Pests can be quite irritating. From that fly that buzzes around your living room to a roach you see scurrying around, they are something you should handle as soon as possible.
This is not just for sanitary reasons, or because pests can damage your home. They are also due to the fact that pests can end up hurting your mental health. Here are some ways a pest can do just that.
You May Develop a Phobia
There are many of us who have a slight fear of mice or roaches. This is nothing too out of the ordinary. However, you may end up developing a full-fledged phobia if you are a victim of an infestation.
If you had a swarm of cockroaches in your home, you may start to dread the idea that more roaches are coming. In mild cases, roaches may make you a bit squeamish. In extreme circumstances, you may be afraid to go outside.
Even if the phobia is cleared, you may start to fear a place that once had an infestation, even if the infestation has since been cleared. It may sound a bit hyperbolic, but extreme infestations lead to extreme reactions. You may not be full-on scared, but you may end up panting a little if you see a bug in the corner of your eye.
You May Feel Phantom Sensations
When you have had an infestation, another phenomenon that can happen is the feeling that they are still there. Even if you have cleared them out, it can still feel like you haven’t done so.
For example, if you had a cockroach infestation, you may end up feeling as though they are still crawling around your skin. This can end up causing harm, especially if you keep scratching those invisible sensations or look to other drastic measures.
You Could Develop OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is when you have intrusive thoughts that can only be cleared by performing a ritual. Usually, this just feeds into your thoughts, creating a cycle that is tough to break.
In the case of a pest infestation, someone may have intrusive thoughts about the pests coming back. Their solution may be to spray the house every few hours. Excessive spraying can end up hurting you, your pets, or your family. It can also cause bugs to become resistant to it.
You may end up checking your kitchen, bedroom, or bathroom frequently for any signs of bugs. In addition, you may end up wasting valuable time performing these rituals when you could be doing something else.
It may not even be full-blown OCD, but you could start to develop some slight rituals. While this isn’t as bad, it is something that you should handle as soon as you can.
You End Up Having PTSD
PTSD is commonly associated with war, or an extreme event that causes trauma. However, an infestation may end up causing you trauma as well. This especially applies if you woke up to bugs all over you, or if you got bitten.
Being reminded of this infestation can cause you to have panic attacks, making it difficult for you to go anywhere without being reminded of your infestation. Of course, we should mention that this is an extreme case. Most people who have an infestation won’t develop PTSD. However, cleaning your home may be worth it in order to avoid this.
Preventing an Infestation
An infestation can happen to anyone, but there are some people who are more prone than others. Usually, cleanliness is one way to avoid an infestation. By cleanliness, we don’t mean the home has to be perfectly clean all the time.
Instead, we are referring to throwing away food, washing your dishes, and making sure food is sealed. Taking out the trash, cleaning the laundry, and cleaning the outside of your house are some other ways for you to make sure you don’t end up with an infestation.
In addition, it may be worth it to spray your home every now and then. You can buy some products that can create a barrier around your home for a few months. Contacting a professional is also important. If you are unsure what the most common infestations are for your area, or if you want to learn how you can prevent them, call your local pest control service and see what they can do.
Seeking Help
If you were the victim of an infestation, it can lead to several mental health issues, as we have discussed. One issue is that you may feel a little ashamed in it. The idea of having some mental health problems due to bugs may make you feel weak.
We are here to remind you there is no shame in seeking help for anything, even if you think the issue is a bit silly. Therapy can help you conquer your fears and allow you to return to normalcy.
What can help? One way is through cognitive behavioral therapy, which can work for OCD symptoms. Another way you can help yourself is through exposure therapy, which is the slow exposure to bugs or other fears. This can help desensitize you to your fear of bugs.
If you are feeling paranoid due to a bug invasion, therapists can help as well. They can help to reduce your fears and help to rationalize any paranoias that you may end up having because of it.
Online Therapy
If you are having difficulties leaving your home, seeking help from a therapist online may be a good solution. Online therapy is becoming an ever popular choice, and for a good reason. It’s much easier, it’s cheaper, and you don’t need to get out of your home.
An online therapist can provide you with the same benefits as a traditional therapist. If you want to get started, and if you also want to see if cognitive behavioral therapy is for you, click the link below.
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