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

I hope life got better for you....give 'balance active' suppositories try.. and hold yr head up high

I have the same problem too. I am 15 years old african american female who is now in highschool. I been dealing with this since 7 grade. This is like a living nightmare. I remember the first day when this all started in 7 grade. I was really tired to wake up for school so I skip brushing my teeth.(I wish I never skipped doing that.) I skip one day oftaking a bath too(regreted that too),and when I went too school everyone started to stiff and this 3 girl told people to stand behind so they can smell me. I was sad but I deserved that. So the next day I made sure I didn't leave anything out like taking a shower and brushing my teeth and etc. I made sure that I smelled but people at school did not think I smell good. To make a long story short The smell is still on me tiday and I'm get bullied because of it. I wish people understand i how it hard it is to live with this. I take shower/bath everyday, brush my teeth,put deodorant/loiton/purfume. People make jokes like "it smell like a sh*t or a dead donkey" I told my mama about the smell but like every parents in here "they don't smell anything." I got so depress that I literally stop eating something. I cry myself to sleep sometime at night. I have a lot if suicidal thoughts that I tried to cut myself but then I realised that I have a family who love and I not going to leave them because of this problem. I stop crying and stop listening what people are saying behind my back because I don't care anymore. Is they going to help me get rid of this no so why should I care what they say. I know I stink and I can't get rid of it.

You stay strong.😊

I have a similar situation. I am scared to go to school because it makes me feel very uncomforteble. I dont thik i smell bad and no-one has ever said that i smell bad. My friends hug me and also lean on my shoulder they dont act weird around me but taxi drivers open their windows every 5 second and close it back because apparently its cold in the morning. Some people constantly touches thair noses when im around and looks at me. I dont know how to feel anymore? I always tell myself block them out maybe their noses are itchy i dont smell bad, i take shower every evening wash my clothes regularly and i apply perfume too. Just what is the matter? I cry somedays . Recently i have been thinking maybe its because my breath stinks and when i exhale through my nose it smell bad. So i started holding my breath whenever im in a crowdy place or passing by a stranger. I dont want to go out anymore. I have no confidence left in me. Just what is the matter. I asked my mom and sister but they say i dont smell? And they borrow my clothes too. Can somebody answer me. Please!

Hi depressed21652,

I am in the exact same place as you and I know that I have been through every possible help I can find and thoroughly researched too. I feel, if you have been to see your GP/doctor or even a specialist and they can not even dignose you with even a thrust or infection or some issue of some sort to determine what the smell is then you 100% do not smell. I have learned to overcome this slowly and little by little, by getting the re assurance I need from professions and people who love me and care for me to give me the brutal truth/honesty. I would suggest that change your whole diet, hygiene and persona lifestyle. I would research in equipping yourself to make changes. If you need to eat and drink the right stuff eg anything organic, healthy food, or just lemon infused water, do it. If it says use feminine bath washes and no perfume, or coconut oil instead of mouthwash, do it. I use to sit everyday and cry for months on end and became emotionally unstable, not being able to do things physically and worsening my mental health. ORS (olfactory reference syndrome) which is esstentially what you and I and others are going through and have to come to terms with is rare and is associated with OCD. I use to ask random people on the train when i went out if I smelled and they would tell me no and still make gestures with their nose. I get comments like it smells like fish around me or you are not using the correct deodrant. I became anti social, depressed and had serious anxiety. I am still currently battling it today. I do not think anyone can help specfically but I know there are treatments and changes you make as a person. For a long time I bottled everything up and that is the worse thing you can do. You truly need to ask someone you trust or even a random person (although most of the time it is not ideal) and that will give you confidence. So what I did, is saw my GP/doctor 3 or 4 times about the matter, I also had blood tests done for almost everything, I also had a sexual screening done and I also went to a health spa for what it is called a body cleanse. I had thrust for a little while and that was caused by using different fragenced shower washes and douching but that was treated and thrust itself is odourless. If you have thrust or even BV and it is full of odour then it could be the problem. I was also was low on vitmain D so I had to eat healthy foods and nutrients apart from that I was fine and my health was fine too. I would recommend that you do not take too many things at once especially if your body is not use to it. So taking one or two supplements everyday is fine, try and increase regular water intake as it washes out all the toxins in your body. When use the toilet do not use wipes everytime you go as the wetness lingers with the odour. Also try and get as much air in all your sweaty places as much as possible. I am currently using Dricolor and it is really good and effective. I do not use perfume anymore but I do use feminine body spray. I started moisturing also as that helps to reduce the sweating. I do have hyperhyrdosis so I will undergo a treatment for it which is fairly affordable.

