Do you think you smell?
Well, if we assume for a moment that you actually don’t smell or emit some sort of stinky odor, you’re like most people. In this modern world where many don’t think twice about showering each and every day, our bodies often have little chance to work up any kind of odor.
However, if you’re amongst a small group of people who think they smell even when they don’t, then you might be suffering from Olfactory Reference Syndrome. Olfactory Reference Syndrome is a “new” syndrome coined by researchers who’ve discovered that amongst people who think they smell bad — even when they don’t — suicidal thinking and behavior is rampant.
And it’s no wonder — if you think you smell bad and others are noticing the bad smell, and no amount of bathing helps (because the smell is all in the person’s head — it doesn’t actually exist), you might be driven to the edge of hopelessness. Olfactory reference syndrome is thought to be a specific sub-type or related to obsessive-compulsive disorders by some researchers.
The researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association this past week.
[The researchers] assessed 20 patients with olfactory reference syndrome seen at Butler Hospital, also in Providence, where Phillips worked at the time, in order to further describe some of its clinical characteristics.
They found that these patients spent three to eight hours a day preoccupied with their concerns that they smelled bad.
Most were convinced that their belief about the odor was real, even though no one else agreed with them or could detect it (85%).
More than three-quarters (77%) thought others took special notice of them.
Where do people think their bad smells are coming from? The researchers discovered that most of the 20 patients their assessed with this syndrome thought that bad smell was coming from their mouth, “followed by the armpits, genitalia, the anus, their feet and their skin. The groin, hands, head, and scalp were other commonly perceived sources of the smell.”
The article also notes, “The vast majority (75%) thought they had bad breath, while 65% incorrectly believed that their sweat smelled bad.”
What do these people do to try and cope with their belief that they smell bad? Not surprisingly, they try and make themselves smell better:
In order to mask their perceived odors, patients most often doused themselves in perfume (90%). Phillips said “some even drank perfume to improve their breath.”
About 70% showered several times a day to rid themselves of the imaginary stench. Others constantly chewed gum (60%) or ate mints (50%). About a quarter reported changing their clothes multiple times a day.
“Some of these patients would use an entire bar of soap in one shower,” Phillips said. “Some are constantly seeking reassurance” that they don’t smell — asking those around them if they’re catching a whiff of anything unusual.
These patients had a significant amount of co-occurring conditions, some of which are potentially serious comorbidities, Phillips said. For instance, 74% at some point had avoided social situations entirely.
Also concerning was the fact that 68% had thoughts about suicide, while 32% had attempted taking their lives at some point.
Just over half (53%) had had psychiatric hospitalizations, and 40% reported being housebound for at least a week at a time because of their perceived odor problems.
Because olfactory reference syndrome is so rare, research into effective treatments for this obsessive disorder are few and far between. EMDR, Abilify, Solian (amisulpride) and SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors — a commonly prescribed type of antidepressant) have all been researched and shown various effectiveness with olfactory reference syndrome.
Don’t worry — this syndrome won’t make it into the DSM-5 as a diagnosable mental disorder, but may be in the “conditions requiring more research” appendix.
Read the full article: Body Odor Delusion May Spark Suicide Thoughts
81 comments
It would be good if the posters on here could keep us updated on how things are going and if there has been improvement.
I also suffer the same affliction of ors. I’m 26 and have suffered since 5 y.o. In addition I have patm (people allergic to me), Google it if you are curious.
The ors for me is about my obsession with bad smells and a fear of having bad breath after a traumatic incident involving verbal abuse with regards to not keeping up good oral hygiene care. This happened age 5 and from onwards I was obsessing over it so much I developed severe anxiety and OCD (rituals included counting, arranging, positioning to satisfaction and could take up hours). I guess you could say I’ve always been aware of myself emitting an unpleasant odour. I do have an unpleasant odour (rare and on stressful occasions) and it’s not coming from my mouth as halitosis but from my mind.
This itself is a big statement to make but I can make it as I am 100% genuine satisfied this is where the smell originates from. It’s real and it’s from the mind.
I have thought about suicide on numerous occasions and attempted once.
Ors is no joke and can destroy you mentally.
I’m partly quitting my job because of this but they keep bringing up air fresheners. It feels like people are using or wanting me to use air fresheners everywhere I go. I have went to a doctor and ran lots of stomach tests I just didn’t do the scope they couldn’t find anything wrong. I think I have gas constantly an I smell bad a lot of the time an I do smell it sometimes! It does depend what I eat but it seems nomatter what I eat it always happens. I take gas x everyday I use to take probiotic and Pepcid didn’t make a diference. I tried the charcoal pills didn’t work. I spent a lot of money and orders that special underwear that’s suppose to mask the small of gas. It’ll take a few more days to come in maybe that will work? I ask people all the time nobody says I do but I think i have heard people saying I do all the time. And just so many comments make me feel like it is me I do smell. Sometimes it’s better than others but it is driving me crazy I’m so unhappy I don’t want to be around people I don’t want a relationship. I’m going to try to find a job where I don’t have to be around people. I’m thinking about seeing a therapist but it’ll be hard to afford that. I don’t want to get on medication. It’s been about 3 years now. I don’t have much hope. A lot of people in my family have gas a lot I think it’s heriditary? I do chew my food fast I try not to but it’s so hard I don’t know if that could be why? It doesn’t really help to know this is a phobia and that there’s other people because I still believe I smell more than other people. People do still want me around and just will use a ton of air fresheners to be around me but it’s just too embarrassing. I can’t accept it I can’t find humor in it. I’m tired of complaining to friends and family. I did keep it in for months and tried not complaining at all they even all thought I was over it. It didn’t help but I guess I’m just going to do that again.keep it in and try to believe it’s in my head?
