Now let’s talk about this foul smell from a scientific perspective. When you remain in a state of stress 24/7, your body releases hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline, which can lead to excessive sweating and hence a foul, pungent smell. You may ask me, what are you even talking about? They are not the ones who are stressed; they create stress for others. Absolutely, you are correct. But fundamentally, these are human beings as well. They may think they are godlike, but the reality is they have bodies, and bodies come with flaws. So what happens is they remain in a state of rage. Anger is their go-to emotion, and evidence has shown that one anger outburst can force your body to release excessive cortisol, which can take seven days to normalize. The amount of cortisol released by just one anger outburst—compare that with the narcissist’s anger. They are angry all the time; it’s like breathing to them. Everything triggers it, passive or overt, it does not matter. Anger is the only emotion they feel and express openly. Why? Because it helps them to dominate others and to exert control or to manipulate others. So if somebody remains in this state of stress and rage, wouldn’t their body be a home to these stress hormones? Even though they know how to put on a facade of being the calmest person, that is not their reality. Within them, they are shaking. They just know how to camouflage well. They know how to shape-shift well. They know how to hide it. The truth is, deep down, they are shivering.
How can I say so? What evidence do I have for that? Well, I’ve talked to so many narcissists accidentally in a one-on-one setting, and I have heard the same thing: “I may pretend to be really strong, but deep down, if I were to acknowledge my true state, I would say I remain afraid and I feel stressed as well.” The stress is about what? About maintaining the image, about maintaining that reputation, about manipulating you, gaslighting, lying, truth-twisting, creating narratives. All of that requires energy. Of course, they get it from you empirically, but still, it needs work. So that’s one of the reasons, one of the explanations behind that smell, that foul smell which may come from their mouth as well. Stress leads to dry mouth condition, and if there is no moisture in your mouth, of course, it’s going to smell. The same thing may be seen in victims of narcissistic abuse—excessive sweating and body odor problems. But that is an entirely different thing; the two cannot be compared. Other mental health conditions like schizophrenia, because of excessive cortisol and serotonin production, can lead to body smells, body odor. That is an entirely different thing.
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