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daily hygein rituals, i feel dirty


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ok here is a change from my normal woe is me self pity post, lately i cant help but feeling dirty. all over.like you know when you have a bandade on for a week and you get that sticky black dirrty goo around it? except all over my body.

 

i shower and everything but it doesnt help sometimes i even feel like there are bugs on me. im clean and there arent bugs or dirt(not counting those microscopic things we learn in biology) but i just cant feel clean. what are some good daily hygien habits

 

i need to help on this so please reply guys

-stitches

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Hmm, maybe it's the detergent you wash your clothes in? I know that some detergents make my clothes feel a little stiff or make my skin itchy. I can't use a certain brand of detergent because it causes me to itch and make me feel like i'm not clean.

 

i guess just shower regularly. my old college roommate used to shower twice a day, first wash completely and at the end of the night, just wash her body. she was a bit anal retentive though but it worked for her, so that's the point.

 

maybe it's in your head too. i don't know.

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Hey there!

 

It's not uncommon for people to sometimes feel dirty, but it is to feel dirty all the time. If that's what you feel like, then I want you to ask yourself some questions. Respond here if you like!

 

- Do you feel dirty ALL the time.

- Do you feel like you have to wash yourself all the time or after doing something even a little dirty?

- Do you think about feeling dirty a great deal of the time?

- Does your thinking about feeling dirty injterfere with your normal life activities? Like, do you avoid doing certain things or going certain places because you are afraid you will get really really dirty? Or have you sacrificed something else to clean yourself?

 

I'm not saying that you have OCD, but it's important to think about if your thoughts have become obsessive or not. The fact that you wrote "daily hygeine RITUALS" concerns me, as hygeine should never be thought of a ritual but more like a habit. Ritual is a word a lot of people who become obsessive about their cleanliness use.

 

I guess most importantly, you need to ask yourself: When you clean yourself, do you feel temporarily relieved/satisfied until the next time you feel dirty again? And when that happens, do you clean yourself to feel relieved again?

 

If so, this may be a bigger issue than just wanting to learn better hygeine habits. And if not, I'm sorry for getting so off track. It's just that I know some people with OCD and it's a very real thing and nothing to be ashamed of, and I wanted to let you know that.

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Hey.

 

Do any of those things northernlights listed ring true for you?

Or is this just a recent thing?

 

Just a randomish thought: there have been times in my life where I've done something I came to regret. For me, sometimes this becomes quite literal and I feel dirty all over...scrub in the tub like crazy...sort of washing away the bad thoughts and regrets along with the dirt. I have no idea if this means anything to you. It is part of me: when I fall into a depressed state, I tend to not bathe as much. I neglect a lot of things. A solid week of impeccable hygiene gives me a great 'fresh start' when i'm ready (and i'm ready when that dirty feeling is strong enough that i feel the urge to get rid of it)

 

Maybe you are ready for a fresh start! that'd be cool. If that's the case I can give you some suggestions. Otherwise, I'd think that regular shower-shave-clean clothes should do the trick.

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I think if you feel very low about yourself, or have a very negative image of who you are, you can feel dirty beyond cleaning so to say.

 

A friend of mine used to look a bit dirty (pale fattish skin), but that was because she was depressed and she just looked ill.

 

How do you feel on the inside? A couple of things that really help me when I feel like this, is taking a long swim followed by an afternoon in the sauna, and just taking REALLY good care of myself. Drink a lot of water, green tea, fruits and veggies. Exercise and make your skin look fresh by being outdoors a lot.

 

Ilse

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ok i feel dirt ALL the time for the past 3 months or so.

i feel like i have to wash all the time but i try not to i shower at least 3 times a day anyway so i try just washing my hands or face not a full shower

i dont think about it all the time but i feel it all the time

as for the last question, i wont use hair gel because it makes my hands sticky

 

ok i feel terrible inside the majority of the time, im bipolar,schizophrenic, and have borderline personality disorder

 

i dont know if it makes a difference but particuarly i feel sticky even when im not

 

-stitcheS

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has a professional diagnosed you ??? meaning from the DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

 

sounds to me like you fit the criterion of OCD ... given that and your other disorders you need appropriate cognitive/behavorial therapy and the right combo of meds.

 

if you haven't been properly diagnosed by a competent psychiatrist you need to make it a point to go -

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I think this is a sort of externalized symptom of your depression. I hope you are talking about your issues to someone? Feeling dirty is also an internal feeling, and showering will not help unless you start to feel better about yourself in the first place. When I feel low, I usually have all kinds of physical complaints, when in fact I am stressed out and entering a new episode of depression. It's frustrating.

 

Write down some things that you know make you feel better, just simple things. I have learned that for example reading childrens books or watching cartoons can be really good for a troubled mind. You need to address this with your therapist.

 

Ilse

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OCD is kind of a "side effect" of the BPD, though, you're letting it go to extremes.

 

Now, who told you you are Bipolar and also have Borderline Personality Disorder??? Both of them are quite similar, and I hardly believe you can have both at the same time. Aren't you self diagnosing instead of going to proper therapy?

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I don't think BPD and borderline are that similar, but that is for a psychiatrist to judge. I do hope you are seeing a therapist for this, if not, you probably should.

 

Ilse

 

No? They share most of the symptoms, yet each one has very specific ones. However, the line between them is very faint. I don't think someone can easily recognize one from the other, specially by themselves.

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BPD is a personality type disorder. You have to have shown symptoms for most of your life. Bipolar disorder is not a personality type disorder. You can not be bipolar for most of your life, but then suddenly be bipolar. And yes, you can most definitely be comorbidly diagnosed with both symptoms. They do show some similar symptoms, but they are also very different. I studied all of this in psych residency.

 

But anyway, to get back to the original post...hun, I'm sorry to say but it sounds like you're showing a OCD symptoms. Feeling dirty and needing to shower three times a day are common symptoms of OCD, and it's really important to see a therapist about these issues. If you've been treated for depression before, I'm sure you've already seen a therapist. You may not like it, but you really should tell your therapist about this because it's important. You can't let this interfere with your ordinary life, it's just not worth it. There are definitely therapy options available, as well as meds to make things a little easier in the process.

 

And please don't feel weird about having another diagnosis added to the list if you are diagnosed with OCD. Depression is often diagnosed with other disorders. It's more important that you take the step to get treatment because I've seen OCD rule some people's lives, and like I said before...just not worth it.

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