Tried to talk to my family about my bb problem..

[Busted]

I think it's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. In fact we got into a fight, because they didn't believe me. They said everything was inside my head, I have psychological bad breath. I told em: ok if you think of me that way, then I have nothin further to say.

That was a nice try, but pointless unfortenately. I thought I'd feel relieved, but in fact i still feel the same way as I did b4 I talked to them. I don't feel embarassed or anything when I told them, which I would feel if I told them a couple of years ago.

Right now everyone is talkin all kinds of stuff about me being weird, like they did at highschool. I didn't care what they thought of me back then, but it does make me angry from times to times. But now it's like my family have joined them, I can already see them laughing at me just like those highschool guys. I can already imagine them laughing at me, and I would like to join them too.

[Busted]

Don't get me wrong though, I mean they are a great faimly, they support me in a lot of ways, I'm pretty lucky with that, but i think they just don't understand that bad breath can destroy someones social life completely.

That's why I think this forum is great, because you guys understand what I mean. You actually meet other people online that have the same problem which you thought didn't exist.

[Jojo]

I didn't read all of your posts now, so I don't know your situtation, but how do you know they are not telling the truth? I mean, what if you really have a psychological bad breath?

[jess]

I think it's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. In fact we got into a fight, because they didn't believe me. They said everything was inside my head, I have psychological bad breath. I told em: ok if you think of me that way, then I have nothin further to say.

That was a nice try, but pointless unfortenately. I thought I'd feel relieved, but in fact i still feel the same way as I did b4 I talked to them. I don't feel embarassed or anything when I told them, which I would feel if I told them a couple of years ago.

Right now everyone is talkin all kinds of stuff about me being weird, like they did at highschool. I didn't care what they thought of me back then, but it does make me angry from times to times. But now it's like my family have joined them, I can already see them laughing at me just like those highschool guys. I can already imagine them laughing at me, and I would like to join them too.

My family reacted kind of the same way when I told them about my problem. And I know for sure that I suffer from this bb problem. So it's not "all in your head" Busted.

[dukpoki]

yea i told my cousin and he told me the EXACT same thing! I think it's because people who DON'T have bb problem find it hard to understand the whole scenario/problem completely themselves. They think to themselves no way can such a problem exist because they probably think bb can be treatable with a simple dentist visit or so. Funny thing is though he keeps telling me I don't have it because he can't smell anything but I see him covering his nose with his finger all the time. Anyways the way I proved it was by telling/showing him how whenever we go out in public (out to eat, movies, etc) how everyone around my vicinity would cover their nose. lol. yes it's funny but sadly true at the same time.

[Crepusculo]

Yeah, i know what you all feel. I think some of us actually have a common breath and just give it more importance we should. Blowing hair to my mouth now it seems my breath isn't that good, but if i do the lick and smell test it doesn't have any bad smell... I mean, i've had it bad, i remember when i was making out with this girl and i thought "jeez what's that stench?" and i noticed it was because i kissed her neck plenty and my saliva was there. This was a couple of months ago and regardless of that, it didnt bother the girl.
So now i lick my hand 3 times and i dont smell anything worth mentioning, so i guess i shouldn't care about it. Maybe when i exhale sometimes my breath isn't that great, so what? This happens with everyone, noone has good breath 24/7. Sometimes it's there, and it got cured, but we really dont see it that way. I think i'm living this at the moment and it's driving me crazy because i never really cared about it. I'm sure other have felt this way too... bad breath or no bad breath? Sometimes i just can't say

[succ]

One who doesn't have bb could possibly not understand. If you don't experience it, you can only wonder.
Being on guard always in public...it's so pathetic when I'm thinking about myself. But with anger and by believing in myself I manage.

