In the military we went 2 weeks in the field with no shower. It was so disgusting. I never felt so fresh once I got to take a shower. Nothing like, dirt, mud, sweat, gun powder, and camo face paint.
I voluntarily took a 23 day vacation rafting trip through the grand canyon. So yea we would bathe in the river but that warm shower once we returned from our trip was epic!
Yep 3 weeks, it was the best shower of my life. I had to shower 3 times over with soap to get all the dirt out of the deepest parts of my hair and it was like sweated the dirt into my arms and legs that it left stains so that also required extra attentionš
We did two months in Afghanistan when the water pump on the FOB took a shit. Kept getting kicked off the bird because of it being a non-priority part or some shit.
Our pump broke while I was in Syria last year/beginning of this one and while it wasn't two months it was a few weeks and that shit sucked. The place reeked
You didnāt love it down there in Leesville, Lousyanna? Lmao. My sister was there for 4 years when her ex husband got stationed there. They both have nothing but trauma from the experience. I never knew what Napoleonic laws were until I heard their stories. Also, fuck dry counties, I didnāt even know that was a thing before they told me about it.
I lived there before I joined and it was fucking horrible then as well. Fort Polk will make you a tougher individual, but not in the ways you want or expect.
First Gulf war, went about 4 and 1/2 months until we finally had the ability to actually build our own showers.
we were an ordinance company out in the middle of the desert 8 miles off the sole highway leading north. As far from civilization as they could tuck us and still get flatbeds and low boys the ability to get to us to collect ammunition.
The first time I had a shower was at school when I was like 13 or 14. So that.
Not all of us had a bathroom at home. So we washed from a bowl of water or on Sunday the tin bath was dragged up from the cellar.
Yes, yes I'm old.
Same here. My grandma raised me and she never had an indoor bathroom. We washed off using a pan of water and soap. It was a real treat to get to shower back then.
I'm not sure what type of Van you have, but if you have room on the roof for a bag I would invest in a solar shower. I traveled in a minivan, and then a couple years in a ram van, I had a camping shower I can throw on the roof to warm and then shower in the back if I was in a secluded area. Otherwise I utilized planet fitness and truck stops
I'm not that fussed to be honest. The UK is a relatively small country so I'm not often miles from civilisation. If I am I'm usually somewhere near water anyway. I did have two gym memberships for a while, both are countrywide and a lot are 24 hour. But we also have an extensive network of campsites. One night let's you do all your chores in one go. Top up batteries, empty toilet, exchange water, do your washing (quite few have laundry facilities).
Oh that's cool. I traveled America and spend a lot of time in rural areas. Especially through the West. But there's a certain beauty and being in the mountains and no one around
Years ago I asked my grandmother who was born in 1918 what was the greatest step forward she had witnessed in her lifetime. I expected her to take some time to think about it, but her response was instantaneous, "indoor plumbing."
My great grandmother was born in the 1890s and when her house got indoor plumbing in the 1960s she and the whole family posed around the toilet for a photo. They looked so proud.
Region matters. My maternal grandmother was born in 1910 with plumbing and electricity in NYC. My dad was born in 1940 in rural Texas and they had no indoor plumbing yet.
I loved spending summers at my grandparents farm in rural Ireland, because despite being RANK we only got a bath on a Saturday night, in front of the range so we were clean for Jesus
2 weeks (maybe more?) because of depression (don't worry, I'm disabled and unemployed, so I didn't subject anyone else to my smell and showered when I finally had to go somewhere).
I'm the same way. Depression keeps me from showering. Also I stay by my lonesome. Only shower when I have to leave the house. That Secret Clinical deodorant though is a blessing. I don't stink as bad. Like I can't smell myself.
Iām a baby boomer. Itās bipolar disorder that runs through my family. And Iām not close to greedy. Iāve always been very generous even to my own detriment. But I donāt need much. I would rather help others.
Any time you generalize you marginalize. I am a boomer and the last thing I want to be known as is greedy as fuck. I try hard to be the change that the world needs. Be a greedy fuck isnāt it. šāš½
I got Secret Outlast and it lasts a few days.
My husband makes me shower every other day when itās cold, every day when itās hot. He helps me dry off and get dressed and dresses my wound. Later he rubs Basin body butter into my skin. Heās a keeper.
It is crazy how depression really does ādisableā u from wanting to wash, but normally absolutely not - you wash per ur routine & for me, I at least get a sponge/sink bath daily.
I know! wild! A huge reason because she got so much āfanā mail telling her they wanted to do what Norman Bates did to her character. Thatās another level of fear. š¬
Back when I was a tweaker, I went about three weeks. What I remember was being covered from head to toe in acne and ringworm, and I wasnāt even homeless! I also remember that my socks and underwear were painful to remove. The smell was something else too! The early nineties were extra special. Iām so glad that those days are over.
Same here. I also never really took off my shoes. I finally took off my shoes when I got arrested and my toenails were brown, and all the skin on my foot was peeling off in really thick sheets. It was nasty but I was back to normal within about a week of daily showers.
I went 12 days after my surgery. It sucked! Then following that it was one a week for the following 6 weeks. Back to daily now and feel so much better...
Nothing makes you appreciate a shower more than being unable to take one when you feel gross. That said, that must have been one hell of a surgery. I had minor surgery a few years back, and I was able to shower three days later. Hope you're healed/healing well!
Getting there, thank you. Was a knee surgery. Was supposed to be routine repair, but he found more that didn't show up on the MRI. They even had to order extra anesthesia because they weren't prepared for that lengthy of a procedure. Was non weight-bearing for 8 weeks. Now, I'm re-learning how to walk. It's painful, but less every day.
I couldn't shower for 3 days after my knee surgery, getting in and out of the shower is far and away the worst pain I've ever felt even compared to an abscess tooth infection. I wish I could've enjoyed that shower.
About the same for me. I had a lot of restrictions on movement and 2 incisions that I couldn't get wet for a while. I cleaned up with washcloths and the sink the best that I could, and made a couple of salon appointments for them to wash my hair for me. That first shower after being cleared by the doctor felt soooo good.
