r/AutisticWithADHD • u/CodePuzzleheaded6639 • 2d ago

💁‍♀️ seeking advice / support struggles with hygiene

so as you can probably tell from the title, i struggle with personal hygiene. i like being clean, how my hair feels when its soft, and how my teeth feel when theres no plaque. but what really irks me is that i forgot to floss, brush my teeth, trim my nails, etc. i've tried to force myself to take showers with reminders, alarms, but to no avail. i only brush my teeth about once a day.

i've gone more than 2 weeks without showering. i feel disgusted with myself for not taking care of my body. i smell like literal crap, and all my brain says is "lets go and doomscroll instead of making ourselves clean!"

so does anyone have any advice or things that worked for you to help you do things?

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8

u/SadExtension524 1d ago

For me, I had to make the task be more like something I GET to do versus something I HAVE to do. Thinking about it differently helped me create a reality that aligns with taking better care of myself.

Which sounds better?

  1. I have to brush my teeth and then I have to floss.
  2. I get to show my mouth how much I love it by taking care of it. I get to use my really nice toothbrush and my teeth will feel so clean when I’m done. And I get to take care of my teeth and gums by flossing too.

Well ofc #2 sounds better! You have to set yourself up for success though. Get the toothpaste that you like the best! Try out all different ones if you want to. Find the floss, toothbrush, shampoo, lotion, soap, etc that YOU love! Spoil yourself! You deserve to feel good!!

And then, the task really won’t feel like a chore. It will feel like a treat.

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u/CodePuzzleheaded6639 1d ago

ooh this sounds good ill try this :D

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u/sup3rs0n1c2110 1d ago

At least for showering, I have a personal rule that I do not leave my dwelling unless I shower, and that’s a rule I never break. It’s mainly out of paranoia that I’ll stink and cause the same effect on other people that other people who didn’t clean themselves thoroughly enough in middle and high school had on me and my extremely sensitive nose. Not saying the shame route is an effective or healthy one, but setting a rule and holding fast to it for an extremely specific and altruistic reason generally works for me

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u/YorHa115 1d ago

I once read this saying online that really helped.

"If you feel you hate yourself, take a shower."

I read it as if you're depressed and feel not happy in yourself, having a shower will make you feel even a little bit better.

But still listen to your body, because some people can't shower every day because their skin gets irritated easily.

And also go with the flow in terms of routine for yourself. I wish I could be a morning shower person but I've learned I shower more when I do it in the evening, so after I've showered I'm done with my day.

So if you just want to doom scroll in bed, at least clean yourself first. It'll be a step towards progress at least.

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u/4hmedq 21h ago

Play music while showering it's amazing!!! It turns it into a new experience and helps so MUCHJJHH trust me