Why is it such a boom to see a bum?

[lisab]

If you find that it's a real problem waiting for the water heater, try this.

Hook up a timer to the heater. Set it such that you will have hot water at a given time...let's say 7:00 AM. Now, set an alarm clock to go off at 7:00 AM.

Discipline yourself to stop what you're doing when the alarm goes off, and go shower.

Of course the time you choose is irrelevant; the important thing is that you do it every day.

 

[Proton Soup]

i think it's pretty obvious that he just doesn't like to bathe, and is especially resistant at being compelled to do so by others. that big long post at the beginning is just a bunch of rebellion. he wants to do what he wants and be left alone about it. autism or not, i think he understands this just fine.

now, what he may not understand is that this is a battle he cannot win. unless he goes off somewhere to live as a hermit, he will have to conform to some of society's rules. so if he chooses to stay at the position and function in society, that choice also includes bathing.

 

[Evo]

DEODORANT

Not showering just makes you smell like old sweat, it's probably underarm stench that's killing them, do you use underarm deodorant?

Also, a finger so swollen has to be a medical problem. And the reasons you give for chewing on it, Socrates, "the mark of the beast" and excommunication"? I suggest you seek psychiatric help, for all of your problems in general, and perhaps these in particular. I'm not saying this in jest or to be unkind, you may have a treatable psychiatric condition.

Also, the excuse about heating the water doesn't fly. Take a sponge bath, just get a cloth and wipe and rinse off parts of your body, it's better than nothing and you don't have to get wet all over, perhaps you have an aversion to getting wet all over. THEN APPLY DEODORANT. You don't want to apply deodorant over sweat, but even if you do, it won't smell as bad as no deodorant at all.

 

[rootX]

DEODORANT

Not showering just makes you smell like old sweat, it's probably underarm stench that's killing them, do you use underarm deodorant?

Also, a finger so swollen has to be a medical problem. And the reasons you give for chewing on it, Socrates, "the mark of the beast" and excommunication"? I suggest you seek psychiatric help, for all of your problems in general, and perhaps these in particular. I'm not saying this in jest or to be unkind, you may have a treatable psychiatric condition.

It smells worse with deodorant if you sweat a lot.

 

[russ_watters]

If you find that it's a real problem waiting for the water heater, try this.

Hook up a timer to the heater. Set it such that you will have hot water at a given time...let's say 7:00 AM. Now, set an alarm clock to go off at 7:00 AM.

Discipline yourself to stop what you're doing when the alarm goes off, and go shower.

Of course the time you choose is irrelevant; the important thing is that you do it every day.

The water heater issue is irrelevant - he didn't shower in the US either and that issue didn't exist here. It's just a rationalization.

Poor hygeine, particularly with showering, is something I just can't tolerate. I recently had a date at a nice restaurant ruined by a guy sitting near us with bad BO. He sat down right as we were getting our entres.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Simple. Shower more.

/thread

 

[Math Is Hard]

It's all been said. If you want to continue in an environment where you interact with other people at close range (like grad school, or an office job) then you need to learn to wash yourself on a regular basis. It doesn't have to be a shower. You could submerge in a bath and scrub, or get a sponge and bucket of hot soapy water and do the job. You can find something that feels comfortable for you.

The suggestion that your mother remind you to bathe is not far-fetched. My brother has a similar disability (PDD-NOS) and mom has to remind him constantly when he needs to bathe and brush his teeth. If she doesn't, he gets distracted with whatever he is working on and forgets. If she didn't keep after him, his teeth would have rotted out years ago, so make sure you have something/someone to remind you to look after that, too.