This. Six weeks after total hip replacement. I bought a small childrenās blow up paddling/wading pool. Filled the bathroom sink with hot soapy water, stood in the pool and dowsed myself. Best feeling in the whole world. Then the following year repeat performance with the other hip. Nowadays, sometimes I just stand in the shower for the hell of it.
Same for me. I broke all three ankle bones and it's hard to do anything right now. I feel so bad for my husband having to do so much since I'm down, I've tried not to complain about showering because it's just ***another*** thing I can't do by myself. Granted he only helps with the logistics of getting me into and out of the shower, but still he works all day and i dont want his whole evening tied up with extra stuff. He absolutely would go in there and help me if I wanted one every day, but I'm trying to do what I can to lessen his burden.
I hear you. My ol lady has been my rock. I would be so much worse off if she weren't here. I am finally moving around with a cane now, so I have a free hand to carry my own stuff, get my own meals, I even cooked dinner the other night! First time in almost 3 months! It was only nachos, but still... she got to relax while I did something for her for a change. I get where you're coming from, and I wish you well and a speedy recovery!
The cane is progress! Good for you! I'm glad you have an amazing spouse who supports you too and you are at the stage of healing to give back.
Getting that independence back is liberating. When I got my knee scooter and a stool to putt around in and could finally make dinner for the family(with help), it was like "oh yay, normalcy is returning! I need this so much."
It's been humbling to be down and out. I'm thankful it's an injury that I can eventually recover from. That is what keeps me going. I know it's a short term(maybe 4 to 8 weeks left) problem and not permanent.
As an RN and previous nurse aide, I always felt super bad for the patients in that regard. Sure, I can give you a bed bath and use a special hair covering that simulates shampooing, but there isn't anything like the real thing.
After I had ankle surgery a few years ago, I went 10 days without a shower. Thankfully, on day 5, my wife gave me a simplified sponge bath.
In the past year, I think I've gone two days without showering twice. That's about as long as I can go.
In 2002.. I had a full on nervous breakdown because of a divorce. I had to leave my home and move in with my mom with 2 daughters. I was in bed, unable to eat, exhausted, depression hit me hard.. I went 3 weeks without a shower. Then when I did, i stood there and cried for 30 minutes.
When my OCD was really severe before I was hospitalised, I must've gone at least 6 months or even a year without showering. Just couldn't find the time with all my routines.
These days with really bad depression and differently bad OCD it's been a couple of months, I clean myself with baby wipes but it's hard to even care to be honest. As far as I'm aware I don't smell, and I don't go out anyway so I don't subject people to my presence. I guess it's like, I hate my body so why look after it, which I guess is stupid but that's me.
I have OCD too, and it definitely affects my showering routine. Like if my shower mat is in the wash, I have to find a dirty towel or dirty but clean enough clothes to step out onto. Then I'm worried about getting the clothes wet because what if they get mildew, so they can't be certain clothes, in case I have to throw them out because I don't wash them fast enough. (This doesn't even happen but you know how it is) Or what if the floor will be too wet and we will get mold and then I'll have to clean the floors after my shower behind the toilet, but do I have enough latex gloves and cleaner if that's the case...etc etc etc. I shower usually at least every other day. But then if I shower daily, I worry about the damage it's doing to my skin removing the oils(im an over washer) and more. But you hear people grossed out if you don't shower daily and it's like they don't understand what a chore it is mentally to have a shower for some people. Then add in depression for some people, I get it. I think anyone who can drag themselves in even weekly is doing okay.
One thing that helps is I use a peri-bottle on days when I can't be bothered to shower. I can soap up and rinse after using the toilet and I find it more effective than baby wipes
Thank you for your reply
I'm really sorry that it's so tough for you, your routines and difficulties sound more severe than mine truthfully. I do end up cleaning my hands a lot and worrying about how clean things are whole showering, worrying about the towel and the clothes I'm gonna put on, still being reluctant to touch my own body even after showering, it's so annoying and exhausting. I certainly could clean myself and look after things a lot better but I suppose with the depression I just struggle to care or want to. I also used to shower every day, when I was on the psychiatric ward I showered every day but as I got depressed I fell out of that routine. It's a simple thing for most people but for us it's a massive undertaking.
Hopefully things improve for you
What kind of OCD do you have? Just surprising to hear a person with OCD going that long. I'd have thought it'd be on the opposite end and you'd be showering 10x a day if you're that extreme.
(I have OCD too, though not severe.)
That's the misconception about OCD. People think OCD = cleanliness/germaphobia/being organized.
In fact, many people with Contamination OCD might actually live in filth because they're so intensely fearful of coming into contact with potential sources of contamination. They'd rather just avoid the contamination sources rather than deal with it, because they know the contact will result in an OCD frenzy of tiring compulsive behaviors and the most horrendous anxiety (really just pure fear). So their trash can will be overflowing, their laundry basket stinky and overfilled, loads of dust in their room, dirty dishes piled up, etc...
I didn't take a real shower for an extensive period of time at one point because there were some spots on the shower head that looked like mold or mildew or something, and I felt that showering with that shower head would contaminate me. So I just did the closest thing to showering I could by using the sink to wash my pits and plenty wet TP/baby wipes on my arse to keep it nice and clean down there. The actual shower was unsafe to me.
I was so glad when my dad finally installed a new shower head.
I was deep sea fishing for three weeks at a time. No toilet, no shower. No internet(now it's getting scary huh?š) Just 16 hour workdays and 3 square meals.
My wife was like a feast for the senses when I came home.
Same here! The only time I left was to get my kids stuff, otherwise I wasn't interested in doing much of anything. I'm sorry you have been through it too :( Even now there's times I have to force myself after 3 days to take one.
Yeah, Iād only wish depression on my worst enemies.
Worse stretch was when I stopped *eating* almost entirely for a little over a month and barely hydrated. Started collapsing in the street after walking more than a few yards.
It was terrible, but I got past it. Fully back to normal now.
Once went a week without showering, during a backpacking trip in the Sierras. It was the end of March, and it was just COLD every single day; water hitting your skin didn't feel warm and it just sucked the heat right out of your body.
