If you have experienced a bed bug infestation, then you known how mentally trying they can be. But can the stress of a bed bug infestation be intense enough to induce mental illness? For one woman the answer to this question is “yes.” Tiffany Fogle has been living with bed bugs for literally years. Fogle and her husband live within one of several apartment buildings called Rose Communities located in New York City, and evidently, five of these buildings have been cited for bed bug violations numerous times since 2010. For some residents of Rose Communities, living with bed bugs has become a fact of life. In an effort to raise awareness concerning the bed bug issues within the apartment buildings, Fogle has been distributing a “tenant bedbug newsletter” urging residents to report bed bug sightings. When Fogle is not producing these bulletins she spends much of her time in therapy sessions in order to help her cope with the constant bed bug infestation within her apartment unit. In addition to therapy, Fogle is taking psychiatric medication in order to treat the stress disorders that have resulted from her traumatic bed bug experiences.
Since 2010, the Fogle’s have been forced to live with bed bugs. Because of this persistent bed bug infestation, the couple can no longer welcome company into their home. The bed bugs are often spotted crawling across the floor and they are so numerous within her apartment that she often spots them within her shower. Due to the risk of spreading bed bugs to others, the Fogle’s have had no choice but to isolate themselves within their apartment. This continuous isolation, along with the infestation itself, has been stressful enough to warrant the use of psychiatric medication for treating her resultant anxiety and insomnia. Tiffany and her husband are now taking part in a court battle against her landlord for his failure to address the long-running infestation.
Have you ever found a bed bug, or several bed bugs, within another person’s home?
