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

OMG...I thought only I did this. I have no clue why we or I do this.
I have plenty of bath and body works. Plus other soap that is pricey.
But I still find myself opting for a bird bath

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I've had a shower every second day for three weeks now

Yay me!!!

I thought I was the only one that didn't want to shower/bath. It can be really hard to get the motivation, but once I'm in there it's not an issue. There are times that the only reason I do finally bath is because I need to shave or I start to smell myself(yuk). how embarrassing is that.

It feels like so much work to me. You have to undress and turn on the water. Then you have to get in and shampoo your hair and wash your body. Then you have to get out and dry off. Next you have to get re-dressed and finally blow-dry your hair (if you do this). It's so many steps it wears me out but I do it most every day because I cannot stand my stink if I do not.

Just to brag a bit..I actually got a shower today and went out for lunch with a friend. Now I am clean and can go out tomorrow with someone else. I do just fine with a shower every two or three days. Yippee!

Thanks everybody. I'm glad I'm not alone. I absolutely dread taking a shower and it's even worse if I have to wash my hair. My psych doc tells me to just push through it, but I cannot. It's too hard.

I did take a shower last night but I will need one again on Tues. Already dreading it. I feel so ridiculous.

Now this is certainly something I can relate to.

Personal hygiene is one of the first things out the window for me. I can keep stable and go to work, do my homework, sleep well, and take care of my son but if I feel even the teensy bit off, I won't shower. It's like it is draining me and taking my functionality from the other, "more important," stuff.

Ugg, I though I was just being gross the last year and 1/2. I had no idea why I couldn't get myself to get into the shower, or why I don't want to brush my teeth. Although, I do try to do that at least.

I posted here before but I realized some new stuff!

I'm a hardcore procrastinator so when it comes to showering before bed I start to get anxious because it's already so late and I have one more thing to think about! I am getting better at it though xD

I also tend to skip showering when I'm having an episode, even when getting to bed on time isn't an issue. I just realized the other day it's because I view the shower as a negative space. It's kind of dark and quiet, which usually gets my brain focused on negative thoughts, I'm alone, which I don't like. But I also used to use showers as a place to cry so nobody would hear me. It's tied to a lot of dark memories I'd forgotten about. , I wonder if other people have the same feeling?

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It's been four days now, and I just cannot drag myself into the shower.
I know that I need to have one, but it just seems like too much work

Although showering and washing/deep conditioning my hair daily --- the fact of life at present reality remains that the aversion is to the whole idea of having to get all wet.

This was a great, simple common wisdom truth shared with me by a dear beloved passed elder friend/father of my best friend. Decades ago. Brilliant man, jazz musician, retired major airlines pilot, designer/builder of experimental hobbyaircraft ... also diabetic, in his early age eighties when he shared that simple wisdom with me. "Thanks, Al. That's good to know for when I get old." Tee hee. And now I too am old and DearAl is long since gone and wormfood, as he also would say.
He always fed the birds.

So it's not just me! Holy crap! I've always struggled with even just REMEMBERING to shower, and it's caused social issues for me my whole life. I've lost jobs because of it. People just don't buy the "it's a medical thing" explaination, and I hate that I even HAVE to explain it.

I just read the majority of this thread, which I am likewise happy to have found. I've become increasingly stubborn to shower in the last few years, in which time I've been grieving the passing of the two people closest to me in my life, and have had the most severe bout of depression of my life. It started with only showering every other day, to every three days, it going sometimes a week these days. It sneaks up on me. Despite that I hate how not showering makes me feel, and that once I'm in there I'm usually asking myself what the big friggin deal was.

I tend to think that it's less a component of any specific disorder I'm experiencing, than being its own entity occurring comorbidly, and deserving of a DSM entry as was discussed earlier in this thread. I have a couple of depressive disorders, but this problem actually started happening independent of any depressive episode. (It is, however, definitely complicated by my depression.) If it was the only problem I was having right now (ha! I just made myself laugh out loud imagining such normalcy) then I think I would have a much easier time addressing it, but as it stands it ends up being way down on the list of things I am worrying about at a given time.

There are some great suggestions here though. A couple I'm going to try to work with:

• I really think a strategically located note asking myself the question of whether I've showered etc. "that day" could really help, because I do just forget in a certain way. It gets late, and I think I'll want to fall asleep sooner than I can get my hair dry and prevent its becoming a frizzy mess. Days go by quicker than I realize sometimes.