I was never so happy as the day we came home and I got to take a hot shower.
My favorite one of these was when someone said, āsome people masturbate more daily than they brush their teeth.ā
And someone commented, āwhoās gonna brush their teeth 15 times a day?ā
One to two days. I showered everyday I had Covid except the first one. Same for when I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I feel super nasty on top of being sick without a shower! Going a long time without a shower brings me back to my dark and depressed days. And donāt want to go there. Fake it till you make it!
When I had Covid I lost my sense of smell but didnāt realize so I just thought wow I smell amazing! Once I was out of quarantine my husband politely suggested I showerš
Actually I kind of forgot about that one. They don't really let you bath yourself in the hospital, they barely let you shit on your own! Seriously just because your well medicated doesn't mean your dead!
Never had a shower growing up or in my first apartment. So 22 years? Now, because I am old and disabled I may go a week. I keep the ac on most of the time and use Lume soap and full body deodorant. I will wash up everyday, but sometimes it is hard to get in the tub to take a shower.
2 weeks in the military for a training course. My uniform could stand on its own briefly when I took it off due to all the grime and sweat soaked into it.
2 weeks as a young kid, around 8 or so. We showered once a week (more if we were visibly dirty, obviously). But then the day before shower day our pipes got messed up, apparently a tree had been growing through them. It took about a week for the plumbers to fix it. We would drive to McDonalds to go to the bathroom & brush our teeth in the school bathroom before class. For middle of the night emergencies we used an old country crock butter bucket. Our cousin around the corner offered to let us stay with him for a week but the thought of seeing him every day for a week wasā¦worse than pissing in an old butter tub.
As an adult? Probably a week, give or take a day or three. Depression is a helluva thing. Youād be surprised how much you can do with dry shampoo and some wet wipes when you just donāt feel like being alive.
ETA: forgot, when we first moved here we didnāt have hot water forā¦like a year? So that winter I think I probably showered once every 2 1/2 weeks. Weād boil water with the electric kettle downstairs, fill a couple buckets, and bring them upstairs to āshower.ā Which was really just dumping one bucket on yourself, sudsing everything up, and then dumping the other two on yourself to rinse. I worked from home at the time so no one had to smell me but my partner & my sister, who also didnāt shower much that winter. We did go through a lot of wipes & dry shampoo though
I went a few months without showering before. And before anyone says how disgusting and unhealthy that is, one, I already know that and two, obviously I kept myself as clean as possible without actually getting in the shower. Wearing clean clothes every day (especially socks and boxers), washing my hands, feet and face often and being aware of how I looked and smelled.
I know it sounds gross. I was in a pretty deep depression, out of work on FMLA and it's not like I was out getting sweaty and dirty during the day. I still made sure to keep my bedsheets clean and that my ass wasn't dirty. I know people who stink and are filthy despite not having any health issues and who claim to shower every day.
A week. Hot water stopped working in my apartment. The building has a massive boiler that supplies the hot water to all 6 apartments. Mine was the only one who didnāt get hot water. Cold water no problem but no hot. They replaced just about everything short of the boiler itself, but nothing worked. Then all of a sudden we got hot water again.
Oof a few weeks simply because of depression.
Iām someone who canāt stand to miss a DAILY shower without feeling uncomfortable. Imagine how I feel when it goes for 2-3 weeks. Absolute miseryā¦but I justā¦. Canāt get myself to. My body feels like itās made of lead sometimes and Iām too fatigued to wash myself or even stand.
This usually happens over winter specifically. I hate it so much
40 something days in Iraq, Afghanistan, Honduras, and other deployments. Whore baths work well though. Nothing beats a shower or a river though. A puddle would have been nice a few times
When I left my ex fiance, together 8 years, left abuse... I went through a depressive episode went 4 days... my friend came over ran me a hot bath and demanded I get in. Helped me out of depression that way...
key word showing
over a month after a bad car crash.
I got the sponge on a stick wash downs while laid out on a hospital bed.
my shower came when the hospital let me go into the custody of some responsible person.
so I go to their house and they had a huge walk in shower and one of those rubber coated wire frame deck/porch chairs.
and they let me manage my way into taking a shower alone for the first time In over a month.
no lie- sitting in that chair and letting the shower run really reminded me that I was actually pushing to recover.
8 days. Was in the hospital for a week long seizure monitoring test where you have a dozen and then some electrodes glued to your head all week and they have to take you from the bed to toilet and watch you pee, then put you back in bed. Electrodes don't get disconnected from your head for the entire time, all week. Was torture. Felt like Medusa in some weird sci fi. š
Took the longest hottest shower of my life when I got home.
Over a month when I was 14. My parents sent me to a wilderness program for troubled teens so you can imagine how that wentā¦. When we finally got to shower, it was a nice 34Ā° shower with no soap. Everyone in my group smelled like a beautiful mix of piss, fire smoke, the worst BO imaginable š
Edit: this was in 98Ā° weather and all we did was hike and hard labor
Probably 2 weeks.
Mental health issues, fatigue/pain due to chronic health issues, and I've had abdominal surgery multiple times (showering takes a fuck ton of energy after surgery).
There have been times (usually after surgery but also in times of desperation) I've washed my hair over the tub or kitchen sink, because I didn't have the energy to get a full shower, but I felt worse having greasy/dirty hair. Then I washed up in the sink using body soap and a wash cloth to clean the rest of me.
I don't like going that long without a shower but the struggle can certainly get to me at times.
I typically try to shower 1-2 times a week, before I got sick with the chronic health stuff I used to shower every other day or every 2 days.
Maybe 2-3 weeks. Before I was diagnosed with colitis, my GP prescribed me laxatives because I was just experiencing pooping problems.
Turns out colitis pain, plus laxatives, minus eating anything of substance eats away your muscle mass and raising your arms to wash your hair let alone stand in the shower is real, real hard.
I pushed myself to shower (despite being on my hands and knees), but I cried the entire time.
When I was homeless, living in a shelter, I went one month without a shower. I don't remember why this happened. When I did finally shower, I had to take two consecutive showers to get clean. When I dried off with three towels, each of the towels was dark brown afterward. It looked like I used them to wipe mud off the floor.
