Smells... or just me?

[Nathan Jones]

Hi

(if your stomach is easily turned please skip this post)

Undiagnosed 42yr old Aspie, but, "e-ghads, Mrs Meaker," I really do believe I'm an Aspie!

Anyway, a question on smells as an Aspie trait:

I have always loved my own bodily smells. My sweat, earwax, urine, faeces, everything. To me they are pleasant, relaxing odours to the extent that I can sometimes smell if I'm unwell, as I'll smell unfamiliar. As a child I convinced myself I would recognise the woman of my dreams because when she farted, I would like the smell! Heh. But I love my wife very much, however, and her gaseous releases are very, very unpleasant.

Anyone else?

 

[Warmheart]

I don't like typical "bad" smells. However, my world is a rich, varied symphony of scents. I somewhat identify places and people by scent. Artificial scents overwhelm me. I miss the sweet, gentle, rich scent of my late hubby. I love the scent of fresh cut grass, of lilacs, leather, pine needles warming in the sunshine. My dog's scent goes right to my heart.

Nathan, I guess we're all different! But our sensory awareness is surely different than many people not on the spectrum.

 

[Adora]

Not those scents but I am sensitive to smells which can be good or bad,good because I'm good at guessing notes in perfume (another interest of mine is fragrances) and also like warmheart said my dogs scent is comforting to me also,the bad I cannot stand the smell of certain foods like pork which has an horrible smell to me and I'm sadly the first to smell unpleasant odours.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

I miss the sweet, gentle, rich scent of my late hubby.

That's sweet.

 

[watersprite]

I am also sensitive to smells, for ex. I just dropped my truck off to be worked on, and there is no way I could wait inside there, as the tires and chemical smell was completely overwhelming. So I walked home and will walk back when it is done.
Warmheart. I too remember the soft slightly smoky smell, though he did not smoke, of someone who has died and I miss the rest of him too.
I think my own bodily smells are just neutral, but they are comforting because I can definitely tell when I am getting ill or stressed by my odor. Also whether I am eating right.

 

[Grace13]

I just like to smell my hands... mmmm my hands smell good!

 

[AsheSkyler]

As a child I convinced myself I would recognise the woman of my dreams because when she farted, I would like the smell!

Silly man, everybody knows women smell like roses!

 

[King_Oni]

Silly man, everybody knows women smell like roses!

Which is probably why he'd like the smell in the first place

 

[deathgrip]

Wowee....

Well, I personally have scent oversensories to the point where i will wear a medical mask with a small packet of coffee grounds for public outings.
Aside from the sound and, lightings and havibg lots of distraction, i can smell peoples sweat, BO, diapers, perfume and cologne, urine, etc. i am sure youre all aware. taking the bus snells like dirty unwashed bedding.

at home i can smell when the garbage needs to be taken out, the outside car exaust, if ANYTHING needs cleaning. Actually because of tjese things my house smells like bleach and febreeze quite a bit.
i can smell whwn the dog is,near, shes a clean dog but like anything she does have her own scent (gross cornchips type of smell)
i can smell what my neighbors do if it causes scents. cookibg, smokibg etc.

i clean up a lot. i can smell when my own body is dirty and i dont like it. i also dont like bad breath.
i like the way some people smell. i love how ny daughters head smells, and one big reason i am with my boyfriend is because i like tje smell of his skin and hes pretty well groomed for a guy. i even chased after another girl for a time based on her scent alone.
i also love the smell of newborn babies unless they have dirty diapers lol.

 

[Judge]

I just wish at times I could lower my sense of smell -period.

 

[tree]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperosmia
A word I didn't know until I looked up this subject.

http://ask.metafilter.com/82497/Im-just-too-scentsitive
http://icanyoucanwecan-blog.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-super-powerhyperosmia.html
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/Hyperosmia-treatment/show/457208
People talking about their personal experiences.

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/smelltaste/pages/smell.aspx
This one I include just for 'comic relief.' It doesn't even address
having an acute sense of smell, only lacking the ability to detect
aromas. By 'comic relief,' I mean....irritation value.

Stray item = hyperosmia is associated with Lyme Disease.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Stray item = hyperosmia is associated with Lyme Disease.

I hope that's not true in every case.

 

[Spiller]

To me most smells, like tastes, - are simply what they are, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
Mostly I think that finding a smell/taste good or bad is because of the emotional attachment you have toward it. There are some I enjoy, most I feel neutral about, a few I dislike. I've noticed that I've completely lost interest in something I might have liked if it becomes associated with an unpleasant event:
- When I was married I used to luuurve the smell and taste of Christmas pudding with cream.. since my divorce I'm totally indifferent to it; I've had a pud and a can of cream in my larder for 5 years, I look at it with curiosity occasionally, but there it sits, utterly unfancied.
- I really dislike bad breath - I had to deal with any number of clients with halitosis over 25 years and, for the sake of some mouthwash or a mint, it's a completely unnecessary torture to inflict on me for 2 hours!
It's the only thing I nag my kids for and I have bottles of mouthwash everywhere as I'm paranoid about it now.

 

[Carnelian]

There's a scientific reason people sometimes like their own body smells.

Basically,

Your body pumps in a pleasure chemical when you're confronted with your own (and possibly a dependent loved one such as a child) smells so you'll be able to properly take care of yourself and possibly said dependent loved one.

A similar pleasure chemical also is secreted when a woman gives birth so the pain doesn't make her hate the baby.

So, I wouldn't say it's weird.