• Also someone mentioned tanning beds, and I forget the context, but this used to really energize me, when I did it, I think as light therapy, as a Vitamin D source albeit an unnatural one. I don't really remember why I stopped going. There are not many tanning salons where I'm living currently, so that may have played into it, but I think the real reason I stopped going is because I just got sick of everyone in my life going on and on about how unhealthy it is, despite the fact that I went really infrequently and my skin is really healthy.. Sometimes benefits outweigh, and it's different for every person, but I see this as being something that could help contribute positively to my mind-body connection.

Thanks to everybody who has contributed to this thread thus far .. strength in numbers, it is good to know I am not alone in dealing with this as yet unclassified disorder!


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vonmoxie

So strange, it has always been difficult for me also lol Not that I am dirty or lack in hygiene at all lol But seriously sometimes I almost like that I don't shower everyday. Or I'll tell myself everyday I should floss, remind myself, but do not. This is my theory...It's self-destruction...even to the smallest point of taking a simple shower to clean up and feel good, but that's it...it makes us feel refreshed and cleansed, but if we are not there mentally even when feeling euphoric, then we don't want to do things that make us feel good about ourselves. So strange, but so glad to hear I am not the only one.

I feel great knowing I'm not alone. Taking a shower when I'm down seems so hard to do. I literally feel I can't do it. I can go up to 5 days.

What a wonderful idea, Sarahblue. I too struggle with showering. I don't know why. I used to shower everyday, especially when I was working. But since my bipolar has become so severe, showering has become such an effort and very unpleasant. When depressed, the shower feels like needles on my skin and the whole pre and post process borders on overwhelming. When hypomanic I sometimes enjoy the tingly feel of the water but I have to overcome other distractions to get myself in there. When normal or close to it, the whole process is such a chore and unpleasant. There are so many more interesting things to do. But a radio in the bathroom would be a pleasant distraction to make getting in the shower a more enjoyable process no matter where I am on the mood scale. I have to try that. 3 times a week just isn't enough. It's good to know it's not just me. But why do we struggle with this at all? I can understand if we are moderately to severely depressed, but other than that why? Thanks for sharing so freely everyone. And sarahblue, thanks for the idea.

I am feeling better overall, but still view a shower as a huge block to going anywhere. Once I get a shower I will run all over and do stuff, but once my hair gets bad, I self isolate until I get another shower. I waste so much energy and stress on this issue. I am going on Thurs to get my hair cut and colored, etc. I am thinking about a pretty short style to make it much easier and faster to take care of. I do use the radio idea. The other thing I do is have someone sit outside the open bathroom door and talk to me while I am in there. It's so ridiculous and embarrassing.

I have just recently started having this issue. Crazy part is, my occupation is being a nurse aid - I literally clean bodies. About 5 years ago I worked at a behavioral nursing home, and I was known for getting patients in the shower -awesome negotiation skills and illegal candy bars I would have never believed anyone then if they told me I would be the one needing bribes one day. I'm hoping that once I get back to work and back on all my meds this issue will resolve itself.

Got a shower today. So now I can go to my bipolar support group, yoga, to see my T in person instead of on the phone, to get a massage and facial, and to go get my hair cut and colored.I really see how much I would have cancelled and missed out on if I did not take a shower today. Hooray! I get 2-3 days out of a shower so that really helps.

I completely agree with you. This has jus happened to me in the past 18 months or so. I've never had this problem before. But now, I can barely get myself off the couch. I don't even want to leave the house for any reason whatsoever. I'm just tired all the time, yet I can't sleep. Huh, go figure.

When I don't want to shower, it's usually because I'm in the depressive end of bipolar. No energy to take off my clothes, get into the shower, soap up, rinse off, shampoo, rinse, condition, rinse, shave legs. Then squeegee off the shower walls so mold doesn't form. Then wait for hair to dry to a certain amount, put curlers in, etc. etc. It's endless!

Got the short hair cut today. Anxious to see if that helps with faster hair care.

I also have this problem. I'm pretty good with everything else like brushing my teeth and etc.. but it takes all my will power to get in the shower. .. it's an odd thing lol

a few years ago i started washing my hair every 2 or 3 days because it was getting dry, and yet super greasy at the roots. so i looked it up and decided i was washing my hair too often. i dont leave the house daily so im not all freaked out by a few days worth of stink.
however i make sure i shower at least twice a week. and its a chore. i dont mind so much the getting wet but the drying off - ugh.