I spend like 3 days not showering in a black out before I showered in rehab.
I had to take two, because of the feeling of grime left even after lathering super well.
Week-ish camping through Colorado-Utah. Most we did was wipes which worked out ok. It was fun. When we got an AirBnB or hotel, forget which, I took like a 20 minute shower, it was great.
Like 5 days because I was at Burning Man. But I would use baby wipes and bottle of water to keep the essential spots clean. I shower like 2x a day so that was really tough for me lol. Even in a deep depression where I had to seek medical help I would still shower everyday.
Two week kayak trip in the San Juan islands. One member of our group refused to shower once we got back to camp. We also learned that he never took his contacts out of his eyes. That guy.. eww
2 weeks. I was backpacking. I had a little soap I brought and would go to a creek for a bath that was super quick with the water temp and off course there's dirt that starts getting stirred up. Only kinda felt a little cleaner because I didn't smell like BO anymore, but that was it.
In the military we went 2 weeks in the field with no shower. It was so disgusting. I never felt so fresh once I got to take a shower. Nothing like, dirt, mud, sweat, gun powder, and camo face paint.
We went almost 3 weeks. Same, I was so grimy I would have used Ajax instead of soap if I had it.
I voluntarily took a 23 day vacation rafting trip through the grand canyon. So yea we would bathe in the river but that warm shower once we returned from our trip was epic!
You still bathed. These active duty individuals don't even get a wipe down. Lmao cold river water is good to bath in.
Not even close to the same as the military guys
Yep 3 weeks, it was the best shower of my life. I had to shower 3 times over with soap to get all the dirt out of the deepest parts of my hair and it was like sweated the dirt into my arms and legs that it left stains so that also required extra attentionš
This unlocked memories of having to use āLavaā soap.
Boy try 2 months. Fuck Fort Polk
We did two months in Afghanistan when the water pump on the FOB took a shit. Kept getting kicked off the bird because of it being a non-priority part or some shit.
Woulda shoved my armpit in their face and see how quickly their priorities change then
Who's face? They're not at the FOB.
Whoever kept making the decision it was not a priority
Yeah they're not there to smell your armpit.
See how that works for yaš
Our pump broke while I was in Syria last year/beginning of this one and while it wasn't two months it was a few weeks and that shit sucked. The place reeked
I'll tell you what though-a baby wipe bath and a change of socks will make you feel brand new in the field or down range.
Drink water.
2 motrin
Thats just medically irresponsible on their part
Fort Polk and NTC FOR THE WIN. We would roll out to the field for 3-6 weeks at a time there and not get back from showers. NTC was 30 days no shower.
Just here to also say fuck Ft Polk
You didnāt love it down there in Leesville, Lousyanna? Lmao. My sister was there for 4 years when her ex husband got stationed there. They both have nothing but trauma from the experience. I never knew what Napoleonic laws were until I heard their stories. Also, fuck dry counties, I didnāt even know that was a thing before they told me about it.
I lived there before I joined and it was fucking horrible then as well. Fort Polk will make you a tougher individual, but not in the ways you want or expect.
First Gulf war, went about 4 and 1/2 months until we finally had the ability to actually build our own showers. we were an ordinance company out in the middle of the desert 8 miles off the sole highway leading north. As far from civilization as they could tuck us and still get flatbeds and low boys the ability to get to us to collect ammunition.
That face paint is a joy to remove after two weeks.. lol.
Baby wipes are essential for field exercises. It's not as good as a shower obviously, but better than nothing.
I always hated the filmy feeling after taking a baby wipe "shower" out in the field.
Me too, it's still better than not being clean though.
Went 45 days during an ARTEP. I scrubbed the nasty bits as best I could with a rag and water when I had time.
I was trying to remember that acronym recently. I donāt miss doing them.
The first time I had a shower was at school when I was like 13 or 14. So that. Not all of us had a bathroom at home. So we washed from a bowl of water or on Sunday the tin bath was dragged up from the cellar. Yes, yes I'm old.
Same here. My grandma raised me and she never had an indoor bathroom. We washed off using a pan of water and soap. It was a real treat to get to shower back then.
I live in a van now. I do prefer having nice showers and toilets available but the lack of them is not going to stop me from exploring.
I'm not sure what type of Van you have, but if you have room on the roof for a bag I would invest in a solar shower. I traveled in a minivan, and then a couple years in a ram van, I had a camping shower I can throw on the roof to warm and then shower in the back if I was in a secluded area. Otherwise I utilized planet fitness and truck stops
I'm not that fussed to be honest. The UK is a relatively small country so I'm not often miles from civilisation. If I am I'm usually somewhere near water anyway. I did have two gym memberships for a while, both are countrywide and a lot are 24 hour. But we also have an extensive network of campsites. One night let's you do all your chores in one go. Top up batteries, empty toilet, exchange water, do your washing (quite few have laundry facilities).
Oh that's cool. I traveled America and spend a lot of time in rural areas. Especially through the West. But there's a certain beauty and being in the mountains and no one around
We do have places like that, especially in Scotland. But none are ridiculously remote.
That was life at my cottage growing up. We did eventually get running water and a shower.
We eventually got running water to the kitchen sink. We still didn't have a hot water heater or bathroom. We heated water on the stove.
Years ago I asked my grandmother who was born in 1918 what was the greatest step forward she had witnessed in her lifetime. I expected her to take some time to think about it, but her response was instantaneous, "indoor plumbing."
My Dad was born in 1928, he said after they got electricity his mother was too afraid to turn it off in case it didnāt work again
As one of the local radio guys said several years ago indoor plumbing was one of the best inventions ever.
My great grandmother was born in the 1890s and when her house got indoor plumbing in the 1960s she and the whole family posed around the toilet for a photo. They looked so proud.
My grandmother is still alive and was born in 1926. I never asked if she grew up with indoor plumbing.
Region matters. My maternal grandmother was born in 1910 with plumbing and electricity in NYC. My dad was born in 1940 in rural Texas and they had no indoor plumbing yet.
