To most people, believing you smell when you don't would
probably seem like less of a problem than oozing a foul BO without
noticing.
But for those suffering from olfactory reference syndrome -- a
false belief that you smell bad -- the delusion can have serious
consequences.
So serious, in fact, that psychiatrists are now considering
whether it should have its own entry in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- the bible for assessing
mental woes.
"I think it's a very secret and hidden disorder, because these
patients tend to be very ashamed of themselves," Dr. Katharine
Phillips, of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, told
Reuters Health. "I have been so struck by the intense suffering
that the patients experience."
Phillips, who presented her findings Tuesday in New Orleans at
the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, said as many
of two-thirds of her patients had thought about suicide.
Many stay at home -- repeatedly sniffing themselves, showering,
and washing their clothes -- because they are too ashamed to go
out, thinking their mouth, armpits or genitals reek.
At this point, nobody knows how common olfactory reference
syndrome is.
"Most people haven't heard about it even though it's been
described for over a century" said Phillips. But because those who
suffer from it tend to isolate themselves, "it may not be a rare
disorder."
An early study from the 1970s suggested that as many as 5
percent of people with the disorder may commit suicide. While that
number -- higher than for any other mental illness -- hasn't been
confirmed, Phillips says it warrants attention.
The delusions seem to set in during a person's teens. Many of
Phillips' patients had tried and failed non-medical therapy and
it's unclear at the moment what drugs work.
"I think there is a real need for treatment studies of this
disorder," Phillips said.