a possible cause of b.o.

Hi everyone

I was just browsing and happened on this particular forum about body odour. This is my first post but I hope I can help some of the folk here with one of its causes. I know this one from experience.

Many years ago I suffered a traumatic loss in my life (fiancé of 2 days killed in a car accident). This was followed by taking a job overseas ... a kind of running away, but it didn't help. It just made matters worse. From these two experiences, I suffered extreme (and I mean EXTREME) stress and anxiety and it built up and it built up until I felt like I was about to explode.

At some point, a while later, I started smelling real bad. I worked as a temp when I returned home and people in the offices would say things like, "What's that funny smell? Is someone eating some kind of soup or what?" I don't think they knew it was me ... at least they never said. The smell filled the whole room! It was so embarrassing. I bought special deodorants and did everything I could to get rid of the smell, without success. It happened mostly when I'd start a new assignment when I would be particularly stressed by having to learn something new every time. This change of job happened almost every week so I was constantly stressed and anxious.

What I'm trying to explain here is that, in my own case, it was the extreme stress that was making me smell. It was making my body chuck out all kinds of odours. One night I had a meal high in garlic, for example. Someone came into the office next day and, before even getting through the door, said, "Whew! Who's been eating garlic?" I was sitting at least 20 feet from the door so they weren't getting my breath. The smell was filling the entire room. My body seemed to be pushing stuff out through my skin!

I don't know how this occurred (the smell coming off my body, that is) but I can say without a doubt that it was definitely high stress and anxiety over a long period that had caused it. I eventually cured my problem by using various calming techniques such as meditation and brainwave entrainment. Thankfully I don't smell anymore!

So, for those who are experiencing unusual or powerful body odours that they have never suffered before, a good question to ask yourselves before visiting the doc and having expensive tests done, is "Am I overly stressed? Am I overly anxious? Have I been this way for a long time?" If the answer you get is yes (and many people are suffering extreme stress these days in their jobs) then please think about treating that stress/anxiety before anything else. I can recall taking St John's Wort for a while, and this helped considerably with the Depression side of things - although you probably all know that it mustn't be taken if you are on other medications because St John's might interact with them and stop them working.

Some ladies have mentioned a 'fishy' smell coming from their 'lower regions'. I learned many years ago what the cause of this is. Feel free to email me on this one.

Hoping this has helped a few people at least. Stay calm! Stay cool! If you can't, then do one of the two M's: Meditate or Move on! :)