Shy Bladder – The Hidden Condition

One of least publicised forms of social anxiety is paruresis or shy bladder. Some people have an total inablity to urinate in public whereas others have a delay or excessive hesitation in starting to urinate.
People may find it challenging or impossible to urinate in front of others, whether it is in their own home or in public. Some people can’t urinate when under time constraints such as a drug screen , when they are watched, or when others are nearby or might hear them.

Shy bladder affects 7% of the public, but as someone who specialises in treating social anxiety I would say this condition generally goes untreated as in the 20 years I have been a psychologist only a handful of people have presented for treatment of their shy bladder. However it may be that male psychologists see more clients presenting with shy bladder due to the very personal nature of this problem

Many people have difficulty urinating in public scenarios, however for men this problem is more difficult as there is the expectation that men will use urinals whereas women use toilet stalls.

Many men do not like urinating in public urinals for fear that they will not be urinate due to stage fright. I was recently made aware of the great paruresis ( shy bladder) workshops held by the Paruresis Association of Australia. This very affordable, low cost weekend includes accommodation and deserves to well publicised to the community as there would be few opportunities In Australia for paruresis sufferers to have graded exposure to urinating in a supportive environment.

http://www.paruresis.org.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=934

WARNING AND DISCLAIMER: This discussion is NOT a substitute for a medical consultation with a doctor.. If you are having trouble urinating, you should always contact a doctor since difficulty urinating can be a symptom of a serious medical condition. You are advised to consult your doctor before diagnosing yourself with paruresis, and seek the appropriate necessary psychological counselling.

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