bipolar and the dreaded shower...

Hi all, Im new but I have a deep problem. I only feel safe coming out with it here. I have trouble getting motivated to shower when depressed. Its been a week for me and i feel disgusting. does anyone suffer from this?

Welcome to PC. This is a great and safe place to share and get advice from other who can relate to your issues.I thinks it's a common problem for people to neglect themselves when depressed.

Thank you for your honesty! I'm not the only one. Oh, dear God, but I get ripe sometimes. I feel like a vampire in sunlight around the shower, though. I can only force myself if I have to go indoors somewhere. (Other than my house). It's horrifying when people just drop by!

When you do shower do you feel better? I always feel refreshed. Clean pajamas and sheets make it even better.

Hey! I know I am not a major poster on here, but I still want to welcome you to PC. It is an amazing site to just vent and get advice! And I seem to be the opposite actually. I tend to skip showers more when I am hypomanic, simply because I want to get a lot of things done and I feel like it interrupts me. When I am in a more upset and low mood, I feel like a shower is a way to get away from everybody and be alone for once. Just me and my thoughts.

I understand. I will shower, I have to go to work, but there are times that I will completely let everything else go in my spaces-the sheets, the bathroom, dusting and vacuuming...Right now I am slowly getting it all back in order, clean sheets, two clean bathrooms (one more to go!) and plenty of clean clothes.
I agree, though, some tasks are so tough when you are depressed!
Bluemountains

I definitely agree with that last part. It's hard because you just feel all sluggish, like nothing will ever improve, and you just want to lay around the whole time, making things seem to drag out longer than they really are. It can really suck at times.

Welcome to PC

Depression can and does cause a decrease in personal hygiene. I bet everyone here has been in the same boat. I always feel better after I showered but getting up the energy to get in there has been really hard at times.

There is a HUGE thread about it - go read it, http://forums.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=208719

You are definitely not alone, Lyric. Like Bluemountains, I shower because I have to go to work. But I've defiitely let all sorts of other areas go because going to work is all I can handle. I've definitely been embarassed when people have stopped by unannounced. And if,I weren't currently employed, I'm sure I'd have gone the last week w/out showering/dressing.

I have gone as long as 3 weeks with no shower. This is very bad. Most recently I went for about 2 weeks. You're not alone. Welcome to PC!

-Chandler

I get so bad during the winter sometimes that I don't even brush my teeth or run a comb through my hair on the weekends that I'm not going anywhere.

Ooooh dear ! I'm ashamed to think when I last showered ! There seems no reason to bother. I have not left my bed literally, for 11 months. New years day 2012 was the last day I dressed. I don't see anyone other than my son who lives with me. I don't take care of myself in any way. I eat once a day an instant readymeal. Housework never occurs to me anymore and I have not used my washing machine in over a year. No one calls by or bothers to phone, not even family. Is this living ? I'm amazed I don't stink, funnily enough I really don't and my hair isn't greasy ! I'm amazed I haven't got a blood clot or bed sores from lying in bed. Is this to be my life ? Where's the old me gone ? Who cares ?

There is a bright side though to it. Our hair is healthier when it is NOT washed daily. My maternal grandmother had gorgeous long silver hair well into the old age and she rarely washed it.

i only shower if i need to.

and yes, i do find it hard to get motivated to do it.. especially as most mornings i can't even get out of bed

Hamster, well that's one way of looking at it, ha ha. Somehow I don't even care, that's the sad thing. Thanks for the reply tho, always nice to get. I am new here and a bit lost.

I live in Africa, am male and STILL sometimes go past a week without washing (I also have quite long hair - so extra icky). Luckily I don't sweat much (I'm not the hairy type) but still, by society's standards its pretty gross. Luckily I was on Roaccutane in my youth so I'm immune to acne, otherwise I'd be in a really crap place!

Yes, this is a key sign that I'm not doing well. I will start skipping showers.

It does make you feel betting to get into the shower. Once in there and getting clean, it's like returning you to "human" form. I have gone weeks without showering before. Once in particular I recall going a very long stretch about seven years ago. We moved to a new apartment and I took my first shower there in possibly a month and a half. I cried in the shower because it felt like I was human again. I'll never forget that one shower.

Thanks to everyone who replied, I ended my week long "dry spell" and got a shower last night. I felt terrible in there but once dried and pjs on, I felt better. You are all so helpful! Love to all

I never went long without showering but I do experience the huge lack of motivation to get up and take a shower in addition to taking care of other parts of hygiene (brushing teeth, etc,). I have this problem regularly.

I know I will feel better after taking a shower and taking care of everything and yet I still procrastinate. I hate the feeling.

I always shower as it makes me feel better when I do but that's just me alot of people can't get motivated enough to do it and that I understand. I hope ou get feeling better soon.

Haven't had one in three days.

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I know in my heart that I feel better if I shower but I, too, have trouble climbing in the shower or shaving when I'm depressed. When I isolate like this it doesn't really matter. It only becomes an issue when I look in the mirror...which is an uncommon occurance when I feel so down.

I know I already gave most of the same input before that I am going to say now, but I thought of something else pertaining to the subject. Like I said before, when I am all productive and talkative, I tend to skip them. Well, this helps because I am usually really lazy in the morning, so I only have to put my bangs up real quick. I don't even have to striahgten my hair since it didn't get wet, so it is still straight from the day before. This allows me to be slower with everything else I do without being late.

two words - duck butter.