Wow Lone,
I could not have said it better myself! You put into words exactly what I was feeling about this whole congenital/acquired debate. When I stumbled upon the congenital anosmia forum, I too spent hours reading the testimonials and discussions. I was actually close to tears when I discovered people who had had the same problems growing up that I did. (And the shame that I had felt when finding out that I was so "different" at the age of 6).
Of course, now, I get entirely pissed off when people who can smell imply that I am somehow not "normal." I always tell them that it may not be normal for them, but it is certainly normal for me. In fact, being on this forum has made it quite clear how lucky I am to have been born this way. It's obvious that many acquired anosmics are in agony over losing their sense of smell. I've heard stories of
depression, almost suicidal, thoughts in relation to losing a sense of smell. I just cannot imagine how devestating that must be, but by reading the testimonials of the people on this site, I am beginning to get an understanding of it.
Kirche
Lone <gram@...> wrote:
Lone <gram@...> wrote:
I am a congenetal anosmic as you may or may not know.
I agree that the problems in the everyday life of an anosmic is the
same regardless of WHY you can't smell, we face the same dangers and
the same problems. However, what you find interesting or importent
about anosmia seems to differ depending on the cause of your anosmia.
Headbangers :) tend to talk a lot about which medicines work best and
about possible cures. On other sites I have wisited (I am not talking
about this one) a lot of people talk a lot about how sorry they are
that they have lost their sense of smell and how terrible they feel.
It probably IS horrible to lose ones sense of smell and I feel very
sorry for people who do so, but as a congenital anosmic I really don't
KNOW what it is like to LOSE your sense of smell and therefore these
conversations are difficult for me to understand. I wouldn't take that
whining quote personally where I you, I don't think it was ment for
this site.
Something congenitals share is the troubles of growing up with
anosmia, the having to figure out what is wrong with you, the not
being belived, the being yelled at by your parents because burned some
food and 'deliberately' didn't cleen up (I could go on and on but i
wil save it for www.anosmia.net :) ) something late arrivals haven't
gone through. The day i found Congenital Anosmia Forum was a great day
for me, I read it all day and didn't get any work done, it was amazing
to read stories written by other people that where so similar to my own.
I to like hearing both sides of our story. It is also nice to be able
to ask questions to people who know what it is like not being able to
smell but still know what smell is. For example, there is an entire
thread on Congenital Anosmia Forum where congenital anosmics discuss
what smell is ... a surreal conversation :)
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