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Feel so depressed and paranoid - I think people think that I smell

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depressed21652
depressed21652

I'm in my mid-twenties and am female. I have suffered with anxiety and depression since I was a teenager, tried CBT and Fluoextine and Citalopram. Came off Citalopram at the beginning of the year, and have been anti-d free since.

Everything has been going great, I started a new job, have been exercising lots and eating healthily, and my mental attitude has been much better and I have been feeling positive about myself and life.

At my last job, where I'd been for many years, there was often a weird musty smell around a space about 12 foot square, and my colleagues always joked it was an elderly coworker. People sitting immediately around me were forever sneezing, sniffing and complaining of a bad smell. No one ever told me it was me or hinted or anything, and I am a clean person so thought it couldn't be me. An outspoken girl said it smelt "unpleasant" and like "sweaty salmon" on a few occasions. One time she sprayed deodorant into the air. She sat about 8 foot from me.

I started my new job and over the past few weeks I have noticed a weird smell near where I sit but only when I walk away and come back a few minutes later. To me it smells like an onion-y smell. People walking past my desk constantly sniff literally as they walk past my desk.

Yesterday a colleague said it smelt like gone off food, and today she looked at me, called another colleague over and whispered but I heard the words "smells"and "pi55" and she asked the other girl if she could smell it too and she agreed.

About a week ago, the other girl was talking about someone using the communal toilets and leaving urine all over the seat and she said how "that person must be getting lots of it on themselves too". Again, I didn't twig as I never leave urine on the seat and always make sure I clean myself thoroughly.

I use public transport to commute in to work and people on the train around me constantly sniff. Last week an elderly man sat behind me and sniffed literally every five seconds for the whole journey. I thought it must be because I smell and I was getting so paranoid and hurt, I wanted to turn around and punch him (I would never do anything like that).

Last week my manager asked me how I found the "hygiene" in the office which I thought was strange and then elaborated that he meant my commute. That made no sense but at the time it didn't click.

I shower every morning, wash my hair daily and use antipersperant and deodorant. I apply Perspirex nightly and use body spray and perfume. I clean sweaty areas regularly and carry change of underwear and wipes etc with me, I am so paranoid about my personal hygiene. I also started taking Chlorophyll supplements and reducing caffeine.

I do have greasy sebhorreic dermatitis but I'm treating it.

I think I do tend to be quite a sweaty person and my crotch does get sweaty but only usually when I work out, in which case everywhere else gets sweaty too.

Am I being paranoid?! No one has outright said that I smell, ever. This is making me so depressed, I feel humiliated, but I am a clean person. I feel suicidal. Please help me, I am really at the end of my tether, I am so unhappy. I don't feel like my family want to help, and I don't really have any close friends to talk to. This post is 100% serious.

17 likes, 165 replies

165 Replies

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  • magnus40841
    magnus40841 depressed21652

    Posted

    I actually what your talking about.   "sweaty salmon" that actually means like the smell of fishy sex.   But thats not important.   The important smell is the musty one,  and its kinda sickly sweet.     I get it when I smoke too many cigarettes.  Im fully paranoid about it too.  I feel that I have been a bit of a stinker,   I imagine if you go to hell,  some places of it reek of it.   It gets really strong sometimes,  but often I smell it,  walk out of the room, come back,  and its gone.
  • marketing061392
    marketing061392 depressed21652

    Posted

    Hi ,

    I currently am suffering from this?! Have you cured/ treated this?! If so, what have you done/take. Please help me too. Thank you!

  • gabriel24
    gabriel24 depressed21652

    Posted

    Nah,you probably have a body odor issue.If it's not since always it might have been caused by the medication you took for your anxiety,also the medicine that is sayd to reduce sweating might actually increase it in time.THis things are happening to me aswell just that my oversweating/body odor is so bad washing doesen't help at all,neither deodorant,antiperspirants etc...ppl sniff and make weird noises if i go with the train or bus aswell etc...Don't use antiperspirants with aluminium chloride they are extreamly dangerous!
  • shay31608
    shay31608 depressed21652

    Posted

    Haya

    I'm a 16 year old girl,and I also suffer from this.I thought I was the only one,and felt so alone until now.Ever since an year and a half ago I started starting seeing this brown discharge on my underwear and though how weird,then a few months later it started giving off a foul odor that continued worsening.I found my classmates snickering and when people walking by me coughing and sneezing,some of my family not wanting to sit too close,but my grandparents and mom and dad say I don't smell??My friends also say I don't smell.When I exercise it gets so strong I have to quit,but nobody else smells it?i may be paranoid or have high anxiety issues ?...idk but schools starting back tomorrow and I'm super scared someone's gonna say something even tho nobody has ever said anything.

