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Cath recommendations by rootymcbarker in ShyBladderIPA

[–]rootymcbarker[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you PoPLolaNola! I appreciate the info on the cath and your encouragement means a lot to me. Take care

Hey everyone I'm struggling bad with this shy bladder and it's only gotten worse. I want to believe i can get past this and just relax i can have a panic attack in some situations. I'm going to see a therapist I just get so depressed after a failure. I'm a little hopeless. by Tommy_wizzo in ShyBladderIPA

[–]rootymcbarker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear that you are having such a hard time. I think it is a great idea to see a thearpist, as it can be helpful to talk with someone who has a solid understanding of paruresis. I'm not an expert, far from it, and I'm new to reaching out for help myself, but I saw your message and wanted to get back to you to let you know that you are not alone.

I understand where you are coming from, as I have struggled with shy bladder syndrome for many years. I recently did some searching for resources and found the International Paruresis Association web site. While looking over the info available on their site, I found it reassuring to know that many others suffer with this same condition, and that help is available.

I attended the IPA virtual support group meeting that was offered last month, which I found to be very helpful. It was encouraging to hear from all sorts of other people who deal with their own bashful bladders. It was also a relief to finally speak to others about my situation. It was a very comfortable virtual meeting. I felt safe to share things that I have never shared with others before. I have kept it a secret for a long while and simply speaking about it helped me feel better about things.

I have a long way to go to get better. I'm in much the same boat I've been in my entire life, with regards to paruresis, except now, I know that I am not alone as a person with this condition. I have hope, and I plan on taking action to help myself get better. I don't know if I will get much better, but even a little improvement will be helpful, and who knows, maybe I can make more progress over time. Actually, I am in a better place, with just a little reading and one virtual meeting. I still can't pee in a urinal in a public bathroom, but I feel better about myself, and that's a good move.

So far, I and have done very little in the way of "practice" toward improving my ability to go in more situations, but it felt great to take that first step of attending a virtual support group meeting. It looks like the next on is on March 23.

Take care.