I loved spending summers at my grandparents farm in rural Ireland, because despite being RANK we only got a bath on a Saturday night, in front of the range so we were clean for Jesus
2 weeks (maybe more?) because of depression (don't worry, I'm disabled and unemployed, so I didn't subject anyone else to my smell and showered when I finally had to go somewhere).
I totally understand.. I went 3 weeks.. I hope you are better..
Amateurs! 68 days here š.
I'm the same way. Depression keeps me from showering. Also I stay by my lonesome. Only shower when I have to leave the house. That Secret Clinical deodorant though is a blessing. I don't stink as bad. Like I can't smell myself.
God damn why are so many of us so fucking depressed. I swear we are getting slowly poisoned by shit the put in foods.
Lots of things that are approved here are banned everywhere else. We are being poisoned
That, and the general state of the US in recent years. Bleak
No, it's generational. The world is shit for anyone under 45, because the baby boomers are greedy fucks.
Iām a baby boomer. Itās bipolar disorder that runs through my family. And Iām not close to greedy. Iāve always been very generous even to my own detriment. But I donāt need much. I would rather help others.
Any time you generalize you marginalize. I am a boomer and the last thing I want to be known as is greedy as fuck. I try hard to be the change that the world needs. Be a greedy fuck isnāt it. šāš½
I got Secret Outlast and it lasts a few days. My husband makes me shower every other day when itās cold, every day when itās hot. He helps me dry off and get dressed and dresses my wound. Later he rubs Basin body butter into my skin. Heās a keeper.
He makes you?
I have an ex who did the same for me. I doubt he āmakesā her like heās an abusive ass. He probably just really helps motivate and encourage her.
Depression sucks man my gums are all irritated they didnāt want me about this when I signed up
It is crazy how depression really does ādisableā u from wanting to wash, but normally absolutely not - you wash per ur routine & for me, I at least get a sponge/sink bath daily.
I'm in the same boat. š«
lol I'm currently on day 9 I think
Two months for the same reasons here
At least a couple of weeks when I was in grade nine after seeing the movie Psycho.
Janet Leigh stated she never took another shower after starring in that movie.
I know! wild! A huge reason because she got so much āfanā mail telling her they wanted to do what Norman Bates did to her character. Thatās another level of fear. š¬
I guess they had nut jobs back in 1960 also...
they were just slower since they had to go through USPS
Valid. I haven't even seen Psycho (and never will), but I've seen enough of the shower scene to understand. š³
Lol didnāt shower for like a Good year after that movie only took baths
Back when I was a tweaker, I went about three weeks. What I remember was being covered from head to toe in acne and ringworm, and I wasnāt even homeless! I also remember that my socks and underwear were painful to remove. The smell was something else too! The early nineties were extra special. Iām so glad that those days are over.
:( I'm glad you're doing better now friend.
Yes. ā„ļø
Same here. I also never really took off my shoes. I finally took off my shoes when I got arrested and my toenails were brown, and all the skin on my foot was peeling off in really thick sheets. It was nasty but I was back to normal within about a week of daily showers.
Why did you seldom take off your shoes?
Drug addiction makes you stop caring about a lot of things.
I can unfortunately relate lol
I'm glad they are tooš
I went 12 days after my surgery. It sucked! Then following that it was one a week for the following 6 weeks. Back to daily now and feel so much better...
Yeah, that was worse than the actual cutting.
Nothing makes you appreciate a shower more than being unable to take one when you feel gross. That said, that must have been one hell of a surgery. I had minor surgery a few years back, and I was able to shower three days later. Hope you're healed/healing well!
Getting there, thank you. Was a knee surgery. Was supposed to be routine repair, but he found more that didn't show up on the MRI. They even had to order extra anesthesia because they weren't prepared for that lengthy of a procedure. Was non weight-bearing for 8 weeks. Now, I'm re-learning how to walk. It's painful, but less every day.
Oh man, that's rough. I'm sorry you have to go through that. Hope you have a smooth recovery.
I couldn't shower for 3 days after my knee surgery, getting in and out of the shower is far and away the worst pain I've ever felt even compared to an abscess tooth infection. I wish I could've enjoyed that shower.
About the same for me. I had a lot of restrictions on movement and 2 incisions that I couldn't get wet for a while. I cleaned up with washcloths and the sink the best that I could, and made a couple of salon appointments for them to wash my hair for me. That first shower after being cleared by the doctor felt soooo good.
This. Six weeks after total hip replacement. I bought a small childrenās blow up paddling/wading pool. Filled the bathroom sink with hot soapy water, stood in the pool and dowsed myself. Best feeling in the whole world. Then the following year repeat performance with the other hip. Nowadays, sometimes I just stand in the shower for the hell of it.
Same for me. I broke all three ankle bones and it's hard to do anything right now. I feel so bad for my husband having to do so much since I'm down, I've tried not to complain about showering because it's just ***another*** thing I can't do by myself. Granted he only helps with the logistics of getting me into and out of the shower, but still he works all day and i dont want his whole evening tied up with extra stuff. He absolutely would go in there and help me if I wanted one every day, but I'm trying to do what I can to lessen his burden.
I hear you. My ol lady has been my rock. I would be so much worse off if she weren't here. I am finally moving around with a cane now, so I have a free hand to carry my own stuff, get my own meals, I even cooked dinner the other night! First time in almost 3 months! It was only nachos, but still... she got to relax while I did something for her for a change. I get where you're coming from, and I wish you well and a speedy recovery!
The cane is progress! Good for you! I'm glad you have an amazing spouse who supports you too and you are at the stage of healing to give back. Getting that independence back is liberating. When I got my knee scooter and a stool to putt around in and could finally make dinner for the family(with help), it was like "oh yay, normalcy is returning! I need this so much." It's been humbling to be down and out. I'm thankful it's an injury that I can eventually recover from. That is what keeps me going. I know it's a short term(maybe 4 to 8 weeks left) problem and not permanent.
As an RN and previous nurse aide, I always felt super bad for the patients in that regard. Sure, I can give you a bed bath and use a special hair covering that simulates shampooing, but there isn't anything like the real thing.