    • Banana123
      Banana123 shay31608

      Posted

      Hi haya, 

      me too. I feel same as you. I feel that im the only one that face this problem. Im 17 and i never had body odor before. But after turning 16 years old i feel like im smelling. I don't know why? I have no ideas what causes me to smell? 

      I work at my parents' bakery in the morning and then change clothes and go to the lecture at university. And then my classmates whenever they sit next to me, they touch their like i smell bad. But when they sit next to someone else they don't touch their nose at all. I feel deeply depressed and stress myself so much about this problem. Im thinking of to give up everything and tend to lock myself in a room. Im serious here. I really understand you. I feel you because i experience it since i was turning 16 and now nothing change. 

      However sometimes i don smell at all. I have to wake up early to go to work at bakery so i shower in the morning eventhough its winter (freezing)  but once i start doing sandwiches and then serve customers- almost 60% of them touch their nose. I know its because of smelling but i want to get rid of it. I don know how can i get rid it of me. I shower twice a day. Wash hair every single day, brush teeth. I do everything clean.  

  • sincerelytahj
    sincerelytahj depressed21652

    Posted

    I know exactly how u feel.

    For me this started about a year and a half ago and I'm very clean as well. No one in my family or friend group has told me I smelled and when I ask they tell me I do not so I don't understand why my Co workers treat me like I have the plague. I work with my sister and she seems to work with me just fine but customers naturally gravitate towards her. She says it's because I give off this "don't touch me. Don't come near me" kind of attitude and I do only because I know what's going to happen and I never want to see their reaction to me. I don't smell anything on myself and that's what makes it so hard is that I do take care of myself and it seems like all my efforts that never used to be efforts are in vain. People say and do the meanest things. But maybe it is only our head convincing us that this is what's happening. Our thoughts and words hold so much power and maybe we really are just paranoid. I know it's been a while since you posted this but thank u for telling ur story. None of us are alone and I know that we are all going to get through this extreme hardship. Has anyone in this post had any clearance of symptoms or breakthroughs lately?? I'd love to read about anything on this subject.

    • kevin3521
      kevin3521 sincerelytahj

      Posted

      Finally! I found this discussion! 

      Hello Guys just try to understand my english, because Im not good in English..Hope you will understand what I am saying. Because I really need your help  [sad]

      So Let's Get started...

      Im 17 yrs old(Male, 6'1) right now Im CRYING because I dont know what is wrong with me  [sad]  . It started when I was 16. I Feel you. I know exactly how u feel. I guess some people smells me bad (most of them are my classmates) [But no one said that  I smells bad]. even though I always take a bath 3 times a day, brush my teeth. and I can say that I am very clean person. But I really really dont know what is Wrong with me . People started Sniffs and Sneeze when Im in Public especially in School. And some people (I guess  [wink]  they smells me bad. because they cover their nose when I passed them.And when someone sit next to me they take a heavy deep breath(exhale). I ask my Mother, brother, sister,  my little cousin if I smells bad and they said " No, " Im scared to ask my classmates if I smells bad because you know its embarass...  I dont know what Im going to do because I dont know what is wrong with me. Im so very Sad since I experience this, Im so depressed, Im scared to go outside especially in School. I know my classmates talks about me that I smells bad. But  I dont smell that thing and besides I dont have a body odor , and you know spend more than 30mins in Shower. And by the way I never use Cigarretes,Drugs, alcoholic beverages. So please guys help me what Im going to do. I Really really need your help. Is anyone found a cure to solve this problem??? Im almost want to give up and I want to commit suicide. So please help me guys  [sad]

    • alex11877
      alex11877 kevin3521

      Posted

      I went through the same thing. I don't smell anything but other apparently others do. Like I commented on neena2001, I would have done home schooling or alternative school, while I figured what was going on with my bo, which I still haven't figured out. I would say exercise and eat healthy is a start. Stay positive and take a wake or jogg daily to clear your mind.
    • som97264
      som97264 kevin3521

      Posted

      Hi, i am going through the exact same thing and if anything, i truly feel everything you have been through!! i just want to know how you are doing now?? and have you found anything? any solution?? 
  • alsodepressed11
    alsodepressed11 depressed21652

    Posted

    i am in my early 20's and just started expeirincing this aswel. im so glad im not alone. but this is really wearing me out. i have contemplated suicide, sometimes i still do. i dont see the point in living when i cant even go out in public without having a panic attack when i see others reactions.

    it started maybe a couple months ago, maybe even sooner then that but thats when i really began to notice. My family, girlfriend, and some friends all tell me i dont smell bad when i ask them. they all know how many times i shower a day, brush my teeth. and all that. i get hints all the time everywhere i go tthat i just stink. I see peoples reactions to my smell. I used to be a very social, people were often able to spark conversation with, always met friends randomly, had a lot of friends and went out a lot.

    but now it is as if people steer away from me in public. almost like society rejects me completely no matter what the scenario is. getting in cars with people. going to the grocery store, anything close quarters.  None of my friends hit me up anymore. i smell the odor sometimes, but not all the time. i spend most of my time in my room all day now, all week. and when i leave my room and come back i sometimes can smell it in the trapped air in my room. it can fill up rooms i guess.  when i see people uncomortable, discomforted by my smell, and offended, it makes me terribly anti social. i dont go anywhere anymore. i used to go everywhere, doing everything, always out with friends. this has really f*cked up my life entirely.

