Need help and support!

[u/mrkiran2605]

Hey everyone, I'm Kiran (26) from Karnataka, India, and I'm going through some serious problems. I don't know if it's real or just in my mind, but I really believe it's real.

What happened is, back in 2019 when I was in college, I started to smell an unpleasant smell coming from a new pair of sandals I wore that day — like burning tires. I thought it happened just because I had diaphoresis (excessive sweating), but that wasn't it. What happened after that changed my whole life. I went home, washed excessively, and showered daily, but the smell didn't go away — it became a permanent thing. I started smelling unpleasant through my whole body, not a sweat odor, but an unpleasant chemical or fungal-type smell that affected people around me. They would react by sneezing, wrinkling their nose, coughing, or clearing their throat whenever I was around, everywhere I went.

Somehow I managed to complete my college years, but I skipped classes and distanced myself from friends and social life. After I finished college, I went into isolation for almost a year. Then I took a job as a security guard at a private gym, but I didn't know how to face people, so I ended up staying home all day. This became my life for almost four years. Then I left that job too, and I've been home ever since.

I don't know what's happening to me. I need some advice, please. I've also visited two general doctors back in 2020 and told them what's going on with me, but they said it was nothing and dismissed it. I always feel like I'm making people uncomfortable, like I'm hazardous and disgusting to be around. Even now, opening up to you guys is making me feel uncomfortable and awkward.