I feel like at this point I have done everthing I can right and cannot put my life on hold anymore. I have come to terms with having ORS and I am also seeing a counsellor which is also very useful. This whole thing will get easier to manage on your own and of course there will be some days where you do smell a bit foul but 99% of the time no one notices but you. You also have to remember that some people you see on the train or walking about or in the office or gym etc could be sniffing or making comments innocently. Sometimes your brain senses your fear and increases the amount you sweat. So it is about you and trust me its so hard but you have nothing to be ashamed of as I am going through this and so are many others and it is all about change.

Also do not feel pressured like I have felt before when others comments or gestures would get to my head and I would run to the bathroom or the nearest one and spray and fuel myself with perfume or breath spray. That is what would cause the odour that wasnt even there.

Many people will recommend what to eat, wear, use and also what tablets or vitamins to take unless they are a doctor or a specialist in this area do your research as what might have worked for them might not work for you. Everyone is different and our bodies work differently. I remember a lady recommended I use mitcham and it was not effective for me and caused an odour that was horrible and uncomfortable for everyone around me. I also tried perfuming my body in certain places so that the smell lasts longer and it gave off this oniony/chicken smell and this was due to the perfume itself as it was harsh and too much of it on my body re acted.

Also make sure you have breathable clothes, any tight fitting clothes, you are actually compressing the sweat and it lingers or dries out and creates a smell. Use bio eco friendly detergant or washing powder and make sure your clean clothes doesnt mix with dirty or damp clothes as that could be the problem too. Brush your teeth twice a day and clean your tongue too, if your breath still gives off a foul odour, see your dentist to get a mouth wash done and your teeth cleaned and this will last for about 24 hours and you can in the habit of a better hygiene for your teeth. This is what I did and noticed a lot of difference, I no longer use mouthwash as theres alochol in almost every one and the mouthwash only lasts for 6 hours instead of the 12 hours it usually promotes on the bottle and the alochol also dries out your mouth, I now gargle coconut oil and then drink  lemon infused water and I make sure I have something crunchy in the morning eg an apple or carrot. I think you also need to do your reasearch to the type of mouthwash you use and if it is giving your mouth that freshness or the awful odour. 

 So it is safe to say that perfume is a no go for now and I will be looking into what is inside some perfumes. Some products will not work especially branded ones in the supermarket, your best option is to use natural resoruces or home remedies like garlic, coconut, lime, lemon, salt etc or have your doctor prescribe you something that is for you.

I believe in this case everyone including myself needs reassurance for confidence to be able to do the everyday things we do or did and also feel ourselves again or normal. You also need support, I don't know how im managing now without my friend and sister and also professional support. You feel like you are alone and it is embarassing and everyone is judging and lying to your face but you cant get help without helping yourself. I use to wash 3 times a day now it is only once or twice, i use anitbacterial soap and feminine wash to give freshness. Right now, I able to say i am confident enough to speak about it so I can get the help I need, I am able to go out and I do not look at peoples faces anymore as I feel like it will stop me from where I need to get to. I still sit away from people eg on the train, bus, in lectures, dinner etc and spend my time looking down at my phone instead of socialsing really. It is a habit I have got into because of this but it is a start and in a way im encouraging myself to carry on with the day and not let anyone or anything come in the way. 

I hope this helped you or anyone on this forum as this is a hard journey and a tough thing to deal with and you should know that you are not alone and it will improve over time

Hi there. Can you please help me? I know this post is over a year ago, but I'm really depressed. I'm 13 years old, and everyday, these girls say I stink on the bus. I can't take it anymore. I try to ignore them but it's not working. I wash up everyday and use deodorant AND already have stuff going on in my personal life. It's hard to deal with. What do I do Help please????

People are different tho, however if any body sniff or cover their nose at yow, and you have tried to see if you smell and can't detect anything even your close friends can't smell you, or your family once they can't smell you you don't smell at all... Now when someone comes around you nd sniff intentionally or cover their nose do the same or better still do it before they do, they are trying to embarrass your personality but when you do it back you see them getting embarrassed, it happened to me back in school but I taught my self the trick... You don't smell people just do that to frustrate you. Note never kill your-self because of what other people think about you, let them bother what you think about them, They are not your God.

