Table 4.

Bullying, harassment, ostracism and negative experiences

‘I have received insults, bullying, they have kicked me out of shops, neighbours have thrown stones to my windows and broke them or shout to me in street.’

‘Awful comments, people leaving immediately where I enter, complaining about me, spraying air freshener behind me.’

‘ostracism at work, name calling, people moving to another table in café.’

‘At work they spray air freshener when I pass. My family avoids inviting me to family gatherings and they talk behind my back that I smell very bad.’

‘Ostracised by work colleagues. Friends stopped inviting me out so I’ve lost many social contacts. Upsetting loud comments made on public transport and in shops by strangers.’

‘Trains, buses, people commenting on the smell and moving upstairs on the bus or away from me on trains. People crossing the street to avoid me.’

‘Regularly stressed at work in anticipation of an episode. I have drastically reduced by social life. Am highly anxious when I do go out with friends.’

‘Friends no longer want to hang out, it’s just awful’

‘Being treated as ‘unclean’, losing jobs’

‘Bullying at college. An episode in a restaurant which has cause me now to suffer with PTSD.’

‘Bullied from a young age for having Bad breath, at school no one wanted to be my friend. At work no-one wanting to sit next to me at lunchtime. Laughing behind my back, unable to express myself and unable to progress in my job, I have left work now.’

‘People spraying air freshener in the office around me whilst I’m sitting in my chair. People deliberately not sitting next to me. People blurting out random remarks relating to odour and smell in meetings. People coughing, closing their nose, giving angry looks. Being referred to as stinky.’

‘People in public transports next to me saying I smell like fish and laughing or making faces. To travel is really stressful for me. To be in a queue at the supermarket is stressfull. The enviroment at work would cause me not to be able to focus, go to the toilet to cry and to have a constant stress. My own ‘friends’ at high school making fun of me about this. People on highschool saying straight to me I should shower. I went to three different highschools, same results on the three of them - jokes, disgust faces, people who would be rude for no apparent reason, etc. This cause me two years of absolute depression not wanting to meet anyone or come out of bed or my home. For this I gave up two years of my studies.’

‘It was often commented on at school. I was also bullied a lot. I was repeatedly called into the manager’s office at work and told to do something about the smell. I have been asked if I shower, if I know how to shower properly and even if I knew I had to use soap.’

‘I’ve had people whispering and talking about me at work. Some just blatantly say that the place is stinking or there’s a fishy smell. I’ve had people call me names. I’ve had to change jobs lots of times because I can’t cope with the comments. I’ve had strangers make comments about my smell. It takes over your whole life and you end up constantly watching for people’s facial expressions or looks that they give to each other, or the whispered comments.’

‘Systematic bullying by co-workers, disrespect and negative comments from colleagues.  Offensive comments from friends relating to personal hygiene issues.’

‘It has affected me in so many areas of my life and the experiences have stopped me completing, pursuing or trying things that are essential to progress in life and to be a healthy human being ie education, employment, relationships, social interactions, mental health to name a few.’