[thanatos]

[Larc400]

Can everyone please just stop referring to "covering their noses" as any kind of indication that you have a bb problem. It's such a vague notion and it could mean *anything*. People habitually touch/cover their noses all the ****ing time for no reason whatsoever. Only actual direct or overheard comments are of any value: else paranoia will take over completely

[Jojo]

I can smell if someone has a bad breath. I have never met a person who had such a bad breath, that I could not stand to be 1-1,5 meter in front of her/him. There were some cases, where if he talked to me from 50 cm or less, it was a struggle to stand it. But even then I didn't show it, and if I was escaping from the situation I did it in an unnoticeable way.
As I noticed, all the other people did the same way, or they even did nothing. I saw many situations where other people just accepted one other person with a BB, they talked to them face to face, etc.
However most of the people who I felt BB on, seemed to be lonely in some way. They just did not show it, it was not visible for the first time, they looked like any other people. But one thing was clear at the moment at the first or at least 2nd or 3rd occasion of meeting them, it was that they had BB.
What I want to say is, it is really difficult to tell from other's behaviour if you, me, or anyone has a bad breath or not. Because other people don't show it, or tell it in a direct way! I am just wondering whether those other people who I met so far with BB, whether they know about it, suspect it or don't even have an idea about it.

So agree to Larc400, that "only actual direct or overheard comments are of any value".

Actually, I have a problem with this too. For me, when I was young, my friends many times told me that I had bad breath. They told me in my face. It was hard to hear, and I didn't like them because of it, but then I realized that this is the truth. Then they stopped telling me, but at the same time I felt they are not my friends. After then we were not kids any more, we hardly even keep in touch. And since that time, no one has ever told me I had bad breath. It was about 10 years ago.

Now my situation is that I believe I have bad breath, but I am not sure. I am afraid to ask anyone, because I don't want to hear the answer Yes. Maybe I have, maybe I have not, or maybe I have just a little. I am not sure in myself, because I feel that bitter taste on the back of my tongue and in my throat, so I might have. When this is gone if it ever will go, then I will ask.

One thing is sure, nothing has changed for ten years, still I feel I don't have friends, don't have girlfriend, I feel lonely.

Some years ago I was visiting a psychologist, I was not ashamed to talk about him about everything, but somehow I missed this BB issue. I didn't even think about it. We finished the "treatment" in a way, that he said something which I interpreted like "sorry, I can't help you, don't come here any more". He said something like I don't really want to change or something.

I am thinking of visiting one again, and maybe try some medical treatment for my mood. Maybe that will help!

[elliott]

2 of my doctors told me they couldn't smell my breath (but that was when it first started). Funny thing is one of those doctors had bas breath too! A Gastro doctor also had bad breath as well, and seemed frustrated with me for being angry about it. I think he had his own demons and I reminded him of them. Funny that a GI can't help his own breath problem, but that says alot.

Anyway, if enough people rub their noses, pull their shirt or hair over their nose, back up away from you... then you CAN assume without them telling you, that your breath does stink.

I'm am tired of people saying you don't know if you have BB if no one has told you so. Just put 2 & 2 together.

[Busted]

I didn't read all of your posts now, so I don't know your situtation, but how do you know they are not telling the truth? I mean, what if you really have a psychological bad breath?

It all started with my sister telling me not to get to close to people when I talk, because if they smell my breath, they might not want to talk to me. I was 13 back then, and i saw it as a warning. She was being honest with me back then. Then I started to notice that everytime i started to talk to someone, I get these kind of reactions:

- They touch their noses
- Look at me in a very weird way
- back away from me
- Take one step backwards
- suddenly move their head backwards really fast
- turn their head away from me
- They won't let me finish my sentence
- They cough
- Some are trying to be polite and I don't see any reactions from them, but I can see they feel uncomfortable when I'm talking.
....
Anyways they just never seem to look me in the eyes, because my breath scares them.
I think these are all natural reactions. If you walk past something that smells you feel like touching your nose too., or holding your breath for a few seconds.

Over the past years I've been getting these kind of reactions from different people.