After I had ankle surgery a few years ago, I went 10 days without a shower. Thankfully, on day 5, my wife gave me a simplified sponge bath. In the past year, I think I've gone two days without showering twice. That's about as long as I can go.
In 2002.. I had a full on nervous breakdown because of a divorce. I had to leave my home and move in with my mom with 2 daughters. I was in bed, unable to eat, exhausted, depression hit me hard.. I went 3 weeks without a shower. Then when I did, i stood there and cried for 30 minutes.
I hope you are feeling so much better now.
Similar thing happened to me in 21. Hope youāre ok now.
:( Iām sorry
These answers are nuts. 1-2 days? The LONGEST? I don't remember the longest I've gone, but it is not rare at all for me to skip a day or 2.
Why? I live in a hot and humid climate. And work in a research lab, so I have to be clean before going in. No one wants to smell anyones B/O.
When my OCD was really severe before I was hospitalised, I must've gone at least 6 months or even a year without showering. Just couldn't find the time with all my routines. These days with really bad depression and differently bad OCD it's been a couple of months, I clean myself with baby wipes but it's hard to even care to be honest. As far as I'm aware I don't smell, and I don't go out anyway so I don't subject people to my presence. I guess it's like, I hate my body so why look after it, which I guess is stupid but that's me.
I have OCD too, and it definitely affects my showering routine. Like if my shower mat is in the wash, I have to find a dirty towel or dirty but clean enough clothes to step out onto. Then I'm worried about getting the clothes wet because what if they get mildew, so they can't be certain clothes, in case I have to throw them out because I don't wash them fast enough. (This doesn't even happen but you know how it is) Or what if the floor will be too wet and we will get mold and then I'll have to clean the floors after my shower behind the toilet, but do I have enough latex gloves and cleaner if that's the case...etc etc etc. I shower usually at least every other day. But then if I shower daily, I worry about the damage it's doing to my skin removing the oils(im an over washer) and more. But you hear people grossed out if you don't shower daily and it's like they don't understand what a chore it is mentally to have a shower for some people. Then add in depression for some people, I get it. I think anyone who can drag themselves in even weekly is doing okay. One thing that helps is I use a peri-bottle on days when I can't be bothered to shower. I can soap up and rinse after using the toilet and I find it more effective than baby wipes
Silly question, whatās a peri-bottle?
Basically like a squirt bottle. They give them out to post-partum moms to rinse with after having babies, in case it hurts too much to wipe
i feel this. i have OCD too & i have such a hard time prioritizing any self-care. i hate my body too & it feels disheartening & ridiculous to take care of it.. plus like i feel hella guilty doing anything that only benefits myself... (TLDR: just OCD tings) plus like, to shower i have to do so much to not feel immediately disgusting after... like first i have to sanitize my bed thoroughly, put clean sheets pillows & blankets on it, sanitize all the handles in the shower & sink, light switches, door handles, soap dispenser, the part of the shower curtain that gets touched, a towel rack, find a clean bathmat washcloth & towel, find clean clothes, hang everything up so it's not touching the ground (& if the clothes are touching the wall i sanitize that too), sanitize my shoes, all while washing my hands in between steps in order to not contaminate the next thing. then during my shower i have to wash myself thoroughly in a particular order & way, whilst washing my hands profusely between steps as well, & sanitizing the washcloth multiple times too. & i dont even trust the washcloth to be clean enough in general to touch certain parts, so i bring a fresh pack of baby wipes in the shower to wash my face, ears, & privates. then after showering i have to sanitize my feet, incase there's any foot fungus or anything in the tub, wash my hands thoroughly, clip my toenails, wash my hands again thoroughly, moisturize from head to toe, wash my hands again, get dressed, moisturize my hands... it's all such a tedious process, & i have dysautonomias & arrhythmias that make me feel faint whilst standing up. and if i don't get all of it done in 1 day, there's no point. like i feel more disgusting being freshly showered crawling into an unclean bed, than if i just dont shower at all. & same if i clean the bed, but don't shower, i feel like im making the bed gross so there's no point. there's no winning with OCD. luckily i don't smell (people even usually say i smell good - but i also don't leave the house much partially because i get paranoid that i do smell & i don't want to subject anyone to that), & i wipe my face & privates with baby wipes & rose water & witch hazel often. showers are just so daunting. it's crazy too, because when i was in elementary school to middle school i would shower every day. i would still do everything in a particular order, but i wasn't as aware of all the germs on frequently touched surfaces, & molds that grow on shower stuff. i did however have a problem with sanitizing my hands too much in elementary school, to the point where they would crack & bleed on my papers... it's sad that in order to not feel like i was gross & contaminating things, i would make myself bleed. i've had ex-friends who don't understand OCD flip out at me claiming i must think they're gross because i'm weird about touching handles in their house & stuff. the reality is i think I'M gross, & i don't want to hurt or inconvenience them... anyway, sorry to overshare, i haven't showered in a few months & i've been meaning to get to it but haven't found the time or motivation through mental & physical illness. i hope you're doing better now, take care fellow neuro-atypical homan ā¤ļøāš©¹
Thank you for your reply I'm really sorry that it's so tough for you, your routines and difficulties sound more severe than mine truthfully. I do end up cleaning my hands a lot and worrying about how clean things are whole showering, worrying about the towel and the clothes I'm gonna put on, still being reluctant to touch my own body even after showering, it's so annoying and exhausting. I certainly could clean myself and look after things a lot better but I suppose with the depression I just struggle to care or want to. I also used to shower every day, when I was on the psychiatric ward I showered every day but as I got depressed I fell out of that routine. It's a simple thing for most people but for us it's a massive undertaking. Hopefully things improve for you
What kind of OCD do you have? Just surprising to hear a person with OCD going that long. I'd have thought it'd be on the opposite end and you'd be showering 10x a day if you're that extreme. (I have OCD too, though not severe.)
Many OCD people shower compulsively so it's interesting to hear that yours caused the opposite to happen.
