Your Email Address:

First Name:




Constant doubts about BB

Tell us your story with bad breath
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

So, through the years I have developed a constant fear that my breath stinks. The psychological condition got to the point that whenever I am walking on the street, I get anxious when people are approaching me, or even when they walk a couple meters behind me. When I am shopping, I get very anxious when I am waiting in line or having to share a few compulsary words with the clerk ("thank you" etc.) I can't imagine being in the closed room with other people for a long period of time (that's why I don't have a job, avoid social situations, didn't finish college etc.). My parents rightfully think I am a loser.

The problem is I am not 100% sure I actually have a bad breath (or at least not as huge as I imagine it to be). Stuff that makes me believe I have it:
- people constantly coughing around me. For example, couple of days before I said "Hi" to a neighbour when I passed him and he didn't answer, he just started to cough. I didn't notice this stuff before I had a root canal, and now I notice it constantly. When I had my root canal done the dentist's assistant was coughing for the whole procedure like she was about to die (I haven't seen something like that before in my life), as if some poisonous gas has been trapped in that tooth. When I floss this tooth, it also smells (the only one).
- I belive I tend to make the small closed room smelly sooner than it is normal for other people. This is not really a foul smell, it just becomes "stuffy" super fast (I also notice it when I go out and come back again). I live with my parents and my mother often says that I should open a window for a bit, cause its a bad air in my room. I am embarassed to say that I just did it 5 mins ago. Also when I worked, people around me were often complaining that the "air is bad", when I am in a car with someone they tend to fiddle with air condition a lot etc. I don't know if that is usual or not.
- my dental higiene has been pretty bad in the past and I eat a lot of sugar, so my teeth are in a pretty bad shape (cavities, 1 root canal). I haven't been to a dentist in 3 years despite probably needing to do a lot of work (1 of my cavities has fallen of 6 months ago). I just have really bad habit as far as taking care of myself (probably due to certain amount of depression)

Now, stuff that makes me doubt that I have bad breath (at least not a bad form of it)
- when I talked to my father about it (after he accused me that I am irresponsible because I don't work etc.), he was genuinelly surprised and said he never in whole life smelled anything wrong with my breath. I trust him on that.
- same with my mother, but I am not 100% with her, because she is the kind of person that would lie to me if she thinks the opposite would hurt my feelings.
- nobody actually told me that my breath stinks in a long time (last time it was in high school when I had a pretty bad toothbrushing habits, and back then it didn't even psychologically bother me. I had no problem with talking and hanging out with people. I believe if I had a bad breath then, it was just a temporal thing or not a serious issue). Maybe nobody told me recently because I am very careful how I speak to people, I always keep my distance, chew gum etc.

So anyway, I have decided that regardless if I have a bad breath or not, my main issue is definitely psychological and I think that is true for most people here, based on their posts. Even if you have bad breath, I don't think it is that huge or constant as you think it is and most reactions are probably imagined. There are real issues like actually losing a job or something, but whatever your psychological state is, that is your responsibility. Theoretically you can have the worst BB in the world and be completely happy if you don't care about what other people think of you. So I think that should be a worthy goal of everybody here, regardless of their actual physical condition. It's something that you can actually control (as opposed to this misterious BB which appears that in some cases can't be healed).

I know I am a complete mess psychologically and hope that I Will be able to solve this problem.


Jimi Stein
Site Admin
Posts: 2214
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2004 8:00 am
Gender:
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Jimi Stein »

My opinion is that you cant trust parents, because they love you, and they see how you suffer about it.
Would you tell your child he is ugly, if he is really ugly....?
No.........
People dont usually tell you you have bb, they mention it in their words non directly...like mentioning shit, barn, feces....but they will not tell you in your face you smell.....
bb is still a tabu, many people have it, not chronic, but many have chronic constant bad breath, many celebs, I am seeing it on tv shows, where they get signs, nose rubs, shit comments etc.....but nobody will tell you you smell.......
my doc has horrible bad breath, and I will not tell him he has it....but it is really bad, my dentist has it too, if you are really close to him, but it is not that bad as my doc......
so telling yourself you are crazy...because parents claim you dont have bb?????
I hope I am not putting you down, you should get it measured.....on amazon there is one bb meter, makita or something like that, it works just fine....that will show you if you are razy or not.....people cough, because they choke on smell.....not because you are emmiting poions gasses or shit like that....it is first shock this smell is coming from your mouth, they smell it, and they cough, want to avoid the smell....
and people on this board imaginig it? Maybe some, but most of them I believe really have it....
This is me, Jimi Stein, I created this site in December 2005. Welcome.
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

