I was not feeling good lately. Forgetting to shower and to do some basic things.
I was in my individual lesson very confortable in my sportswear that I haven´t changed in some days. Everything went fine untill the end of the lesson which my teacher said to me: -do you have a washing machine? Because you smell.
Maybe it´s rude for him to be in a public place while “smelling”, but I don´t see how it´s his bussiness telling me so.
I´m still not sure if he said that to me to do me good or he just had a bad day.
Nevertheless, now i don´t see myself going to class that often. I just feel completely embarrassed.
I was even wondering myself if this scene was part of a psychotic episode because it´s a bit surreal aswell.
I´ve been taking my meds but i have been smoking some weed puffs here and there…
In contrast to what others may think my lack of showering was never in lieu of lacking love for myself; I was just simply too busy wrapped up in thoughts and projects
I also found eating, sleeping and using the toilet unnecessary and aggravating chores calling me away from more interesting matters.
It’s why mad scientists are always depicted with a wild mane of knappy hair.
I had a job once where one of the letters in my inbox from management told me I stunk.
Smell is both personal and impersonal, it is a form of communicating, perhaps he just thought you were being rude, some saints have been known to emit healing perfume and incense, if you’re trying to be at that level then obviously don’t wash, but if you’re trying to just be a good social being then washing and using soap or aftershave is always a good policy as it helps to get along with people. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, just ask yourself what you did to set him off. Cheers.
May I ask how your relationship with your coworkers was in that job? Did they avoid you? Were you able to have good relationship with them? Where there a lot of rumours about you?
We’re not allowed to talk about religion on this site, so I won’t talk about praying and baptism, there is a book on water from a spiritual perspective as used in Africa which I could recommend, it is basically a universal idea, he has to take some responsibility too, but he’s probably not very educated in my opinion or he wouldn’t have said what he said.
I was a security guard
so I was the clown among the staff.
The ‘smelly’ thing was nurses getting pissy about me using one of the break rooms after doing rounds about the hospital and getting all sweaty.
As for ‘avoiding’ …I avoided them; felt that most came from early Gen X - the kids that made fun of poor people who had to shop Kmart instead of Macy’s. Sometimes it better to hang out alone rather than in the center of sneers.
It sounds to me like your professor was concerned for you. Smelling badly isn’t a horrible embarrassment. You can recover and I doubt he will continue thinking of you as the smelly kid in class. Lots of kids have trouble managing hygiene and household chores in college, because many of them never learned how to properly do those things from their parents. I’m sure your professor has had this conversation with dozens of students in his time teaching. Now you know people notice when you don’t change your clothes, so you can remember to change them and take showers.
As a side note, all smokers smell like smoke. None of them think they do. It’s a very distinct and pervasive smell, and no amount of deodorizer will help. The only solution is to change after smoking. Well, really, the only permanent solution is to stop smoking, but I know that seems daunting for a lot of people. It’s a good idea to give up the pot though, if you already have schizophrenia. The risk of having a psychotic episode from smoking goes up like 80% if you already have psychosis.
I did exposure therapy using YouTube of watching showerheads pouring water and people taking showers. I did this until I got over my phobia of showers. I reckon that it’s just a learned fear that gradually built up over time and that it can be unlearned.
Anyone can smell after a while. Could have told them that what they smell is victory. If one honest mistake ruins everything then that work relationship ain’t worth it, but it’s possible they feel comfortable enough with you to say something like that with good intentions. We can attribute first to misjudgement before malice.
I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Worse case scenario he probably thought you forgot to use deodorant that day or that your a stoner. I’m sure he didn’t dwell on it longer than 5 seconds after you left.
The teacher was just trying to help you. He could probably smell that you hadn’t bathed or washed your clothes and wanted to let you know others could tell. He’s saving you the embarrassment of hearing it from classmates. Try to shower at least every other day and wash your clothes. But don’t feel too bad about it. You just didn’t know.
