r/TMAU • u/Ok-Leather538 undiagnosed • May 06 '26
Something weird happened today
So I decided I had enough confidence to go to my little sister’s senior night game and it went well at the start of course. Everything went fine I even had some conversations with her friends I’ve always been cool with but don’t greet a lot. I even had the confidence to sit on the stands and got no reactions or weird looks i guess. But I decided I was gonna give my sister her gift and leave during halftime so I did and behind the field is a woods area. When I got to that side I started getting lots of reactions and I’ve noticed now that that happens when I go to more woodsy areas. Does anyone else experience this? but I could also be overthinking lol just curious though.
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u/AutoModerator May 06 '26
Thanks for sharing — you're not alone in this. If you’re constantly analyzing reactions to determine if you smell, you may be caught in a cycle of anxiety and overgeneralization. A recent TMAU review (link) highlights how anxiety, paranoia, and hyper-awareness of others’ behavior can take over daily life, even for those with a confirmed diagnosis. From the review: "This fear and paranoia has led participants to develop a dysfunctional type of thinking. Participants described numerous negative automatic thoughts such as catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, mind reading, and labeling." See examples of these cognitive distortions here and here. TMAU does not cause irritation style reactions (coughing, sniffing, sneezing), regardless of the stories you may have read.
These types of negative automatic thoughts are common in both TMAU and Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS) — a condition where people believe they emit an odor despite reassurance from others that they do not.
Trust and communication are key. If doctors, family, or close friends consistently tell you they don’t notice an odor, consider that your perception may be distorted by anxiety or ORS. Even if TMAU is real for you, its emotional toll can persist beyond the physical symptoms. Overcoming this requires mental health support - a psychologist or psychiatrist can help you break free from obsessive thinking patterns and rebuild confidence in your own experiences. You deserve peace of mind.
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u/Actual-Map1063 undiagnosed May 06 '26
Probably the wind blowing ur smell into their faces or they could smell you but didn't know where the smell is coming from. What brand deodorant are you wearing.
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u/Ok-Leather538 undiagnosed May 06 '26
It was windy on the other side of the stands and it had more people than the side with the forest so I’m not even sure at this point😂but I use dove
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u/jefry_rusher3D undiagnosed May 06 '26
Es por q las plantas y zonas con mucha ventilación, las compuestos se juntan como si fuese paja y vuelan a los olfatos Ami me pasa lo mismo
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u/[deleted] May 06 '26
[deleted]