I’m the same way except I think my breath smells and I think I hear people talk about me but family and bf say I don’t smell but I don’t want to go to work cause I think everyone knows I smell .. I’m so depressed don’t like going anywhere . I’m here for ya
Hey, so im a 14 year old girl and i think i might have this? I’ve been looking for something that really sums up what im going through and this is it. I literally cannot trust anyone anymore because i think everyone is lying to me trying to make me feel like i dont smell when i think i do. Sometimes i cry and i can’t go to school. Nobody has ever said that i smell, i shower everyday, but i just have this lingering thought in my head telling me i smell and that everyone thinks i smell and nobody is telling me and their laughing behind my back. It really does put me in a dark place and i sometimes feel like everyone hates me because of it. My mom has told me multiple times that it’s in my head. I also have breakdowns when i smell things like fish and egg, i will start crying and banging my head and i can’t control it. Please if anyone knows how to fix this please tell me i need to stop i want to make friends but i keep pushing everyone away
I think i have the same problem thinking that people are saying oh he smells or stinks i shower daily wash hands good hygiene, asked my mother if i smell she says i don’t & tells me off for asking i am a male adult. My mate for years has recently started suggesting that we go to a cafe instead of my place for take away night which are every month. Its driving me crazy i even change my clothes twice a day. Have a good diet.
Is it in my head
Hi guys i too suffered severely with this problem on and off it started when i was roughly 17 at high school, and i felt like i smelled terrible it went away shortly after only to return when i was about 21 22 and it crippled my entire social life and social standing as i would act as im imposing on all who I encountered i would get super anxious and feel absolutely terrible i would ask my girlfriend and brother at the time who assured me i was loosing the plot and smelt fine however i would convince myself that they were keeping me from the truth to save my feelings and it would make me hate the world that no one would actually tell me and would let me waltz about smelling of feces like some sick joke i would constantly tell my friends to be straight and tell me whats wrong with me that i can handle the truth without the courage to actually tell them what i felt like is wrong with me and it still haunts me to this day i sometimes hear slivers of conversation that idk if my brain does it or people are actually hinting towards a foul odour i am not a bad looking guy im fairly intelligent tall etc yet this blow to my confidence has left me without much of a decent life even as i write this i ponder if i do actually smell or if my anxiety and trauma just radiates off of me causing my entire life to degenerate into a sort of sorry state any way I am planning to be more confident and conquer the crippling affect, trying to muster the courage to ask random passer bys if i smell okay and hopefully put this all behind me once and for all or if there actually is a problem i will just withdraw work a job that has no physical contact. Atleast i will know of my predicament and can move forward from there not this constant back and fourth between feeling normal and feeling like a goddamn mutant in the line at the shopping market its enough to drive anybody insane and it truly sucks when i go out with my mates it feels like someone pays them to chill with me it feels like some major conspiracy god how did i get so crazy i feel like a bit of a nut as i read this lol but its true and i aim to overcome it for the good of myself and everyone around me idk why i care so much about everyones opinions to the point that i want to get out of their way as soon as possible and avoid as much contact as i possibly can for their convenience what about me IM ALSO ALIVE and if i do legitimately smell bad im gonna rub that shit in those motherfuckers faces till they cant even breath properly i will force them to shout it from the rooftops so i can finally know for sure and if they are silent like nothing happened then phew thank god im fine and i can start worrying about bigger problems wish me luck i wish all of you luck the only way i see to fix this problem is to run at it head on i will not let it steal another second of my life nor should any of you i love you all for posting what you have posted its nice to know that im not alone in this fight. Now i go to conquer this problem easier said then done but im sick of tip toeing through the tulips worrying about everyone else whilst doing detriment to myself for their comfort. We can overcome anything we set our minds to with just a little bit of strength to accept truths and accept our own crazy thoughts and thus our predicaments each and everyone of you are beautiful dont ever forget it lifes to short to let these things cripple you perhaps its just a resounding fear of criticism for me that i need to overcome to get past this any way enough of my incoherent rant.
A few years ago my friends and I were all hanging out in my friends car and I was sitting so still because I didn’t wanna move the air around me thinking I smelled. I was having a mini anxiety attack and one of my friends asked if I was okay, and I started crying 😞 my friends were shocked at first but so supportive and I explained to them everything and the way I felt and immediately they all reassured me that I didn’t smell at all. I ask them frequently now and they always tell me no. I even tell them that if they start to notice a weird smell to tell me right away. And I think since they seen me cry about it in front of them they know it’s serious for me.
I’m more aware of it when I’m at work or when I’m riding in vehicles with other people. When I’m alone the thoughts rarely cross my mind so I think alot of it comes from the anxiety I’ve had since I was a teenager. This has made me 100% aware of what I do, what I touch, where I am and what products I use and don’t use. Its always there in the back of my mind that hey maybe I smell but what can I do to stop it.
I found a lotion I really like that helps calm my thoughts when I put it on so I take it everywhere with me now. If I’m still convinced I smell, I’ll go ahead and ask a stranger if they smell it or not.The way I see it is that I’m never gonna see this person again they don’t know my life so they’re not going to lie to me either. When a stranger or someone I just met tells me that no I don’t smell bad it calms my mind and the thoughts stop. I think I have this disorder but I also believe it’s just a different form of anxiety coming to ruin my life. If anyone needs to talk about it I’m here to listen. No one should have to deal with this alone my email is [email protected]
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