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.