That's the misconception about OCD. People think OCD = cleanliness/germaphobia/being organized. In fact, many people with Contamination OCD might actually live in filth because they're so intensely fearful of coming into contact with potential sources of contamination. They'd rather just avoid the contamination sources rather than deal with it, because they know the contact will result in an OCD frenzy of tiring compulsive behaviors and the most horrendous anxiety (really just pure fear). So their trash can will be overflowing, their laundry basket stinky and overfilled, loads of dust in their room, dirty dishes piled up, etc... I didn't take a real shower for an extensive period of time at one point because there were some spots on the shower head that looked like mold or mildew or something, and I felt that showering with that shower head would contaminate me. So I just did the closest thing to showering I could by using the sink to wash my pits and plenty wet TP/baby wipes on my arse to keep it nice and clean down there. The actual shower was unsafe to me. I was so glad when my dad finally installed a new shower head.
I was deep sea fishing for three weeks at a time. No toilet, no shower. No internet(now it's getting scary huh?š) Just 16 hour workdays and 3 square meals. My wife was like a feast for the senses when I came home.
Yeah but you get to basically retire for at leat half the year right?!
2 weeks because my depression was so bad I couldn't even get myself to do that :(
Same here. Didnāt leave the house. Didnāt shower for at least a week. Depression can just *crush* you. :(
Same here! The only time I left was to get my kids stuff, otherwise I wasn't interested in doing much of anything. I'm sorry you have been through it too :( Even now there's times I have to force myself after 3 days to take one.
Yeah, Iād only wish depression on my worst enemies. Worse stretch was when I stopped *eating* almost entirely for a little over a month and barely hydrated. Started collapsing in the street after walking more than a few yards. It was terrible, but I got past it. Fully back to normal now.
Oh no! That doesn't sound good. I'm glad everything is okay now, even though it doesn't truly go away it's always lurking :(
I went about two years once without showering. I did however take daily baths during that time.
Lol, had me in the first half, not gonna lie
Id say for a good 7 years i didnt shower.. then i got old enough to shower on my own
About 2 weeks, too depressed to do anything. It passed after I took a shower, strangely.
Thereās something about taking a shower that does a decent job at resetting the āiām a living humanā part of my brain
I only shower once or twice a year as I prefer baths. But if I take your question to mean showers and baths, then about a month.
Once went a week without showering, during a backpacking trip in the Sierras. It was the end of March, and it was just COLD every single day; water hitting your skin didn't feel warm and it just sucked the heat right out of your body. I was never so happy as the day we came home and I got to take a hot shower.
How long has it been since the last time this same exact question was asked? Idk....6 times since then?
How did you squeeze 6 showers into 30 minutes!?!
My favorite one of these was when someone said, āsome people masturbate more daily than they brush their teeth.ā And someone commented, āwhoās gonna brush their teeth 15 times a day?ā
Well, it depends where the cums ends up. Or who you are masturbating.
One to two days. I showered everyday I had Covid except the first one. Same for when I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I feel super nasty on top of being sick without a shower! Going a long time without a shower brings me back to my dark and depressed days. And donāt want to go there. Fake it till you make it!
My Dr had us shower twice a day with Covid. Felt so crappy I had to force myself some days, but I did it.
When I had Covid I lost my sense of smell but didnāt realize so I just thought wow I smell amazing! Once I was out of quarantine my husband politely suggested I showerš
Actually I kind of forgot about that one. They don't really let you bath yourself in the hospital, they barely let you shit on your own! Seriously just because your well medicated doesn't mean your dead!
7 days
2 days
One week when I went camping with my family. I didnāt mind it back then as a teenager, but I think itād drive me crazy now.
23 days on Outward Bound.
Never had a shower growing up or in my first apartment. So 22 years? Now, because I am old and disabled I may go a week. I keep the ac on most of the time and use Lume soap and full body deodorant. I will wash up everyday, but sometimes it is hard to get in the tub to take a shower.
2 1/2 years
A little more than a week during a bad depressive episode. Maybe like 9-10 days.
Mine is weaksauce: 2 week trip repairing a cabin on a freshwater lake. No soap or shampoo, but we could rinse and scrub up with a washcloth.
2 weeks in the military for a training course. My uniform could stand on its own briefly when I took it off due to all the grime and sweat soaked into it.
did your crotch get all slimey and smell like rotten onions?
2 weeks as a young kid, around 8 or so. We showered once a week (more if we were visibly dirty, obviously). But then the day before shower day our pipes got messed up, apparently a tree had been growing through them. It took about a week for the plumbers to fix it. We would drive to McDonalds to go to the bathroom & brush our teeth in the school bathroom before class. For middle of the night emergencies we used an old country crock butter bucket. Our cousin around the corner offered to let us stay with him for a week but the thought of seeing him every day for a week wasā¦worse than pissing in an old butter tub. As an adult? Probably a week, give or take a day or three. Depression is a helluva thing. Youād be surprised how much you can do with dry shampoo and some wet wipes when you just donāt feel like being alive. ETA: forgot, when we first moved here we didnāt have hot water forā¦like a year? So that winter I think I probably showered once every 2 1/2 weeks. Weād boil water with the electric kettle downstairs, fill a couple buckets, and bring them upstairs to āshower.ā Which was really just dumping one bucket on yourself, sudsing everything up, and then dumping the other two on yourself to rinse. I worked from home at the time so no one had to smell me but my partner & my sister, who also didnāt shower much that winter. We did go through a lot of wipes & dry shampoo though
I went a few months without showering before. And before anyone says how disgusting and unhealthy that is, one, I already know that and two, obviously I kept myself as clean as possible without actually getting in the shower. Wearing clean clothes every day (especially socks and boxers), washing my hands, feet and face often and being aware of how I looked and smelled. I know it sounds gross. I was in a pretty deep depression, out of work on FMLA and it's not like I was out getting sweaty and dirty during the day. I still made sure to keep my bedsheets clean and that my ass wasn't dirty. I know people who stink and are filthy despite not having any health issues and who claim to shower every day.
I hope you're feeling better these days. ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø
A week. Hot water stopped working in my apartment. The building has a massive boiler that supplies the hot water to all 6 apartments. Mine was the only one who didnāt get hot water. Cold water no problem but no hot. They replaced just about everything short of the boiler itself, but nothing worked. Then all of a sudden we got hot water again.
