Do You Have Problems With Personal Hygiene?

[batgirl]

This is kind of an embarrassing question maybe, but it's something I struggle with so I was wondering if anyone else has the same difficulty. I often have troubles with bathing or showering, brushing my teeth, combing my hair and so on. I am getting a lot better, but my family has to push me a fair bit, or I have to push myself. I find it takes so much energy... I feel lazy. When I lived alone, I could go a week without washing at all, or even longer if I didn't have to see anyone or go out. Washing just seemed like too much effort. And even though I wash every day now and feel much better when I do it, I still find it takes major effort most days. It's worse if I am depressed or moody, but even when I'm in a good mood I still need to push myself most days.

[upstream]

Evie, if you showed up to a prestigious university during dead week, you'd probably find that you're more hygienic than the students you encounter. Also they might seem kinda like zombies, but that's another topic.

If I'm living at home and I don't have any plans to go out, I can get rather unmotivated about regular hygiene. What motivates me is the whole leaving the house and interacting with people thing. Then it's time to shower, etc.

[anthony]

I went sometimes.... whilst I am typically 99% of the time hygienic, I might stray every now and then with hygiene.... cannot say I am perfect with it.

[Claire]

Is this anything to do with sensory overload or depression/self esteem?

[morgan]

I do struggle with it and I have guilt about that but, I still only do the basic requirements. I don't shave unless it's summer time and I'm wearing shorts every day.

[batgirl]

Is this anything to do with sensory overload or depression/self esteem?

Do you mean for me specifically Claire? I do have some sensory overload with showering and I do tend to neglect personal hygeine very much so when depressed, so I guess partially. But I made this poll because I wanted to see if this is just me, or if others also have difficulty.

Upstream, I'm like you I think, I feel more motivated to shower and so on if I have to go out, I have less problem with it then actually. I am actually very good with my personal hygeine right now, I shower daily, sometimes twice a day, it's just that it's always an effort for me, I guess that's what I am asking really, do other people find it a pain in the arse and wish they didn't have to do it, because that is totally me. Like for example, my mum loves showering, doing her hair, all that stuff. But I really can't be bothered. I'm not really interested in what I wear either. I make myself look presentable more for the sake of those around me than for myself, because I couldn't care less personally.

[Claire]

Hello Evie, no not just you although I know you do have a problem with the shower because you mentioned it before. I meant in others too. I was interested in this as well although its not a problem i have. I just wondered. It makes sense for some things like being in the shower, being wet, possibly cold to be triggers for some people. For me, most of mine are auditory.

[Awakening]

I would say most times hygenic, but if depressed no, I forget to shower, brush teeth.
Although sometimes sounds too much, so I'm unsure what to vote.

[chrissym]

i've always showered at least once a day until the ptsd struck, now i couldn't care less and i shower when i can't stand myself anymore...is this just me or have others had this problem due to the ptsd ?

[Kathy]

Welcome to the forum. I believe this is what the poll is asking Chrissy... do others have problems with hygeine due to the PTSD? If you look at the poll answers you will see that indeed some do.

[Grama-Herc]

I have a big problem with this issue. My attitude is very simple. "Why bother, nobody else cares, so why should I"

I am not saying this is correct thinking, it is not. But this is what my brain tells me. Why bother, I'm alone, so who cares. Even m y world is a mess. Now it is Not dirty just messy. Stuff stays where it falls and why put it away, I'm gonna need it again!

I do have a lot of trouble in this area now that I think about it. I'm not a slob, but.

I saw an article referring to the condition of you mind and the condition of your surroundings. Seems that your surroundings reflect the condition of your mind

Think about it. Maybe I should start a thread about this

[EmoxxKid]

Evie, if you showed up to a prestigious university during dead week, you'd probably find that you're more hygienic than the students you encounter. Also they might seem kinda like zombies, but that's another topic.

If I'm living at home and I don't have any plans to go out, I can get rather unmotivated about regular hygiene. What motivates me is the whole leaving the house and interacting with people thing. Then it's time to shower, etc.



