r/todayilearned • u/1998199888 • 2d ago

TIL about Delusional parasitosis, sometimes referred to as phantom infestation, is a psychological disorder in which an individual mistakenly believes their body is overrun by living or inanimate entities. Typical examples of these perceived invaders include bugs, worms, or microbes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusional_parasitosis
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u/AccomplishedAide8698 2d ago

I had this after staying up for 3 days on speed when I was a teenager. I could see these bugs all over me. I screamed the house down and begged my Dad to take me to the hospital. Screamed at all the doctors and begged them to take me seriously. A wise doctor pretended to take me seriously and 'collected' one of the bugs off my skin and put it in a test tube and told me to go home and get some sleep and they'd test the bug overnight. I felt so vindicated!

I went home and got some much needed sleep. I woke up the next day and instantly face-palmed over the previous night's temporary madness. Crazy how your own brain can betray you if it goes wrong or is pushed by pharmaceuticals into states it isn't meant to be in.

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u/ghost_of_mr_chicken 2d ago

After day 3, speed ain't no joke. I never got the bug thing, but shadows or little reflections would blatantly move and freak the hell out of me. Dealt with alot of paranoia because of that.