# Was reassured that it's all in my head



## ThreeYearsAndCounting (Dec 14, 2010)

My boss - "No, you do not smell. I can smell MYSELF (iron odor from well water) but not you. Take all the time you need, {NAME}."

My brother - "On mom's life, you do not smell." (he sits next to me at work and does cover his nose)

My best friend AND his mom - "Wolahi, you do not smell." (devout Muslims - his mother has held her nose around me)

My clinical psychologist - "I swear on my children's lives" (he said he's never smelled anything on me and has held his nose and sniffled around me)

My mother - "Let God take my mother if I smell anything on you."

My mothe is also going to come in with me on Sunday morning. No one will be in the office and she'll sit right next to me. Hopefully, that will calm me down.

I just got done confronting my brother and I could tell he's not lying. He's exasparated of me constantly asking if I smell.

At work today, I continued researching Olfactory Reference Syndrome and realized I match every single symptom. I've got severe OCD-symptoms (ridiculously bad), have had Body Dysmorphia built-in to my mind by my abusive ex-father (who mentally tortured me in an attempt to 'ready me" for the NBA...lol), insecurity issues, etc.

Not saying foul odors are imaginary; just thinking (agian) that I have a mental illness, not a physical one.

Not going to show up on the site for 3-4 weeks (hopefully) while I try to learn how to fix myself.


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## Common Response (Dec 26, 2009)

ThreeYearsAndCounting said:


> My boss - "No, you do not smell. I can smell MYSELF (iron odor from well water) but not you. Take all the time you need, {NAME}."
> 
> My brother - "On mom's life, you do not smell." (he sits next to me at work and does cover his nose)
> 
> ...


Very interesting TYC.

OCD is very possible and should be considered/eliminated from the equation.

I personally find some detect it others don't, some days are worse than others, but as we can't gauge it, we treat encounters the same, which is that we fear that we are always offending.

It's easy for OCD to take a hold because you can't gauge your state.

Your history tells me that you have very real conditioning (father) which may have affected you considerably.

If you were abused as a young person, you may have subconscious fear constantly affecting you.

Fear causes anxiety to arise. Anxiety is very subtle. We can be in a continuously anxious state without being aware of it.

Anxiety shuts off blood to the digestive tract (fight or flight response).

Compromised digestion will occur.

There may be some element of poor digestion/odor but your condition is magnified, firstly by fear/anxiety, and secondly by OCD which is another form of conditioning where, without knowledge of if/or how bad you offend, you will automatically fear the worst.

If your condition is truly caused by fear/anxiety and that OCD has developed from this, then your prescription is clear, but implementing it is beyond many.

Prescription.

1. Regular exercise.

2. Good food.

3. Regularly practice meditation/mindfulness.

With diligent regular practice of meditation you're able to achieve deep states of calm so profound that they eliminate anxiety/fear.

Unfortunately this state is only as powerful as your commitment to regular practice.

If you do go down this path, you may encounter more than just a deep sense of calm.

It has the potential to change your whole life.


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