Well I really don't have a solution for your problem but I to have the same problem it's not in my imagination because people can be blunt and mean i tend to sweat a lot for a girl and I can smell myself as well I'm to the point where I can't even get on trains or buses especially if there packed I tend to sweat even more and start getting panic attacks knowing that everyone on the train is smelling me and talking about me it's horrible I don't know what to do and it's making me be antisocial

Hello I am and have had the same problem for 4-5 years now, so bad I can't keep a job, every sniffs, coughs, blows snott from there nose just very rude gestures, but the worst is the Smiling not like a hello kind Smile but the kind that's more like laughing at me, what I need is someone to be honest with me about it I can't fix what I don't know everyone I meet acts like there the first to gesturely hint at me so's to give me a heads up I've had many have to look away from me to take a clean breath will someone please help me I am at the end of my rope per say but at worst will take doctors advice and get early SSI and spend the rest of my life hiding from people. At least if I new for sure I did smell I'd know I wasn't crazy thanks for your time

Hi I'm a female and I've been going through the same thing! When I ask my mom and siblings do I smell they say no. This has been going on since the 8th grade (I'm in 10th now). I shower twice a day, use body wash, spray, and perfume. I also use secret deodorant and brush twice a day. But I don't get why people say I stink... Non of my friends say I stink. But others at school do. Is there a cure? What's happening to me? I never felt so alone and embarrassed like this before.. 

You don't stink you are just paranoid, I felt the same for years didn't even want to leave the house but after a while you'll realise that you do NOT stink you are proberly the cleanest person at your work! Don't worry your smell good

Hello Guys.....I finally found the problem......i am suffering from the same thing as u guys are.......so what i found is that this smell everyone feels around us is not because of our hygiene.....it is because of a chemical called pheromone.....What i know about pheromones from reading in web is that it is a chemical which every living being transmits or releases to attract the opposite sex.There are three types of pheromones-Androstenone,Androsterone and Androstadienone.I think that androstenone is likely to be responsible for this problem.So the main problem with us is that our pheromones level are slightly higher than others. Puberty hits us at teen age and thats when our levels also increase.

          Now the interesting thing about pheromones is that not everyone can smell it,i read it somewhere on the net that only 80% of the people have a gland at the top of their nose called the vomeronasal organ which Scientists believe detects the sex pheromones.How i know that it has something to do with my pheromones-Firstly i read it somewhere on the web and secondly i was watching a movie called Transformers[2007] and in a scene one of the robot sniffs a little and says "The boys pheromones level suggests that he wants to mate with the female" thats where it struck me.(the scene is at 1:03) What i think is that the odour generally increases when u are sexually active or probably imagining something in ur mind.If every night u cant sleep and had to imagine some sexual activities in ur mind,  STOP IT. I strongly beleive that it might help.I also noticed that the odour strengthen while excercising.After reading for a while i found that our sweat has something related to our pheromeones which increases the odour.

               I also think that these pheromones are somewhere related to our hairs,earlier i used to think that i have SHS(smelly hair syndrome).If after every wash ur head smells damp then it might be beacuse of ur pheromones level. Well for the solution the bad news is that literally u cant do anything to lower ur pheromones level, the good news is that is if u r suffering from this then u are one of a few and ur high levels will help u in attracting the opposite sex.The deodrants nowadays combines all three pheromones and claims to attract the oppsite sex but u dont need it as u have plenty of it already. So next time when someone gazes at u after sniffing think it like he is gazing because of jealousy.

                 As now u know the problem u can try to find a solution for it.I am a boy so i thought ejaculating might release my sexual tension,i would say its really worth trying as satisfying ur sexual needs might(i am not sure) decrease ur pheromones level.Also if want to fight this then u need to be strong in mind,i would suggest that u meditate if u can spare a few minutes in the morning,drink lots of water as it releases extra fluids in the body and add lots of veggies in ur diet.

Hi there y'all

I really really really hope you can help me with this situation

I'm 18 years old, I'm a young man and I'm mexican. When I'm at school, I notice that people around me touch their noses. Today two guys were talking outside the classroom and one said to the other to come in the classroom and he did, he got out of the room quickly and they both started laughing

Also, some of my teachers also touch their noses, it's the same in the subway.

My parents have told me that I don't smell at all, also I don't notice any odor. Today I went to the school's bathroom and started crying and screaming  

This has been happening since 2 weeks ago

It really surprises me that some people have experienced this even for a YEAR! a long YEAR!

I'm planning to ask a friend of mine if I smell bad or good or if I don't smell at all

I'll tell her something like this:

"Hey, can you smell me please? I was in the subway and then a man got on and he stanked! There were such many people so he was by my side and we were face to face. Do I smell bad? Do I smell like something?"

What do you guys think of my question? Is it good enough? I really trust this friend so I won't be ashamed to ask him this stuff

Thanks a lot for reading and I hope you could help me

Greetings from Mexico City, MX