Understanding the Fear of Smelling Bad (Bromidrophobia)

The fear of smelling bad, also known as bromidrophobia, is a relatively common fear for many people. It can lead to an excessive concern with being clean and avoiding smells, and sometimes it can lead to severe symptoms of anxiety that interfere with a person's ability to function normally in their daily life.

Bromidrophobia may be the result of today’s emphasis on cleanliness which has led us to believe that bodily scents are dirty or taboo. This mental health issue can lead to an unhealthy obsession with ensuring that our regular odors are removed or masked. People with a fear of smelling bad can also have a fear of others' body odors.

Symptoms of the Fear of Smelling Bad

Most people have a routine before going out in public. Showering, washing your hair, applying deodorant, shaving, brushing your teeth, and using a favorite perfume or cologne are all normal and healthy behaviors. If you have bromidrophobia, however, this is not enough.

Symptoms can include:

• Excessive showering
• Extensive hygiene rituals
• Asking others about smells
• Missing school or work due to the fear of smelling bad
• Constantly checking for smells
• Over-using grooming and hygiene products
• Avoiding social situations out of the fear of smelling bad

You may develop extensive hygiene rituals you obsessively follow before leaving the house. Your showers may gradually become longer as you worry you are not clean enough.

Some people with bromidrophobia shower three or more times per day. Others damage their skin through excessive scrubbing and the drying effects of hygiene products.

Your fear might expand past hygiene rituals and render you unable to use public restrooms due to fears of emitting odors. Women may develop a fear of being around others during their menstrual cycles.

What Causes the Fear of Smelling Bad?

Good hygiene reduces the risks of disease transmission and infection. Regular washing along with sterilizing procedures when appropriate (operating rooms, piercing equipment, etc.), is important for good health. However, like mysophobia, or fear of germs, bromidrophobia takes cleanliness too far.

This fear may also be related to a condition known as olfactory reference syndrome. This condition causes people to obsess over their own body odors. 

Body odors are natural. Human beings, like animals, emit natural scents from our bodies. In a healthy person with reasonable hygiene, these odors are not offensive.

In fact, these odors contain pheromones, which act as chemical communicators. Insects and other animals rely largely on pheromones to stimulate a wide range of behaviors. In humans, these chemicals seem to play a role in sexual attraction, although some research disputes this effect.

Today, advertising and social conditioning teach us that it's best to smell like soap, shampoo, and deodorant, which makes it is easy to develop the belief that any natural bodily scent is "bad" or "dirty" and you should mask it. In reality, it is impossible and unhealthy to remove or mask every single whiff of natural odor that might be emitted from the human body.

Complications of Bromidrophobia

Like many phobias, bromidrophobia tends to worsen over time. Eventually, you might find yourself restricting your activities. You may:

• Become reluctant to exercise or perform any tasks that might cause sweating
• Refuse to go anywhere without pleasant restroom facilities where you can perform emergency odor control
• Develop a social phobia or even agoraphobia, out of the fear that you might be in a situation where you cannot immediately attend to any possible odors.

Treatment for Bromidrophobia

Bromidrophobia is not a distinct diagnosis, but it is a type of specific phobia. To be diagnosed with a specific phobia, the fear of smelling bad must cause you to experience excessive fear, avoidance, and distress.

Because of the impact, this anxiety disorder can have on your daily life, it is very important to discuss your bromidrophobia with a qualified mental health professional.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is generally the treatment of choice. In this therapy, you will learn:

• Healthier ways of thinking about your own body and the scents that it emits
• Relaxation techniques to manage your anxiety
• To tolerate your own scent through a series of exercises known as systematic desensitization

Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help you cope with symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.

Coping With the Fear of Smelling Bad

If you are struggling with anxieties over body odors, there are things you can do to cope:

• Use relaxation techniques: Tactics like deep breathing and mindfulness can help calm feelings of anxiety and help you focus on the present moment rather than worrying about smelling bad.
• Practice good personal hygiene: If you're nervous about smelling bad, make sure you are practicing good hygiene. Bathing regularly, taking care of your teeth, and washing your clothing regularly can help ensure you don't need to worry about bad odors.
• Talk to your doctor: If you are concerned about excessive body odor, discuss your concerns with your doctor. They can evaluate your condition and determine if there are any medical, dental, or other issues that might be contributing to either your fears or scents.
  

Takeaway

Most people experience a fear of smelling bad once in a while. It might involve worrying about your breath before kissing a new romantic partner, or concerns about sweat-smells after an intense workout. These are normal and can often be resolved relatively easily. If your fears are excessive and interfere with your daily life, it might be a symptom of a condition known as bromidrophobia. If so, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional about treatments that can help.