Ha! Indeed. I loved the way you wrote this ...it made me smile;)

[grace5555]

Yes, Evie - i struggle to both extremes. It is all connected to trauma and flashbacks for me and very hard to be "normal" in this area.

[nic]

I actually have the opposite issue. I shower too much, and because of that my skin is always dry. I think it has to do with wanting to wash all the "bad stuff" away and be "clean" both physically and metaphorically. I've also struggled a bit with minor OCD around this issue, but I'm getting better.

[grace5555]

I know what you mean - that is what I meant by extremes - some days I can't quit showering, etc. and other days I cannot force myself to become vulnerable by changing clothes. I hate how that sounds but it is me. =\

[northernpunch]

I actually rub my chin nowadays and if the hair is starting to grow too long there on the face I figure it must be time to get cleaned up. Of course, if I have urgent matters to deal with I will shower first. I also wear clean underwear and clothes and will wash the hands and face, even do a facile sponge bath if it gets rank, I do not want to smell, ya know. But it seems kind of futile to be overly sensitive about getting all washed up when I am already all washed up and gonna die right away anyway, OOOPs there's that damned C-PTSD again

[Cecilia]

I am a cleany. If my house is not organized and clean then I get very panicky and depressed. My husband got very angry at me for vacuuming the floor at 2 a.m., but I could not sleep and could not stand a mess.

For the most part if my house is clean and my toes are pedicured; my world is calm.

[linasmom]

I am a neat freak and have been known to take 3 showers in one day without ever stepping out of the house. My husband thinks I'm OCD but I think it's just a form of the PTSD.

I love to vacuum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[She Cat]

Another neat freak and bath freak too.... I don't care how sick I am, I have to have a bath, and soak. The house has to be neat and clean too. I have to have order, in order to feel calm and collected.......

[kers]

other days I cannot force myself to become vulnerable by changing clothes

Grace, this is exactly how I often feel! I am so relieved to know that others experience this, too. When I struggle to bathe, it's often because I want to shower but can't bear to get undressed. A lot of times I'll wash my face and do my hair, then try to rely on perfume. I feel like a freak, but it's all I can manage some days.

[JustJane]

Wow. I just had my hair cut short because I never bothered to brush it and would get so many tangles that when I did have to go somewhere, I'd just throw a ski-style hat on to cover my hair. I knew that wasn't a solution, so finally cut it short - like 3" at the longest strand.

It's the second time in a year that my hair was completely beyond my ability to keep it orderly.

And I have gone for a month without showering. If I was aware of BO, I washed my underarms, but that was all. I don't work and if I did, I know I would take a shower before going to work everyday. If I had a tub, I would soak every day. But no tub and no room for a tub. Just my luck.

[hodge]

Do you mean for me specifically Claire? I do have some sensory overload with showering and I do tend to neglect personal hygeine very much so when depressed, so I guess partially. But I made this poll because I wanted to see if this is just me, or if others also have difficulty.

Upstream, I'm like you I think, I feel more motivated to shower and so on if I have to go out, I have less problem with it then actually. I am actually very good with my personal hygeine right now, I shower daily, sometimes twice a day, it's just that it's always an effort for me, I guess that's what I am asking really, do other people find it a pain in the arse and wish they didn't have to do it, because that is totally me. Like for example, my mum loves showering, doing her hair, all that stuff. But I really can't be bothered. I'm not really interested in what I wear either. I make myself look presentable more for the sake of those around me than for myself, because I couldn't care less personally.

I feel pretty much the same way, Evie. I'm most motivated to bath if I have to go out or meet someone. It seems like a chore lately. A bath used to relax me and still does sometimes, but often it's also a time and place where a lot of emotions come to the surface and I cry there. Maybe there's some sensory overload going on there; I'm not sure.

I have had a hard time caring about what I wear, my hair, my appearance in general. I have improved a bit, though. I bought some eye shadow a couple weeks ago, and I've been trying to wear a bit of makeup, going with the theory that trying to look nice on the outside helps the mood inside. It helps a bit.

Oh, and I also tend to avoid the hassle of shaving unless it's summer and I'm wearing shorts and sleeveless tops or going swimming.

