Random Question: Why don't WE want to shower?

I once tried for racewalking. Then all sorts of hardships interfered, and I never went back to the track. I walked one mile under 15 mins, while trying to follow the very difficult rules and constraints of racewalking. The judge told me that I was promising, since my first mile wS under 15 mins. Just one mile. And you walked much more!

I have at least 10 different shower gels and at least as many EDT or EDP (eau de toilette or perfume), and so far the variety of choices has kept me from feeling that showering is a mindless routine. Tomorrow I will go buy artisan bar soap from the farmers' market for the same reason - I want to enjoy the color, texture, and scent of soap.

I had no idea other people had this problem! I thought I was some kind of weirdo! Sometimes, I get busy doing something I enjoy and it feels like a waste of time to shower. I know that's crazy, esp since I'm a germaphobe. I don't have any tips really. I kind of just force myself in there. I mostly just wanted to express my gratitude for everybody else's posts, that's all.

Yes!! I'm a germaohobe as well lol. When I do showerni loofah the crap out of my skin and can't get enough soap/shampoo/exfoliating face soap etc. The same goes for when I clean my house I had to stop using bleach products bc I was ruining my clothes and my hands were raw even with gloves. I can't ever get anything clean enough period so I feel like why bother lol. My husband is just going to come along and mess it up most days. He doesn't know it but I put every single dish he cleans into the dishwasher hahaha. I tried to explain my system and he just got pissed. I have one sponge only for counter tops one for dishes and one non scratch for pans. You'd think I was teaching rocket science. So it's easier to smile and say thanks how sweet then do it the right way as soon as he leaves :P

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I thought the sponges were color-coded: pink for non-scratch and blue for regular, no?

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I'm the same as Bipolarnurse! No reason based on mood, I just don't want to. I've gone from every day to twice a week.

Also agree with hamster- bamster since it's clearly an issue for so many of us. I know it's in the requirements for disability in the U.S. In the Activities of Daily Living form.

I don't feel like such a scumbag now that I know I'm not alone!

I agree, never really thought about it being classified as a symptom.

Oh, this is so soothing to hear. I have been "stable" for some time, but I do still struggle with taking showers. Since I have started working again I take them more frequently, but like today, I didn't sweat or get dirty so I am struggling to make myself get in the shower. I rarely ever shower on the weekends. It is odd as to why it seems so many bp'ers struggle with this.

Yes, but my husband feels like what a stupid thing to tell me. I know what I'm doing -leave me alone. hahaha

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You're SO right. Inspired by you, today I bought a nice body scrub, face mask, lotion, and a new conditioner. I don't think I've had such a refreshing, relaxing, enjoyable shower in a year. Variety -- and the texture of the body scrub -- definitely helped.

Gosh, I think the shower felt better than sex. Is that TMI? Maybe. STILL, good products and variety can really make that much of a difference. A part of me feels guilty about the "unnecessary" splurging. Yes, I know that I already own shower gel, conditioner, body lotion, etc. Nevertheless, I was getting so sick of showering, but today I feel so much more relaxed and refreshed.

Thank you, Hamster. Your posts are the best.

That's how you know you're a girl. There are a LOT of things that seem better than sex! LOL!

Wow, thanks for this post, I had never heard of hygiene being an issue unless there was severe depression. I have always been pretty OCD about it, even when depressed, and maybe overly so. In the summer or if I get sweaty, I will shower multiple times in a day, or at least wash with a cloth. I have to shave my legs and underarms every day or it drives me nuts. I think the longest I have gone without showering or bathing is 3 days, and that was in very severe depression where I did not really get out of bed...

Exactly. I had a 3 month spell of staying in bed all the time before 2 wks of psychosis. Once I was hospitalized, I remember eating with the other patients and thinking, somebody has some serious body odor. I then realized it was ME! I was horrified! I thought, well this is an all time low.... I also had 9 cavities when I was discharged. I still wonder, who the h-- was that person?!

I too have had this problem. I didn't have it much before the psychosis. Things have really changed since that though.

I think I might do what hamster suggested. Buy some cool body washes. Right now I just use dove the bar green. Like cucumber or something. I like it but I think I need more variety. I can't shave though with body washes. I need bar soap or else it doesn't get close enough.

But I'm gonna get me at least 2 different body washes. Good suggestion.

