Taking Long Showers May Reveal Mental Illness, Experts Say

Technically speaking, we’re only meant to spend five to 10 minutes in the shower ― any longer, and we risk drying out our skin, dermatologists say.

But let’s be real with ourselves here; elaborate haircare routines, shaving, and simply enjoying a warm shower can all keep us under the steamy stream for longer.

Still, some people take it to extremes. In a recent post shared to r/AskReddit, site user u/fabulous_Island_5621 asked: “people who shower for 30+ minutes, wtf you be doin in there?”

A lot more responses than we’d expected referenced depression, dissociation, and crying ― one commenter joked they were “trying to wash off the stench of failure.”

Not every response may have been serious. Still, it raised a question we thought we’d bring to Dr Mosun, consultant psychiatrist at Cassiobury Court, and licensed counsellor Emma Kobil of Mindful Counselling ― though many of us know mental health issues can make it harder to shower, can spending too long in there reveal problems too?

Sometimes, yes

Both experts agreed that long showers aren’t a sign of mental health issues in and of themselves.

“Warm water can feel comforting on our bodies and the isolation can give us a break from the constant stimulation we are exposed to,” Kobil told us.

“Sometimes, the shower may feel like only space where we can cry or let our guard down,” which can sometimes be very healthy.

But the pair also agreed that struggling to move from one task to the next ― including going from showering to, say, drying yourself off ― can be hard for people with mental health concerns.

“Spending an unusually long time in the shower can sometimes be a subtle sign of underlying mental health struggles,” Dr Mosun said.

“Many people with depression, for example, find that even the thought of showering feels like a huge effort… So, when they do manage to get in, they might linger.”

Kobil added: “When we experience a lot of stress, overwhelm, or unprocessed trauma ― especially for long periods of time ― our nervous system may shift into what’s called a dorsal vagal state, where it freezes or shuts down.”

According to the therapist, this state can make it “exhausting or impossible to move from one task to the next ― so getting out of the shower takes far more energy than it would normally.”

Showering for extended periods of time may also sometimes be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder ― especially if you have strict “rules” for showering or feel compelled to spend very long in there.

When should I worry about taking long showers?

“The warning signs to look out for, I would say, would include whether long showers are accompanied by other changes in daily habits,” Dr Mosun told HuffPost UK.

For the expert, these changes include “avoiding some day to day responsibilities that have become simply too overwhelming (e.g. brushing teeth, personal grooming and so on), struggling to get out of bed, sleeping well but still feeling fatigued or withdrawing from loved ones.”

Kobil, meanwhile, gave us five “warning signs that longer showers might be linked to mental health struggles,” which include:

Feeling emotionally numb or “checked out” while showering (this can also look like not remembering all or part of the shower)
A sense of dread or difficulty motivating yourself to get out of the shower
Using the shower as a main escape from daily life or as your main coping mechanism
Crying often while in the shower but not feeling relief afterwards
Avoiding other forms of self-care or social connection.

If you’re worried about your mental health, it may be worth speaking to a professional.

Help and support:

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.