Poll Do You Have Problems With Personal Hygiene?

[Ronin]

I tend to be fine if I can remember it's something on the order of the day & if I'm having enough of a mind to talk myself out of being stuck in the past.

If I can persuade myself it's just a normal human thing to do that doesn't lead to any of the horrors of my past, I'm good.

 

[Deleted member 28403]

Lately I've been seriously struggling with self-care of any kind...

I manage to wash my teeth at least once a day... Twice if I am more myself... But showering. That drops to once a week or once every two weeks even

 

[justvisiting]

I have problems with hygiene. It is really strange. I will wash my face every night, and shower if I need to go places. But when it comes to brushing my teeth, I have like a mental block. I only tend to do it if its been a few days and I know I will have to speak to people. Even then, I may think about it, but not do it. I feel weird when I do brush my teeth. Like its wrong, or something bad will happen. Bathrooms are strange for me. Brushing my hair is a problem too. I rarely do it. None of this is from laziness, or not caring how I look. I do care, it makes me self conscious that I have a mental block that keeps me from daily hygiene.

 

[Deleted member 19804]

I have no problems with personal hygiene. In fact, I have become cleaner since I developed PTSD. I think that may be in a large part linked to my personal feelings of being a bad and dirty person. I sort of scrub those feelings away by making sure I'm always clean.
I do however struggle to keep my house tidy. It's never really dirty, but it's always a mess.

 

[Gadgie]

I used to go for days without shaving, when I was really depressed, (I think that's why I grew the beard I have now) but I still showered and kept myself clean. I think that goes back to my days in the Navy, where personal hygiene was important.

As there was thirty to forty blokes, all living in one small place, where our pits (bunks) were only inches apart.

Our bunks were stacked three high, and there was hardly any room to turn over in your bunk, and you have someone else's feet just inches from your face?

When I was on the Yacht we slept in hammocks, and that was an experience! They were so close together, that if you got up to go on watch, you couldn't get back in again.

As it was impossible to hold the ones nearest to yours apart, and swing up the seven feet, to get into it, at the same time ?

 

[Deleted member 12723]

Before my husband got sick, I showered everyday and changed my clothes everyday. But as his illness grew worse when I did take a shower I would shake with anxiety and I still do not know what that was all about.

I do not go out everyday so I pretty much showering every two days and blow dry my hair and I no longer have the shakes.

Once I get a job, I will most likely return to showering once a day. I love the feeling of being clean. In the summer time I take more showers. I only shave my legs in the summer when I am wearing leggings or shorts. I wash and condition my hair and I use the blow dryer on my hair. On the bad days, I just wear a hat to cover my hair.

 

[Changing4Best]

I hate to wash my face and I hate the taste of toothpaste. I only take a shower and wash my face once per week. I procrastinate about taking a shower, but I know I have to, so I do. I didn't used to be like this during my teen years, before my second exposure to sexual abuse, but then again, I hated to take a bath when I was a child (which was when my first molestations took place). I would put it off for as long as I could. I forgot about that until just now! I would play with the washcloth in the bathtub back then. I would pretend it was a fish and let it swim around while I just sat in the tub. I would not wash myself, just play.

However, during my teen years, I had long hair down to my waist. I washed it every day because it was oily. I think I did this mostly under peer pressure. I used to brush it 100 times every day. However, when I was in college, I got it all cut off short and then I was not as fussy about washing it. I had too much to do in college to be concerned with my hair and my looks.

 

[Whyteferret]

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

For me. It's both.
Between TBI and PTSD, sometimes I get so tired I have to nap. It's just loud and something hitting my body. I take baths, leaving the room while its filling.

And there are times I just don't care or don't have the energy. "I'm not going anywhere, so why bother?" Or "I just don't care. They can kiss my butt if they don't like how I smell."

 

[Changing4Best]

If I can smell myself or my bedding, I start washing myself and everything in sight!

 

[DreamLover]

I used to be terrible. Unless I had somewhere to be (work, engagement) I wouldn't shower, wash my face, brush my teeth etc. I would stay in my pajamas - and stay stinky! - all day.

Becoming a mother forced me to become more social. It was also a big wake up call in that - "Hey, you are someone's role model now." So showering has become much more important to me. However, some days (like today) I'm in PJs all day. No energy and feel rather depressed - plus I'm off baby duty so I have the option.

 

[Deleted member 34424]

I can't go a day without showering.

 

[JFSurvivor]

I just have to say that I am so happy that I am not the only one with this issue