I trust my father, because he is really honest about everything plus he assured me, that if he thought my bad breath smelled in the past he would instantly tell me, especially if he thought the condition was chronic (so I could start getting treatment). He was genuinelly surprised when I told him about the reason why I don't get a job (he suspected I had some form of social anxiety because of my behaviour, as he told me repeatedly in the past, but had no clue that I thought my breath stinks) and he urged me to go talk to 10 different people and ask them about that. Would he did that if he was lying to me? I doubt it, plus he would have to be a great actor to act the way he did. So with him, I am not worrying that he is lying, I am rather worried that he for some reason doesn't smell what other people smell (he is smoker plus possible some genetic reasons). Now with mother, that is a different story - she could very well be lying to me.

As for coughing, I am not 100% convinced that it is a reaction to (just) smell. People often cough even if I have my mouth closed and if they pass me on the street (or if they are quite far from me). Besides, whenever I was talking to somebody with bad breath, regardless how bad it was, I never coughed. I also never noticed other people coughing when talking with that person. Mostly people just stoically suffer or maybe step back a bit. Whereas when people react to me it is a sudden reaction, like a reflex. The stench would have to be extreme (like something I have never experienced myself with other people) to cause people to "choke on smell". For example when I am in a car with my friend, he tends to cough abnormally, but he doesn't appear to be suffering from the smell (he laughs, talks with me, etc.). Same with some of my relatives.

I think coughing and possible BB might be connected in the sense that they have the same cause, but I doubt that it is the actual smell that makes people cough. At least I hope it isn't, cause that would mean I have such an extreme case of BB like I have never experienced with other people.

I Will look into the bb meter, thanks.
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

Also, I want to clarify, I didn't say that people are imagining their BB, but that I think they think the situation is worse than it is (they are "imagining the reactions", that is, they interpret it worse than they really are). I feel that our perception of ourselves is that we are basically unfit for society (ie. we think other suffer too much when they are around us, and we are ashamed of that), but I have never in my life met a person who would have such a bad breath that it would be impossible to work with him or talk with him. Also, bad breath doesn't seem to be constant. It comes and go in "whiffs". One of my relatives had extremely bad teeth and I would smell extremely bad smell from him (when I helped him build furniture that he ordered), but it wasn't a 100% continous thing. So if he would suffer great psychological pain because of that condition, I think that would be an extreme and unnecessary reaction. He functioned just well in society.

So I think everybody should prioritize their psychological state (there are known techniques that work at eliminating anxiety), because no matter how bad their BB situation it would help them.
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

Another thing I thought of now. I really don't think it is clear that parents would always lie to you if you have an extreme chronic bad breath. I mean put yourself in their position - they surely don't want their child to have a bad breath plus they probably think there is some easy medicinal fix for the problem (like most people who don't suffer from the condition and don't know how elusive it can be to find the cause). If they lie to the child, the condition would remain, but if they tell him, he can go to a doctor and get the problem fixed. I really don't think it is obvious that parents would lie to their children about their BB.

But yeah, you won't just tell it to some stranger, like your doctor.
christina
Junior
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:58 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by christina »

Well my whole family lie to me about it even tho my extended fam will and have def say something about it. so your parents could be DEF lying to you cuz they think they don't want to hurt you. I keep telling my mother and she stillls say it's just in my head. sighhhhhhh
Cursed4eva
Total Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2015 10:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Cursed4eva »

If you're getting reactions without even talking the bad breath could also be coming from your sinus.
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

That's what I am afraid of, though the rational side of me tells me that it is virtually impossible that outside in the clear air people would react to the smell if they stand couple meters away and I don't speak, or even if they pass me by. I mean, in my life I have probably passed by literally millions of people and I have never met anybody who would smell extremelly badly. The ones who would (sometimes) smell would be homeless people and even they are hard to notice if you don't stand really close to them.

