The Link Between Hygiene and Mental Health

How does hygiene impact mental health? When someone is having difficulty coping with a mental health issue, it may impact their ability to keep up with certain activities of daily living, like personal hygiene.

#MentalHealth #PersonalHygiene #PsychHub

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Psych Hub is an educational service, and the information in this video is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know are experiencing what you believe are mental health symptoms, please consult with a trained medical professional or a licensed mental health provider. We recommend consulting with a licensed behavioral health provider before trying any of the strategies mentioned in our materials.

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[gdmtk]

Reframing it helps.
Instead of "I have to shower and clean the house."
It becomes "I deserve to be clean and have a clean home."

[GreenAndTheToe]

I never knew showering was freaking difficult until I got my diagnosis

[coldenhaulfield]

My hygiene problem started when my mother's health detriorated bec of breast cancer. I've lived with my parents and was her caregiver until she died. During her final weeks in the hospital, I went on days without bathing, brushing my teeth and sometimes missing my meals. I never wanted to leave her back then bec I knew those were her last days. I still have some days when I find it difficult to even get out of bed after she died.

[boojunkles]

I have trouble brushing my teeth everyday, sometimes I go weeks. It's fucking tiring

[kittygoddess]

What if you live by yourself and have no friends or family to support or encourage you? Not everyone has that in their life.

[mariamendoza]

I can relate to Jake. Thanks so much for making this video. Now I know it’s because of my mental health. I created a hygiene goal now.

[sarahmina]

Jake is lucky to have support from family/friends!

[bugbile]

i go weeks without brushing my teeth. i’m trying to get back into it, little by little, as my gums are receding and it has made me intensely paranoid, which increases the depression. it feels like an endless loop. when i mention it to my father, he boils it down to laziness. my mother sees it for what it really is.. a form of self-harm and self-neglect. whilst it’s not ideal, my mum knows why it happens. when i leave for uni, i’m going to make it my goal to care for myself as much as possible.

[NikluvLei]

Growing up in foster care this was always a big issue that I saw handled in a variety of ways. I saw staff tell girls that were depressed to go get back in the shower because they hadn't taken long enough showers. I met people where their trauma surrounded the very thing they needed to do to keep up their daily hygiene and so they avoided it altogether. If you were raped everyday in the shower by someone in or out of your home and no matter how much soap you lathered or how hard you scrubbed you never felt clean because what they did to you was that disgusting you wouldn't ever want to shower either.

[cielline]

Just like some of the people here in the comments section, I heavily relate to this thing where even just by doing anything drains and gets me demotivated to the point that it terribly affected my relationships in general, and also my grades in school. Eventually, I decided to start working on it (I established a routine and made time to take care of my physical and mental health) even though I wasn't feeling like doing any of that one bit. It's a tough path but... still, I just had to do it. I totally agree with this phrase: “Just do it.” It works all the time for me. And whenever I hesitate on doing something important, I use this 5-second rule that I heard from a podcast one time wherein if you have something that you know that needs to be done but you're hesitating, try counting down from 5 and by the time you're done counting, you should've decided whether or not to do it. It's not necessarily applicable to everything since it also depends on the situation, but anyway, I still hope someone will take my word for it and try it for themselves. Don't expect that we'll get better immediately. Although I might say that *doing* things instead of *thinking* about them helps in elevating _this_ feeling, I'd also add that not feeling any changes soon after trying this sort of change is not immediate. It takes time...and as someone who's still experiencing it and realized something about this ongoing journey, I also wanted to share this article with y'all:

[innerguardianXIII]

"You'll feel better once you have a shower".

Usually after I shower I feel worse. That clamminess afterwards is so uncomfortable.

[DarKNessx]

Support systems? The absence of such and any positive reinforcement compound the beliefs I harbor which feed this cycle of depression. I can't ask for help or confess anything to the people on my life. I told my sister I hadn't showered in a month, her response was 'eww'. I've been 'little big sis' our entire lives, I lotioned her feet when she was too 'disturbed' to do so, and I was responsible, clean, encouraging and consistent for decades while she only played video games . . . Now that the tables have turned, I mostly recieve ridicule and nagging from her, from them both. My grandma only ever declares 'there's something wrong with you!' instead of ever asking 'what's wrong, what's bothering you and how can I help?' . . . The people in my life refuse to express compassion towards me, though they'll jump through hoops to 'please' and 'impress' others. Makes my presence feel even more futile and unbearable. At this point, I WANT SO BADLY to be able to be well again, but without incentive, with only solitude and myself on my side, what's the point???

[drinkik]

Thank you for making this video! :)

Ive had really bad mental health since i was about 10. For 8 years, I hadn't brushed my teeth regularly (more than a week at a time). My teeth didnt look that bad so I never bothered. Recently, ive tried to keep brushing my teeth alot more! sometimes i forget or am not motivated to do so, but i do try :) i hope i can one day brush my teeth like its normal :)

When i got back to brushing, the mint toothpaste was really painful and strong, so here are some things i did if you also have this problem! :)
- Using mouthwash and diluting it down (makes the mint less strong)
- Chewing gum (not strong gum tho)
- Using spearmint wherever possible (its sweeter and not as strong!)

I hope this helps someone! never give up, no matter how bad it seems. But also dont feel bad about yourself for neglecting self care, sometimes other things take priority, even if its just making yourself feel safe and calm <3

[gone.golfing]

Bc when you’re struggling mentally, the last thing you care about is hygiene. It’s so much work and having the water hit your body is something you definitely don’t want to do when you’re mentally struggling - Last thing you want to do is shiver when you’re struggling mentally.

[staciemae]

I have to force myself to get in the shower. I never used to be like this and then I lost my job and BAM depression hit me like a fucking train. I've always had generalized anxiety and a bit of depression but nothing like I have now. For some reason being in the shower almost gives me a panic attack

[Shanaevaz]

Yes when you stop showering or wearing the same clothes for more than two days you have to question if something wrong with me . Hygiene should never be neglected

[archwolf]

I find my lack of hygiene as result of my depression and lack of confidence in my looks. Sometimes I do feel like it doesn't matter because nobody really finds me attractive

[JC-jihp]

Been dealing with this on and off since I was in middle school 22 now. I keep ruminating on what I believe is the “cause” never focused on getting over until now.

[karenmartin]

I had and still have crippling anxiety and depressive for most of my life my teeth are all bad and decayed from lack of brushing.i smelld and didn't like getting out of bed let alone change my bedsheets and clothes
I'm still struggling and don't see any point.take care if yourself xx

[donnaknudson]

I find showering to be exhausting and the sensory aspects are extremely uncomfortable and overwhelming. It also elevates my blood pressure badly. I have had depression all my life but this didn't become a problem until later. If I do shower I have to wait until I'm up for several hours or I just can't handle it. I always feel exhausted and sick when I wake up. Showering on top of that is just too much. I just hate having this problem. I hate feeling dirty. It's also really embarrassing and keeps me from being around people. Is there anyone here who relates to this sensory/sick/exhaustion reaction?