Don't like showering because the warm water makes me feel so drained and tired afterwards, and doing the same routine over and over again is frustrating and boring.

i hate showers also. they're boring and seem like a waste of time. it's hard to get motivated to get in a shower knowing that ill just have to do it again when i get dirty again. its time consuming when i have to wash my hair. used to keep my hair short and didn't ever wash it, just rinse. now my hair is long and i have to wash it or it gets gross. then getting out of the shower, its cold and my hair stays wet a long time and it feels awful to me. i think showers highlight the boring rote repetitive tedium of everyday life. im usually in and out in five minutes or less. then im cold and cranky.

I am with you Pink. I have an aversion to showering. I have for years. I usually force myself in about every other day. Once I am in the shower, it is not too bad and even at the end of the shower, I think "that wasn't bad!" but it continues to be so difficult to get myself in!

I know why I can't stand to take a shower...I think anyways. I have bp2, bpd, ptsd, anxiety and depression. Even if I feel stable I still have a hard time getting in the shower! It is sooo frustrating cause I want a simple answer to why I am this way. It's overwhelming to think about washing my hair, my body and shaving. I should want to do these things but I can't seem to do it. I actually look forward to the days I don't have to shower. Seems so strange. I know that I'm always depressed and I have a dark cloud that follows me around every day. I'm so used to it that I don't mind it anymore. Meds only go so far. Mindfulness only goes do far. Therapy helps but nothing helps motivate me to take a dam shower! Does anyone else struggle with daily depression even tho yr medicated? Am I the only one? I doubt it. I.just don't want to feel so alone in this state. When I'm hypo it seems easy to shower. Like I feel as if I have so much to look forward to.that showering seems like the right thing to do. I miss those.hypo manic days when I was so incredibly motivated to do everything and anything! I used to workout 6 days a week. But then I used to put myself in reckless behavioral situations. That I don't miss. Sorry for the long post...I just needed to get this stuff off my chest. Thx for listening. :-)

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I just got out of the psych ward where I didn't shower for a couple days. When I saw my pdoc a few days later he askew how I was doing and I said better I showered today. I was mortified bc he said yes we notice and we were wondering about that???!!! I though he was kidding and this was in front of an intern. When I realized he was dead serious I felt like a freak!!

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I never realized this was a common thing. Before I got hit by bipolar I left for college at 7 every morning, was up at 5 to shower. Sometimes I would shower at school after dance class (it was a performing arts college). After bipolar it became harder. Then I started hormones for transgender 3 years ago and the bipolar went crazy. I'm lucky if I shower 3 times a week. It seriously feels like a major accomplishment every time I manage to take one.

Thickntired - that was a real ahole thing for your doc to say to you!! That makes me FURIOUS! I've been a 'victim' of mental health care workers myself and it's ridiculous how rude and dehumanizing these docs can be!! It's like they don't realize how fragile and broken the inpatient people are. We aren't in the hosp cuz we're doing fine! I don't understand why a nurse or somebody didn't take you aside privately and let you know you should be showering. Why do they just assume that people who are so sick that they are inpatient, are just fine when it comes to personal hygiene?! They would offer to help a patient who was physically sick to shower. How exactly are we different? When a person is full blown manic, depressed, psychotic - hygiene is the first thing to go! How did they not learn this in school?!

Sorry for that rant - that just pissed me off what your doc said and reminded me of my own experiences.

It has been a huge comfort to find other people with this issue!

Thank you very much, icingurl. I felt belittled and bullied. My pdoc is not the most sensitive guy, but he takes medicare and where I live it's very limited in mental health facilities. You made me feel much better! I often forget, as I think a lot do, that I am paying this person, I deserve respect, and many "normal" ppl do not understand MI. I am very, very sensitive and often don't feel empowered to stick up for myself.

Tnt ♥

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Likewise, before bipolar hit, I had an elaborate skin care routine I did daily if not twice daily, for the face. Well, now I know, from dermatologists, that you do not need anything except for topical retinoids, so I am actually helping my face by not putting lotions, astringents, etc. on it, but the point remains - I used to be able to do elaborate routines to be squeaky clean, and now, even though I have concequered showering, I still have to conquer washing my hair regularly (I have a mass of easily "tanglable" hair, so washing, conditioning, and detangling it is hard work).

I've had this problem too. I'll run the water and just lean in and wash my hair rather than get in the shower. I take a normal shower about every other day. My 17 year old daughter is bipolar also. She showers 3 or 4 times a day using all the hot water each time. I wish she would develop an aversion to the shower.

maybe tell her that she is overdrying her skin, which is not good? The skin produces oils to protect itself, and showering more than once a day kills that protective layer on the skin.