    Please if anybody has been through this and has found a solution or a cure to this problem we all seem to be having, please help us.

    • clayton79669
      clayton79669 alsodepressed11

      Posted

      I feel so so sorry for you. Just over the past 4 months I've been diagnosed with Manic Depression Illness. From age 21 to 32 I had SUPER SUPER HIGH anxiety over my smell also. Over 11 years that's a lot of strength to stay strong. It was VERY VERY difficult. Even today after being diagnosed with Manic not on proper medication I STILL WORRY SO MUCH about how I smell. I feel sorry for you so much I know exactly how you feel. 
    • preti25001
      preti25001 alsodepressed11

      Posted

      I know how you feel, all i wish is to lock my-self into a room and not worry about life. I feel so different from everyone. All the people at school are able to be happy but I'm always worrying about smelling bad. I would highly suggest you try taking probiotics (10-30 billion per capluse at least). I don't know what to do. Most people might think i have bad hygiene but I know thats not the reason. Hang in there were not alone. Don't commit suicide. I feel like killing myself too but life is more then this. do research on what's causing the smell.
    • som97264
      som97264 alsodepressed11

      Posted

      Reading just felt like i was reading my own thoughts! it is eveyrthing i am going through now and i really hope you have found your cure or your way out of this cruel thing, please do update us if you have smile 
  • expressions
    expressions depressed21652

    Posted

    holy crap so glad i found this discussion.

    no one close to me has ever said that i smell and i have tried explaining it to a couple people but was so embaressed to talk about it because i thought NO ONE would posibly understand and i was the only one who got a anxiety about how they smell or posibly only think they smell. wow this will make it so much eaiser to talk to a doctor about. a part of me thought if i told a medical profession about it and i actually dont smell id be locked up in a hospital as a crazy. i might be a paranoid and OCD about cleaning and hygine bu not rifgt off the deep end and im not the only one and that feels good. however my fear about smelling bad and noticing others reactions only begun after i started to use an illiegal street drug. is this the case for anyone else??

    • kevin3521
      kevin3521 expressions

      Posted

      Finally! I found this discussion! 

      Hello Guys just try to understand my english, because Im not good in English..Hope you will understand what I am saying. Because I really need your help sad

      So Let's Get started...

      Im 17 yrs old(Male, 6'1) right now Im CRYING because I dont know what is wrong with me sad . It started when I was 16. I Feel you. I know exactly how u feel. I guess some people smells me bad (most of them are my classmates) [But no one said that  I smells bad]. even though I always take a bath 3 times a day, brush my teeth. and I can say that I am very clean person. But I really really dont know what is Wrong with me . People started Sniffs and Sneeze when Im in Public especially in School. And some people (I guess ) they smells me bad. because they cover their nose when I passed them.And when someone sit next to me they take a heavy deep breath(exhale). I ask my Mother, brother, sister,  my little cousin if I smells bad and they said " No, " Im scared to ask my classmates if I smells bad because you know its embarass...  I dont know what Im going to do because I dont know what is wrong with me. I so very Sad since I experience this, Im so depressed, Im scared to go outside especially in School. I know my classmates talks about me that I smells bad. But  I dont smell that thing and besides I dont have a body odor , and you know spend more than 30mins in Shower. And by the way I never use Cigarretes,Drugs, alcoholic beverages. So please guys help me what Im going to do. I Really really need your help. Is anyone found a cure to solve this problem??? Im almost want to give up and I want to commit suicide. So please help me guys sad

    • Eli93
      Eli93 expressions

      Posted

      Was this streeet drug by any chance ecstasy or Psylocibin mushrooms?
    • preti25001
      preti25001 kevin3521

      Posted

      kevin your problem might be an internal problem (in your body). try doing some research and take some probiotics (10-30 billion per capsule at least). hang in there you will make it. i feel like commiting suicide too, but remember you are worth living for! =) hang in there!
    • elizabeth77529
      elizabeth77529 kevin3521

      Posted

      I have also encounter this since 16 years am 26 am married up till now people cover nose for me even my husband address the issue at times I fell so bad but nothing to do 
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