So to have a physicial condition that makes people meters away "choke" because of smell in the plain air even if I don't speak. I mean that just sounds crazy and paranoid.
christina
Junior
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:58 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by christina »

Sdf500 wrote:That's what I am afraid of, though the rational side of me tells me that it is virtually impossible that outside in the clear air people would react to the smell if they stand couple meters away and I don't speak, or even if they pass me by. I mean, in my life I have probably passed by literally millions of people and I have never met anybody who would smell extremelly badly. The ones who would (sometimes) smell would be homeless people and even they are hard to notice if you don't stand really close to them.

So to have a physicial condition that makes people meters away "choke" because of smell in the plain air even if I don't speak. I mean that just sounds crazy and paranoid.


That's what i have sadly. when you go in a small crowded with ppl do you hear multiple or sometimes even just one person cough continuously somewhere from far away?

yeah

i'm really sleepy so forgive me.
Sdf500
Total Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:45 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Sdf500 »

Yeah, there are people who continously cough when I am in their presence (in car, at the dinner table etc.), like they have something in their throat. It's not a normal behaviour and it's not something I have noticed before I had a root canal done.

I am just wondering if it is the reaction to smell or it is some allergic reaction. I think the latter is more possible, because otherwise they don't act like something is smelly (don't rub their nose, don't turn away from me, etc.). There is also a small possibility that I am imagining everything. I doubt it, but it is necessary to keep in mind that one characteristic of delusional thinking is that you are convinced of something, so me being sure that people are reacting abnormally to me is perfectly consistent with delusion. Ie. you cannot rule out delusions based on your conviction that you are not delusional.
christina
Junior
Posts: 80
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2016 5:58 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by christina »

Sdf500 wrote:Yeah, there are people who continously cough when I am in their presence (in car, at the dinner table etc.), like they have something in their throat. It's not a normal behaviour and it's not something I have noticed before I had a root canal done.

I am just wondering if it is the reaction to smell or it is some allergic reaction. I think the latter is more possible, because otherwise they don't act like something is smelly (don't rub their nose, don't turn away from me, etc.). There is also a small possibility that I am imagining everything. I doubt it, but it is necessary to keep in mind that one characteristic of delusional thinking is that you are convinced of something, so me being sure that people are reacting abnormally to me is perfectly consistent with delusion. Ie. you cannot rule out delusions based on your conviction that you are not delusional.

Why don't you ask some strangers to see. they will tell you the truth so be prepared if they say you smell. maybe ask them if they smell anything n then they'll tell you


Good luck~
ihaveBB
Total Newbie
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2016 6:20 am
Gender:

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by ihaveBB »

I know that my family loves me but none of them had actually told me that I have bad breath.

No one also exhibits the reactions of smelling bad whenever I'm talking. I am also wondering on why when I am with my immediate family, I the foul odor doesn't come out but when I'm talking to others, like colleagues, cousins or strangers, I know that they can smell something. :(
User avatar
mindspace
Advanced
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 8:48 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by mindspace »

Guys all that you have problems with people around you like cough,itchiness,rub noses e.t. you should be on PATM(People are allergic to me) forum because the problem is serious.Problem with bad breath is only related.One of the things that make worse the situation is antibiotics.If you are taking serious amounts of med pills and antibiotics that leads to allergic reactions form people and not only that-leads to systemic candida overgrowth,dysbiosis in the guts-the gut flora is damaged,leaky gut syndrom,IBS e.t. Colon cleanse and candida cleanse are some of the methods which helps the situation.Stop med pills and antibiotics-it damages the guts.Take serious amounts of probiotics like sacharomyces boulardii.We have serious problem.Sinus infection and some other problems are related to candida.Candida diet really helps.Go to PATM forum.The reason for PATM reactions is in the gut.
winter
Sheriff
Posts: 333
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2016 2:00 pm

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by winter »

No one will give you the honest answer and you can't smell yourself. That's what makes this problem even harder to tackle. You have no idea what makes you better or worse.
Johnv713
Advanced
Posts: 113
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:30 pm
Gender:

Re: Constant doubts about BB

Post by Johnv713 »

If you think you have bb, chances are you probably do...sorry. A Simple lick test or go see a dentist that has a halimeter will most definitely gives you an idea.
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic