Posted by pretty_paints on January 21, 2005, at 7:30:43
In reply to Re: Body Odor » TF, posted by alexandra_k on January 20, 2005, at 16:11:49
Hi Todd,
I hope I don't offend you but I just thought I'd write what I think.
With all due respect, I do think this is more a psychological problem than a physical one. The mind can play crazy tricks on you. I take Seroquel for psychosis, and while I am not saying this is what you have - I don't - I do think that the mind can very easily turn things around to seem a particular way to you. My problem was people ignoring me. I always thought people were ignoring me, or I would sense that they were angry or disgusted with me through their facial expressions. I was forever saying "I know what you're thinking, you're annoyed with me...".
While I think it is possible that you could smell, I do think that an "anal" type odor is more unlikely than typical BO. Even if you're constipated a lot (do you find that you are?) I don't reckon this would cause a smell. The main thing is flatulence, do you find yourself breaking wind a lot? If not, then it is not hugely likely that others can smell an anal type odor from inside your body.
Also, I think you should be able to smell something you know. I remember a couple of days when it was really hot or when I was running a race in school I felt really sticky and smelly, but I would smell my top and realise I was getting a bit smelly, so go and have a shower.
To me, it's not so much the question of whether you smell, more so your preoccupation with it. Again, I don't mean that in an offensive way, I am just being observant. Most people would think "Okay, it seems like I smell, from people's reactions. That's not good. I'll use a bit more deodrant and go to see the doctor". But for you, it is taking over your life, this obsession with whether or not you smell. I have not been diagnosed with OCD, but am prone to very obsessive thinking. At the moment, it's my diagnosis. I spend every waking hour obsessing about whether I have one or the other of two different psychiatric disorders. I read read read all day long about it, search the internet, constantly monitor my symptoms, ask people what they think, etc etc. And to be honest, the way you are handling this "do I smell?" issue seems very similar. You feel that if you could JUST work out whether or not you smell, then things would get better.
So I do kinda think it may be BDD. What do you think? Maybe people are giving you disgusted looks, maybe not. Maybe if they are, they are disgusted by something you've said or done - but rather than face the prospect that your *personality* has in some way disgusted someone, it is easier to think that *you smell*. You may have subconsiously created this problem, as your doctor said, to take the "disgusted looks" away from you and onto something abstract, like a smell.
I think you should talk to your doc and also, as you get to know your new therapist, you can begin to open up to him/her. If these feelings have increased as you have decreased your Risperidone dose, I would stick with the drug, for now. Or alternatively, if you find that you notice more and more comments as the dose is lowered still, maybe this is the evidence you need that this stuff might well be in your head. That sounds rude, I don't mean it rudely. I just have found that when I thought people were ignoring me, I could even come up with things people said to PROVE that I was thinking the truth. I would half hear something someone said, and twist it to mean what I wanted it to mean. My therapist said that sometimes you can come up with some theary or thought, and then subconciously twist other people's comments to support that which you believe to be true.
Anyway this post has got waay too long so I'll leave things here.
Keep in touch and let us know how things go.
Kate xx
poster:pretty_paints
thread:442588
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20050117/msgs/445121.html