Oh yea, I almost never start a conversation with anyone, it's just that sometimes people start a conversation with me, and I have to answer cause it would be rude if I didn't. The I see the reaction from them, and I feel like "maybe I should have just nodded my head or something". So anyways everytime someone asks me something, I feel like I have two choices:

1. Use gestures (eg. nod your head...)
2. Just talk to them

The problem with situation 1 is you can't always use gestures, unless it's a question you can answer "yes" or "no" to. Plus if they ask other questions, and you keep using gestures, you'll be either considered rude or shy.

The problem with situation 2 is, oh well u know... I get those reactions I just described. So I use to talk with my hand in front of my mouth or look in another direction when I talk. When you do this you'll be considered very rude.

I funny thing is that yesterday when i talked to them and said this is the reason why I don't like to talk to people, they said I was making this up as an excuse. That I just don't want to talk to people, because it's in my personality. Not really fair, but whatever. Then I referred to that time my sister told me not to get to close to people when I talk...She said she doesn't remember saying that. Maybe she really forgot about it. I don't know...it doesn't make any difference anyways.

Now I understand I shouldn't always interpret other people's reactions. If someone rubbing his nose, it could be that his nose is itchy or something. Or he has to sneeze and whatever you can think of. But still I don't think it's coincedental that every time I open my mouth, I see those kind of reactions on other people. It's really me. I wish it was psycholigical, cause then I could just go out and start a conversation with someone, but unfortenately it isn't.

I went to different ENT's some saying that they could smell it, some say they don't. Those who did smell it, wanted to help me, but had no idea how to..But like I said the reactions have already uncovered the truth that the ones who say i don't have it are lying, because when I talk to them the first time, I get the reactions, because he isn't prepared and doesn't expect my breath to smell. But when they get close to me and tell me to let them smell it, they are prepared for what's coming, and can hide their reactions.

Oh yea btw, while I was talkin to them yesterday, I could see some of the reactions I described above. But you know, I think they didn't want to hurt my feelings or anything to say I was right.

When I say I have bad breath, I mean i have it 24/7, the only thing I can't tell is when it's worse than usually. I do smell other people having bad breath too, but it's not the kind of bad breath that scares me away, I'm still comfortable with it, because it's not offensive. It's another kind of bad breath than the ones I have.

[Jojo]

So maybe I don't have bad breath, because I never noticed these kind of reactions from people! But still the bitter taste down back on my tongue, and the dry feeling in my throat bothers me.

And I repeat myself. One of my collegues has a bad breath too, at a strength that I would not be happy with at all. It can be felt definitely when he talks to me. And as I see, noone rubs at their nose, noone steps back when he talks to them!

[Busted]

So maybe I don't have bad breath, because I never noticed these kind of reactions from people! But still the bitter taste down back on my tongue, and the dry feeling in my throat bothers me.

And I repeat myself. One of my collegues has a bad breath too, at a strength that I would not be happy with at all. It can be felt definitely when he talks to me. And as I see, noone rubs at their nose, noone steps back when he talks to them!

Then I'm guessing his bad breath can only be smelled from really close and not from 1 or 2 meters away, like mine.

Why do you think you have bad breath then Jojo? You mean you just can talk to people real close and other people stay at the same postition the whole time. Weird, then your halitosis problem is big time nothing.

I do smell other people having bad breath too, but it's not offensive, it doesn't smell good though.

[Busted]

Oh yea something else I wanted to say, some people say it's impossible to smell your own breath, but there is this method which works for me.

I use to make a cup with my hand and breath out through my mouth and in through my nose. The problem was that some times i just washed my hands with soap and all I could smell was the soap.

So instead i picked something almost odourless, like a wall, door, glass...You get real close to it with your nose and forehead touching it. Now you breathe out through your mouth, and in through your nose, and keep repeating this really fast. I'm not sure if this is also what other people smell, I actually think they smell something worse, but what I can tell is that my breath isn't good.