[Lucky Laser]

I think my problem with hygiene is that I think about it too much. When I look in the mirror I usually see an ugly person (something I have struggled with since my trauma) and I shower two or three times a day sometimes to make sure that I am not gross (ie. unlovable). Also, sometimes when I am out and stressed I feel like I am taking on the dirt of other people... like strangers are touching me but without touching me, and I want to wash the creepies off.

Buuut, that second thing might just be a coincidence because my Mom is a nurse and always insisted on everything being really, really clean.

[upstream]

Lucky, have you ever seen the TV show "How to look good naked" ?

It's a makeover show where they take women who hate the way they look and change their perceptions of themselves. Eye opening show...

[Lucky Laser]

No, I haven't seen that show... Sooo, I just looked it up and found that they have episodes online you can watch for free. :) I'm watching now and I am glad to see that the show is really geared towards women (I was admittedly a little afraid because of the title, lol). I know in my rational mind that female nudity is not a dirty, scary thing, I just need more things like this to convince myself of that. Thank you upstream!

[nightowl52]

I have to divide each step with sit & rest periods. Choosing what I wear is frustrating, then having everything I need in there & I run the bath. Showers requiring standing & I get pain & have to sit, stand, squat to relieve it. Then I sit . Then I bathe , dry & sit again. Then I blow dry my hair, well sometimes I just let it dry on it's own. It takes hours for me to get ready for the day & I don't wear make up, color my hair or cut it. It's too much work! And the fact that the hair dressers shop is crowded & she's got you in the chair. I'll stop there. sorry

[Murphy's Law]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I have felt so alone, and disgusted with myself for this exact issue.
I always used to shower 1 or 2 times a day. My hair, massive red curls, was my crowning glory. Now, I go weeks without washing or combing my hair. Just last week I hacked most of it off in a fit of... I don't know.
As for showers, at first it went to when i had to go out. Now I put on a hat, and leave the showering for days with the doctors. Gross.

[Anonymoose]

Sometimes I experience a great deal of avoidance around personal hygiene. Tasks like showering or brushing my teeth trigger me. However, I've managed to get around them when they trigger me unbearably. There are oral hygiene wipes to use and I can wash up or use wipes designed for use without water. Though I may not always feel like tending to my personal hygiene, I am able to do so consistently.

[graebrahm]

I have serious problems with this - probably partly due to the water issue and my near drowning (my twin babies did drown). Sometimes I don't even care if I am going somewhere - I figure - I live on a farm so they'll just think I was working... I would never have done this before my accident - it would have horrified me. I can't figure a way out of it - really stinks (no pun intended).

[bustedflat]

I have been home for 3 mos and this last time it's been like a week and I have been out on store runs. My hair is shoulder length and curly so it's not hard to wet it, mousse it and look halfway ok but I still know. It's gross but I am so glad to know that you others struggle with it too.

[Dylan]

I try to stay in the middle somewhere, but I have pendulum swung to both extremes.

In the past, it was most often the the high anxiety, over-energized, states that I experienced and with that I tended toward hyper-hygiene. Shower 2-3 times a day. If I even tried on a shirt to wear to work, I had to wash it.
I could be obsessive about the house cleanliness, etc.

In recent years, it's gone more toward the depressive states where I can barely muster enough concern to even get to work, let alone care about appearance and such. Then, I can go a couple of weeks without showering, just do swipes with the toothbrush on my front teeth, never wash my face, etc etc. With this last "episode" it became obvious. Wrinkled clothes, not necessarily very clean, my hair a frizzy wreck....all self-care goes down the toilet as I try and bolster up my INNER self-care enough to pull myself up and out of the spin.

-Dylan

[xxarmywifexx]

I notice this in my husband...how can I motivate him to take care of the basics like brushing his teeth. That is the main one really. HELP!

[sassy-snape]

im very aware of how clean i am and if i smell, to the extent i pester my other half to tell me if i smell, stuffin his head under my arms to check lol.

but when deppressed even brushing my teeth seems to much of a chore

[gentlelady]

I would probably slip into the sometimes category had it not been for my grandmother drilling into me the importance of cleanliness. Any slips ups brought down her wrath.