For people who have trouble urinating in bathrooms (shy bladder)
For over 40 years, I had great difficulty urinating in a bathroom if anyone was in close proximity.
As a result, I missed out on all kinds of fun activities and opportunities - anything that involved sharing a bathroom with others or being away from home for an extended period of time.
I coped by not drinking any liquids, retaining my urine all day until I found a "safe" bathroom, and eventually by learning to self-catheterize. Travel was next to impossible. I felt so embarrassed and, above all, so alone and isolated.
The help I sought from physicians and mental health specialists was insufficient - no one seemed to know what to do or how to treat me. I encountered ignorance, skepticism, or denial.
Years later, through an Internet-based Discussion Board, I discovered that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was effective in treating people with this kind of social anxiety disorder. Combined with support group work and the regular practice of desensitization exercises, I gradually recovered.
I want everyone to know that this is a legitimate condition commonly referred to as Shy Bladder Syndrome and medically as Paruresis. With a sincere desire and commitment to change, I think that, for those without a physiological component, almost anyone can overcome this debilitating disorder.
Carol Olmert
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For people who have trouble urinating in bathrooms
For over 40 years, I had great difficulty urinating in a bathroom if anyone was in close proximity.
As a result, I missed out on all kinds of fun activities and opportunities - anything that involved sharing a bathroom with others or being away from home for an extended period of time.
I coped by not drinking any liquids, retaining my urine all day until I found a "safe" bathroom, and eventually by learning to self-catheterize. Travel was next to impossible. I felt so embarrassed and, above all, so alone and isolated. The help I sought from physicians and mental health specialists was insufficient - no one seemed to know what to do or how to treat me.
Years later, through an Internet-based Discussion Board, I discovered that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was effective in treating people with this kind of social anxiety disorder. Combined with support group work and the regular practice of desensitization exercises, I gradually recovered.
I want everyone to know that this is a legitimate condition commonly referred to as Shy Bladder Syndrome and medically as Paruresis. With a sincere desire and commitment to change, I think that, for those without a physiological component, almost anyone can overcome this debilitating disorder.
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