop reading these forms because I always think "what if this person lives near me."
Hotel stays are a nightmare. I dread them and never sleep well even after doing a good inspection.
Even though I have everything in place to monitor I don't want to find anything ever. I long for the day to be back in a house where I am in more control.
I am hoping that with time and therapy this will get better. I think I wouldn't be so anxious about it all if treatments were not so difficult for these little buggers.
I am hoping I am not the only one who has had these issues after dealing with these evil things. I don't like feeling crazy paranoid!