# I have the heebie jeebies **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517 "2012-09-22T18:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/1 "2012-09-22T18:20:11Z")
I moved to Oregon recently, left my whole life behind and started something new here. So it’s great and all except that I have a weird case of the skin tickles. More times than I can count throughout the day I have the sensation that a bug or loose hair has landed on my skin. There’s never any actual bug or hair or anything there, and I’ve had enough life experience (raising school aged kids and doing a lot of camping) to know that this isn’t lice or scabies or anything like that. There are no bite marks on my skin and no bugs in my house so I’m guessing I’ve just gone loopy or something. Any ideas what the heck is going on? Maybe it’s a stress thing from all the recent changes? Vitamin deficiency? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/2 "2012-09-22T18:25:27Z")
Could be stress. What’s the weather like - is it significantly drier or more humid than where you came from? I find changes in temperature and humidity can make my skin crawl until I get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/3 "2012-09-22T18:27:15Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > Could be stress. What’s the weather like - is it significantly drier or more humid than where you came from? I find changes in temperature and humidity can make my skin crawl until I get used to it. More humidity since I came from California. But oh, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to it. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/4 "2012-09-22T19:24:06Z")
Could be no-see-ums. The South Carolina coast has them and they are annoying. I think they technically call them sand fleas. For those in SC, Avon Skin-So-Soft was the only solution. There are also midge flies that affect horses NOT CLOSE the the coast line. If the “tickles” go away in cold weather, under a slight breeze (like a fan on low) or when you use something like Avon SSS, then it might be a local bug that is bothering you. If you’re lucky, your brain will learn to tune it out. ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/5 "2012-09-22T19:31:00Z")
Why yes, **Moejoe** we are all crazy here in Oregon! Don’t worry though, the heebie jeebie sensation will pass. Where in OR are you? And, welcome, by the way 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/6 "2012-09-22T19:52:09Z")
> [@scootergirl](#): > > Why yes, **Moejoe** we are all crazy here in Oregon! Don’t worry though, the heebie jeebie sensation will pass. Where in OR are you? And, welcome, by the way 🙂 Eugene, and thanks for the welcome 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/7 "2012-09-22T20:11:21Z")
Perhaps you’re having a very slight reaction to an unfamiliar allergen that’s common in your new home? Enough to cause a bit of an itch, but not a visible rash? You could keep an eye on mold and pollen counts to see if you get more itches/tickles when they’re high. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/8 "2012-09-22T20:13:05Z")
Perhaps it’s something different in the water? Harder? Softer? After all you bath in it, wash your clothes in it, drink coffee/tea made with it, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/9 "2012-09-22T20:22:26Z")
Oh, that drives me crazy - sometimes a hair just touches me the wrong way and for a time after that I have that awful feeling! My sympathies. ---
**Author:** ![core\_dump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@core\_dump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/core_dump)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/10 "2012-09-22T21:52:06Z")
I moved out to the middle of nowhere recently. I have had the exact same sensation, like something is crawling on my skin. I can stare right at the skin in question and nothing is there. What it is for me is the water, as **elbows** mentioned. Out here the well water (in combination with my soap I guess) causes the hair on my skin to be just a tad stiffer and I think what’s going on is the hair is springing up at random times causing that sensation. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/11 "2012-09-22T22:30:33Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Eugene, and thanks for the welcome 🙂 Oh, well, _Eugene_. . .there’s your problem, right there. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/12 "2012-09-22T22:44:29Z")
Welcome to Eugene, moejoe! The skin sensation, given your location, is most likely either hippie lice or dreadlock residue. It could also be an allergic reaction to patchouli oil, excessive hairiness, or unwashed bodies. When I first moved here I found that my skin began to crawl whenever I met someone named Rainbow Featherhawk Starfield or similar nom de hippie. It could also be cat hair, since it is often said of Eugene that one cannot swing a cat without hitting a lesbian, and if enough people are trying it there is sure to be a lot of cat hair floating around. One thing I have found recently is a lot of very light spider webs (and caterpillar silk) foating in the air, and it can get on your arms and face and tickle like the dickens, even though you can’t see it. I even get it in my house, since I don’t bother removing the spiders as long as they’re earning their keep by eating bugs. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/13 "2012-09-22T22:49:43Z")
_The world is very, very big, And bacon comes from a pig._ ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/14 "2012-09-22T22:55:22Z")
Everything that **Arrendajo** said is right on about our little city here. Although, I must add that along with the hippie-dippy-I-am-a-vegan-and-therefore-i-must-care-more-than-you-about-our-planet-factor…there are a fair amount of conservative folk lurking around. My attitude (for the most part) is: do as you wish, just don’t try to convert me or I’ll sneak in your house and stuff bacon in your pillowcase. If you have any questions about Eugene - ask away. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/15 "2012-09-22T23:08:41Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > _The world is very, very big, > And bacon comes from a pig._ Silly hour begins! My turn! _Whon thot Aprille swithin potrzebie, The burgid prillie gives one heebie-jeebie._ – Mad magazine parody of Chaucer, December, 1958. [Wiki cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potrzebie) (Finding a million google hits quoting just those two lines, but can’t seem to find the full thing anywhere.) ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/16 "2012-09-22T23:24:59Z")
change in humidity and water - or both - is what makes sense to me. or your new place is haunted. 😛 relocating can be stressful and just plain a lot of work. I salute you! why Eugene? (just nosy) ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/17 "2012-09-22T23:45:40Z")
It’s the liberal getting on ya. ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/18 "2012-09-22T23:50:58Z")
I’m not doing the clickieclickie multiple post thing because I’m an Oregonian now and therefore get to do things differently just to be different 🙂 but I do appreciate all the posts. It could be the water, although I’m not sure what I can do to fix it if that’s the case. Maybe it’s the cats or the lesbians or Rainbow Trippypants and her dreadlocked friends, for any of you familiar with Eugene I’m in the whiteaker…so…I’d better get used to all that. It could be spider webs too because there are a hell of a lot of spiders here, I’m trying to make friends with them and come to some agreements. The internet suggests it might be a rather common symptom of oncoming menopause, but I closed the browser quick after reading that so it can’t be true 😃 Let’s see, I picked Eugene because Portland seemed too hip for me, and because I had lived here many years ago and remembered loving it. My life went down the tubes and I needed a new spot and now here I am. Long story short I went batshit one day and quit my job and soon after packed my stuff and moved here. As for questions about the area I only wonder how you go about meeting people? My neighbors are nice but we’re not exactly gossiping over the fence, and I think it’s pretty clear just from the look of me that I’m not a local although I couldn’t tell you exactly what the clues are. It’s weird to live in a new place and I’m kind of at loose ends right now. So far I’ve had some great interviews and I have enough cash to last a while, but I’ll feel better when I have an actual job to go to every day and can meet new people that way. For now I mostly just go hang out at the river or wander around town feeling glad to live here. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/19 "2012-09-23T01:56:57Z")
That’s a real problem when one relocates. Most of the people around us have been here for many years and have a whole network of friends. Most of the people we’re friendly with are transplants like us. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517/20 "2012-09-23T12:50:11Z")
for starters - why not have an Oregon Dopefest? 😃 I’d love to visit so I’d come. see all these hippies and spiders I hear about… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-the-heebie-jeebies/635517.md?page=2)