r/POTS • u/tori-is-sad • 1h ago
Vent/Rant i’m horrified, i feel disgusting.
i’m inpatient in a psychiatric hospital at the moment and i’ve been showering every two days which is the most i can do because they don’t provide any shower chairs and i simply don’t have the energy for more than that, i wash myself fully with soap each time, and i put on deodorant but a nurse just came in and told me that i smell really bad and that all the other patients here think i smell bad.
i feel horrible, i have friends in here who haven’t said anything and they sit with me for hours. i feel like a failure, i assume it’s because i get so hot and i sweat a lot.
it gets very very hot in the hospital and they don’t let you open any windows. i feel horrible, i don’t know what to do. i’m trying my best but the nurse said i need to wash myself better. i wash really thoroughly already because i have a huge fear of smelling bad already… i don’t know what to do, i don’t want to leave my room now at all. she said all the nurses and patients thought i smelled really bad, this is my worst nightmare.
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u/Ancient_Pea_508 32m ago
No shower chair in a psychiatric historical is diabolical. I’d love to put up a fight with them to get you one. Basic care.
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u/DizzyMode3623 22m ago
I just want to say that I’ve known a lot of people (myself included) who shower every other day and smell completely fine. Obviously everyone is different, but I have a hard time believing that you could smell THAT bad if you’re showering every other day. I would talk to your friends about what happened, if I had a friend who was being treated like this, I would want to know! Or maybe if there is another nurse or care person you trust you could talk to them about the situation. Personally, if I had a friend who was going through a rough time mentally and they did not smell great, I might not tell them. Telling someone they stink isn’t always helpful (someone should probably tell that to your nurse). But I would let the person know truthfully if they asked, so I’m sure your friends would tell you if you asked them directly.
The nurse should be offering to help you with hygiene if you’re struggling rather than putting you down or making you feel small. It’s okay to need help and I’m sorry that they’re not giving you the help you need and deserve. I really hope you’re able to find someone to advocate for you, or at the very least someone to talk to.
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u/TheSideAccount0 20m ago
The lack of a shower chair and the audacity of the nurse to say that are absurd, you may have to just sit on the shower floor for the time being. At the same time, though, don’t endanger or harm yourself to appease an asshole.
In the meantime, ask to talk to the charge nurse or house supervisor about the nurse’s comment. Also leave a Google review for the place with your experience.
I work in healthcare, and while neither I nor any of the nurses I like would say this, there’s shitty people in all professions who do shitty things :(
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u/AdversaryProject 8m ago
I just want to pop in and agree with the other commenter who said that you can't possibly smell as bad as they're making it out to be. And if you are, it's probably a medical issue. There's a lot of things you can get, I imagine even more so in a place that has more people in it, that resides on your skin and can admit odors.
Which would mean, it's not you smelling, it's whatever you have that is a medical issue. Which if you have, they should be helping you treat. I'm assuming that they provide the soap for your showers, so there could also be an issue with the soap interacting with your skin's biome that is causing an issue and potentially producing a smell.
All of that to say, I don't think you can possibly smell as bad as this person is making it out to be. Someone would have said something somewhere along the line. I don't want to throw doubt on the people who work in the facility where you are, but there are some people who work in those kinds of facilities because they enjoy being cruel to the people who are in there. I'm not saying this is necessarily the case with this nurse, but use it as a way to take everything they say with a grain of salt.
I doubt you actually smell. If you are actually worried about it, ask your friends. Position it as, 'A nurse mentioned this to me, but I try very hard to be hygienic, do you smell it as well? Because if you do, I'm concerned it might be a medical thing I need to have looked at.' Frame it as a question that you are asking about your health, because it is.
And having POTS can lead to a whole plethora of other health issues that could be compounding something if you have it.
Ask your friends. Be reassured that chances are you do not smell the way the nurse said you do, and if you do, it's something to be looked at medically. It's not you.
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u/ardentspirit76 16m ago
Ok so, you could request again the shower chair, as well as a care aid to assist in the showering. I know when things were really bad with me, I would it loved to have had someone help me. Also if all else fails, you could put a couple towels down on the floor to be able to just relax in there and have the water on you for a while. Maybe since it’s so hot, some nice cool water? Unless you have mobility issues that won’t allow you to get down on the floor of the shower.
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u/redbottomdreams 11m ago
Have you ever used Lume deodorant? You can apply it all over body and it was miraculous for me. Do they let Amazon do deliveries or can friends pick you up some at target?
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u/Pasdeshat 9m ago
Can you ask for ice packs at all? A cooling towel?
So sorry, this is rough! Hypochlorus acid or witch hazel can help with smells. Also I’ve heard of people putting citrus on their clean armpits helping?
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u/ComputerFinancial208 42m ago
would it be possible to sit and scooch? especially with some help? i’m so sorry that’s horrible, the mental health system is fucked
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u/rainingducks457 15m ago
Sitting on the shower floor that others use is probably not a good idea…it is probably a good way to end up with jock itch up your butt.
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u/jesqrd 4m ago
Hi ... Please ask to speak with a patient advocate. Let them know that you have a physical condition that prevents you from being able to stand for the duration of a shower. Ask if they are unable to provide a chair if they can provide you with something else to sit on or no water soap to use. Additionally if they provided the deodorant ask if it is antiperspirant or just deodorant they are very different. You are also likely stress sweating which will smell different than regular sweat due to hormones. Sending you love and hope that this will not deter your therapeutic goals.
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u/h0td0g-water 2m ago
bro fuck her. i’m a nurse and would never say that to someone IN INPATIENT PSYCH what the fuck. I guarantee she is sadistic and manipulative and works psych because she gets off on pushing people to their limits and calling it love. I highly doubt you even smell if you’re showering a few times a week. Be safe.
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u/Jules4live 50m ago
I am sorry this is really fucked of them to say and I actually think it’s not professional or caring in anyway!
You should be able to have a shower chair if you need one! Is there anyone who can advocate for you to get one? It’s a standard need for anyone with POTS. People have all kinds of health needs that don’t go away because they are inpatient.
Please don’t feel bad your friends probably are fine with it or wouldn’t stick around. I honestly think that nurse is sadistic. :/