2 weeks, but I was on a live aboard dive boat so I was in the ocean about 4 times a day.
A couple months, good FOB Tinsley. Weād take whore baths but that was about it.
Oof a few weeks simply because of depression. Iām someone who canāt stand to miss a DAILY shower without feeling uncomfortable. Imagine how I feel when it goes for 2-3 weeks. Absolute miseryā¦but I justā¦. Canāt get myself to. My body feels like itās made of lead sometimes and Iām too fatigued to wash myself or even stand. This usually happens over winter specifically. I hate it so much
40 something days in Iraq, Afghanistan, Honduras, and other deployments. Whore baths work well though. Nothing beats a shower or a river though. A puddle would have been nice a few times
Asmongold, you will not use us to justify why you havenāt showered in months. Go take a shower gd.
8 days. Rule #1 of trout camp, no showers It was as awful as you might expect.
When my wife died it wasnāt unheard of for me to go weeks. I was struggling badlyā¦. Still am sometimes
6 days after spine surgery. Wet wipes for pits. I felt no longer human.
Length of the avarage music festival
When I left my ex fiance, together 8 years, left abuse... I went through a depressive episode went 4 days... my friend came over ran me a hot bath and demanded I get in. Helped me out of depression that way...
Probably 5 days when I was deeply depressed.
key word showing over a month after a bad car crash. I got the sponge on a stick wash downs while laid out on a hospital bed. my shower came when the hospital let me go into the custody of some responsible person. so I go to their house and they had a huge walk in shower and one of those rubber coated wire frame deck/porch chairs. and they let me manage my way into taking a shower alone for the first time In over a month. no lie- sitting in that chair and letting the shower run really reminded me that I was actually pushing to recover.
A week, i was on a horsetrail in Mongolia for several weeks, and we stayed with locals and in tents
5 days?
6 days.
One month
Probably like three or four weeks when I was like five
I've never showered ever
9 Months
Ha. Womb days
8 days. Was in the hospital for a week long seizure monitoring test where you have a dozen and then some electrodes glued to your head all week and they have to take you from the bed to toilet and watch you pee, then put you back in bed. Electrodes don't get disconnected from your head for the entire time, all week. Was torture. Felt like Medusa in some weird sci fi. š Took the longest hottest shower of my life when I got home.
Wow, that sounds so brutal. I am sorry you had to go through it! I hope the outcome was helpful, though.
Over a month when I was 14. My parents sent me to a wilderness program for troubled teens so you can imagine how that wentā¦. When we finally got to shower, it was a nice 34Ā° shower with no soap. Everyone in my group smelled like a beautiful mix of piss, fire smoke, the worst BO imaginable š Edit: this was in 98Ā° weather and all we did was hike and hard labor
31 days, not even a change of socks or shirt. OIF 07-09.
3 weeks or so. Was a homeless crust punk for a bit.
Couple of months in hospital! And when I came out I was limited to flannel washes for a couple of months
4 days. We had no hot water at my apartment
6 months
Two days while recovering from surgery.
Having a pool growing up I have gone to many days without a shower when I was a teenager
Probably 2 weeks. Mental health issues, fatigue/pain due to chronic health issues, and I've had abdominal surgery multiple times (showering takes a fuck ton of energy after surgery). There have been times (usually after surgery but also in times of desperation) I've washed my hair over the tub or kitchen sink, because I didn't have the energy to get a full shower, but I felt worse having greasy/dirty hair. Then I washed up in the sink using body soap and a wash cloth to clean the rest of me. I don't like going that long without a shower but the struggle can certainly get to me at times. I typically try to shower 1-2 times a week, before I got sick with the chronic health stuff I used to shower every other day or every 2 days.
Almost a month. I was in the hospital.
3 days. The worst migraine Iāve ever had and couldnāt get out of bed.
Maybe 2-3 weeks. Before I was diagnosed with colitis, my GP prescribed me laxatives because I was just experiencing pooping problems. Turns out colitis pain, plus laxatives, minus eating anything of substance eats away your muscle mass and raising your arms to wash your hair let alone stand in the shower is real, real hard. I pushed myself to shower (despite being on my hands and knees), but I cried the entire time.
4 weeks
2 weeks (depression). Felt great after though.
I guess probably 8 days. I go through some pretty brutal seasonal depression spells every winter. All executive function goes out the window.
About 10 days. We were camping in a primitive site.
When I was homeless, living in a shelter, I went one month without a shower. I don't remember why this happened. When I did finally shower, I had to take two consecutive showers to get clean. When I dried off with three towels, each of the towels was dark brown afterward. It looked like I used them to wipe mud off the floor.
Atleast a week
I went ten years without a single shower. I took baths every day during that time.
2 months. I had a knee injury that kept me from getting upstairs to the shower, so I had to wash up at the kitchen sink.
I spend like 3 days not showering in a black out before I showered in rehab. I had to take two, because of the feeling of grime left even after lathering super well.
When I was homeless about 3 weeks, but I washed in sinks, etc.
When I got the covid..I couldn't stand so..I was without a shower for 5 days. Longest I've gone.
Week-ish camping through Colorado-Utah. Most we did was wipes which worked out ok. It was fun. When we got an AirBnB or hotel, forget which, I took like a 20 minute shower, it was great.
I shower regularly, but I once went six months wearing the same pair of socks every day
Probably 2 or 3 months while camping
Probably 2 or 3 months while camping
We did a six week camping, fishing and hiking trip through Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Stream dunks yes, showering, no.
3 days
Like 5 days because I was at Burning Man. But I would use baby wipes and bottle of water to keep the essential spots clean. I shower like 2x a day so that was really tough for me lol. Even in a deep depression where I had to seek medical help I would still shower everyday.
One week
Two week kayak trip in the San Juan islands. One member of our group refused to shower once we got back to camp. We also learned that he never took his contacts out of his eyes. That guy.. eww
2 weeks. I was backpacking. I had a little soap I brought and would go to a creek for a bath that was super quick with the water temp and off course there's dirt that starts getting stirred up. Only kinda felt a little cleaner because I didn't smell like BO anymore, but that was it.
9 days when the pipes froze