Personal hygiene

So I’m a 32 year old aspie and my personal hygiene sucks!

I rarely brush my teeth, never wash, wear the same underwear for days at a time, same lounge wear for a weak or more and rarely shower. The thing is I can’t figure out the reason for this, to me I just don’t want to do it but there has to be a reason why, not only to make it easier for me and my family to understand but also I recently got declined for pip and I think it’s because I can’t explain the route cause of the issue. 

I’ve got theories that maybe it’s this ‘Priorities list’ thing I hear us autistics do (think my list goes, Xbox, do nothing, do nothing and more doing nothing and more Xbox) or inertia or procrastinating or depression and avoidance. To me though all i know and feel is I just don’t want to or the thought of doing does not even come to mind. The latter is not something to be used in a pip application and I truly believe it’s more than that.

The funny thing is I do know the reason why I clean when I do which is not often and I’m sorry if this is inappropriate to say but I clean when there’s an intention to be intimate with my wife or if I’m being forced to go out in public I’ll brush my teeth, change clothes, spray and that (sometimes still no shower if going out though). Or like a previous job in the local steel works I showered at the end of every day, in the work place, in work time(getting paid to do it, also finish any work tasks earlier to shower). 

I don’t necessarily want to change this habit but just understand the reason for it, but maybe improving my hygiene wouldn’t be a bad thing either. 

  • When I was a kid I hated brushing  my teeth washing my hair having my ears cleaned or basically washing anywhere up until I was about 13 after this I seemed to grow out of it, now I've gone the other way. on the other hand there was a girl in my class with really bad BO, that may have made me change, also I have a way over sensitive sense of smell, i'll smell things a long time before others do so I'm a bit OTT with cleanliness now, the thought of anybody not brushing their teeth or using mouthwash just makes me want to gag, bad morning breath is the worst....Mask

  • Thanks for your response, I will try to do what you suggest and see how it goes. 

  • I'm awful at brushing my teeth, and simply don't always remember/realise I need to put some clean clothes on. I just think my brain doesn't flag it up like I should, and when it does it's almost like it's mentally too much effort to plan and go through all the steps to put it into action...so I just don't?

    What about giving yourself some 'rules' and making some of the things part of your routine. That is pretty much how I deal with it-it's still a challenge, but I manage to at least appear to be a fully functioning adult that can take care of themselves most of the time. For example, I have a shower on Mondays and Thursdays, and I make sure I brush my teeth in the shower-I keep a toothbrush in my wash bag with my shampoo and shower gel-so at least they get brushed then (since I'm spotty with it at other times). I have a 'rule' that I change my top every other day and trousers once a week. Also there's lots you can do to make it easier on yourself. I have a baby wipe wash in between showers (I know they're no good for the environment but I tried going more environmentally friendly and it adds too many steps) and use them to wash my face morning and night. I chew sugar free gum after meals when I can, and I keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in my office (and then if my brain does flag up that I haven't brushed my teeth, I can do it right then rather than having it as a task for later and then getting home and not remembering). I've recently started placing my deodorant by the door so I am likely to happen upon it as I leave and use it (that seems a successful strategy and have also gone through periods where I keep one in my bag as well).