What reactions do YOU get?

somethinstinks · Post by **somethinstinks** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:55 am

I think everyone who is on this site has gotten what they at least perceive to be reactions to their bad breath. What reactions do you get? how sure are you that you suffer from bb? and if so, how bad is it?

Think this thread may be helpful in gauging peoples reactions

222chick · Post by **222chick** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:43 am

Being offered gum and mints all the time is a good indicator I have gotten in the past. The only reason this happens only once in a while now is because I do my best to not get to close to people and to only mumble, not breath and talk softly when they are close to me and back away casually asap. Sometimes people will do the "passing out some gum to everyone" trick around me. That's better than in the past where I once made a friend draw back with a look of pure horror on her face.

happylife05 · Post by **happylife05** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:53 am

"This place isn't for kids" -- this is the comment i got at my work place from a lady.

dick.karma · Post by **dick.karma** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:45 am

sudden death

MrDoubleB · Post by **MrDoubleB** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:34 pm

- Nose touches/rubbing nose
- Coughs
- Move/turn head away
- Pass the gum/mint to everyone trick (like 222chick mentioned)
- Making jokes about not brushing your teeth
- Disgusted face gestures

Sometimes i can even see it in their eyes. I know they just want to help and give me tips. But honestly I know I got bb. So sometimes I'm almost like "Yes you can tell me directly what the problem is and yes I do brush my teeth, You don't have to believe me, cause it doesn't change much about my life".

The real ironic part is that my dentist found it unnecessary for me to visit him more than once per year. But yea if you aware you got bb, brushing your teeth is priority #1.

coconuthead · Post by **coconuthead** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:40 pm

They'll wipe their nose or turn their head away.

Children are brutally honest, though. I was babysitting my little cousin, who is 5, the other day, and she said "your breath smells like Nathan's diaper". Nathan is baby brother. It was so embarassing

Virtuous Viking · Post by **Virtuous Viking** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:56 pm

Maybe I missed something but how is posting about what reactions you get pertinent to finding a cure? Everyone knows no one reacts well to bad smell, do we honestly have to keep reminding ourselves about this fact of life?

MrDoubleB · Post by **MrDoubleB** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:07 pm

You're right, but I don't think this forum is only about finding a cure.

I think this guy just wonders if he gets about the same reactions to tell if he has bb or not. The purpose of this thread was definately not to remind us of which reactions we have to deal with every day.

This forum, besides finding a cure, is like a support, because as long as we haven't found a cure yet, you're goin to have to live with bb and it ain't easy.

Virtuous Viking · Post by **Virtuous Viking** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:39 pm

Well said. But allow me to reiterate my point. The whole basis of the site is geared not just toward finding a cure but also to serve as a support group type thing. I get that. But asking what reactions people portray is in no way gonna solve anything or confirm if you have bb or not. People react differently, some won't even react at all. You can't affirm your suspicion by how people react to others.

Virtuous Viking · Post by **Virtuous Viking** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:21 pm

I'm being insensitive and I apologize. But here's the thing: no two people have the same bb, however disgusting that sounds. Reactions can run the gamut from horror to humor. I've had people laugh their asses off after smelling me

For instance, I work mostly around women, really crazy women, who couldn't care less if you smell bad or not. They keep asking me to open up and speak more but the self-consciousness has been hard-wired so deeply that it's impossible. One even walked up to me out of the blue two days back, flashed me her tits, grabbed my face and asked what I thought of that. Talk about sexual harassment!

The customers (college kids) on the other hand stand at least 5 feet away when making an order. Some will even yawn or cough right before just to make a point. Others will turn their heads away or wipe their noses even though I'm sure it's impossible for them to smell me from that distance.

Here's the deal: we all suffer from the same condition but we won't all follow the same path to a cure. Focus more on how people react to you when you speak and be brutally honest with yourself when gauging these reactions. Halitophobia, in my estimation, occurs far less than people theorize.

jen · Post by **jen** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:24 pm

Most people discreetly touch their noses, once somebody gave me a really angry look, one person literally jumps backwards every time I open my mouth. One or two has looked me in the face and told me pointedly, "there's a horrible smell in here". My daughter told me straight that my breath stinks - when she was much younger. Now it doesn't seem to bother her anymore. Sometimes I wonder if she still smells it and whether she just got used to the smell.

I remember about 20 years ago, when my bb was not so bad and I could mostly mask it by chewing gum all the time, a guy with strong bb came into my office. It was the first time that I encountered room-filling bb. I remember feeling really dazed, as though he had slapped me through the face when he spoke to me. Being a very polite person, I didn't show anything, but I really felt shocked and rather violated. I guess that's the way people feel towards me now - all those people who don't show any reactions.

deebas · Post by **deebas** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:31 pm

lately its been horrible...

i had to work at a different building yesterday and i could see the people there gesturing that the smell was me...

then later i heard them talking about me and when i approached, everyone was silent...

so depressing

MrDoubleB · Post by **MrDoubleB** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 6:58 pm

Don't worry about it viking. I understand wat you mean. But someday everything will be alright!

Eric · Post by **Eric** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:14 pm

More than any other reaction I think it is the whistling that I hate the most. Anytime I hear whistling, whether it is directly near me or far in the distance, I can't help but have a neurotic thought about how my BB must be flowing through the room.

halitosisux · Post by **halitosisux** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 11:12 pm

The reaction that I really hate is when I know someone is within my comfort zone and I see them look around and I hear them sniff or breathe in as though they can suddenly smell shite in the air.

The thing is, if you observe a person from a safe distance while they're next to someone else, they do all these things anyway, like rub their noses or sniff or cough and sneeze occasionally.

A lot of this is psychological though. I used to intentionally get right close to people and then imagine myself breathing into their nose or doing whatever that would normally allow them to catch my stench, and there would always be some kind of immediate reaction that would normally make me convinced they're suddenly able to smell my shit breath. Just by pretending to allow someone to smell my breath allowed my brain to play these kinds of tricks on me.