Social Anxiety Support

anotherone · 10-04-2009, 06:47 PM

This is extremely embarrassing to post about, but I'm so frustrated and tired of dealing with it on my own.

Does anyone else have problems going to the bathroom in certain places or certain situations? There's just something about certain places or situations that I just can not go, no matter how bad I have to go! There's one place in particular that I have this problem at and I'm there on a fairly regular basis. At first, I could go as long as everyone else was outside, but I've gotten to where I can't even do that now. The other night I had to go so bad I thought my bladder was going to explode and I finally managed, after a lot of difficulty, to go.

I used to have this problem and it happened around the time my SA got bad, so I'm fairly certain it's related to my SA somehow. Any advice on how to deal with it? Like I said, I go (or not lol) there on a regular basis and it's such a pain to have to worry about whether or not I'll be able to go or if I'll have to sit there uncomfortably until I can get to somewhere that I can.

John_in_SF · 10-05-2009, 06:13 PM

I don't have trouble in certain places, but just about EVERY place except my home. Inability to urinate around others is a classic social phobia. And it's one that feeds on itself insatiably. Once that performance anxiety gets going, and you're certain everyone is paying attention to you and wondering what's wrong, there's no way you can pee. So you experience another failure and the next time gets even harder!

The Americans With Disabilities Act has actually helped me a lot because there are more solo restrooms around. I can usually go if I'm locked in there alone and I don't hear people just outside the door. But one handle-rattle and I'm stopped cold.

Some people use distraction. Occasionally that works for me—doing long multiplication in my head, for example. Sufferers who have it REALLY bad learn how to catheterize themselves. Ick.

If there's any cure, it's through the classic phobia treatment: progressive desensitization. Check the 'net and you'll actually find a lot of material about shy bladder, pee-shyness, enuresis. (All names it goes by.)

10-04-2009, 06:47 PM	#1 (permalink)
anotherone Status: SAS Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 51	Shy bladder? This is extremely embarrassing to post about, but I'm so frustrated and tired of dealing with it on my own. Does anyone else have problems going to the bathroom in certain places or certain situations? There's just something about certain places or situations that I just can not go, no matter how bad I have to go! There's one place in particular that I have this problem at and I'm there on a fairly regular basis. At first, I could go as long as everyone else was outside, but I've gotten to where I can't even do that now. The other night I had to go so bad I thought my bladder was going to explode and I finally managed, after a lot of difficulty, to go. I used to have this problem and it happened around the time my SA got bad, so I'm fairly certain it's related to my SA somehow. Any advice on how to deal with it? Like I said, I go (or not lol) there on a regular basis and it's such a pain to have to worry about whether or not I'll be able to go or if I'll have to sit there uncomfortably until I can get to somewhere that I can.

10-05-2009, 06:13 PM	#2 (permalink)
John_in_SF Status: Good grief Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Francisco, California Gender: Male Posts: 261	I don't have trouble in certain places, but just about EVERY place except my home. Inability to urinate around others is a classic social phobia. And it's one that feeds on itself insatiably. Once that performance anxiety gets going, and you're certain everyone is paying attention to you and wondering what's wrong, there's no way you can pee. So you experience another failure and the next time gets even harder! The Americans With Disabilities Act has actually helped me a lot because there are more solo restrooms around. I can usually go if I'm locked in there alone and I don't hear people just outside the door. But one handle-rattle and I'm stopped cold. Some people use distraction. Occasionally that works for me—doing long multiplication in my head, for example. Sufferers who have it REALLY bad learn how to catheterize themselves. Ick. If there's any cure, it's through the classic phobia treatment: progressive desensitization. Check the 'net and you'll actually find a lot of material about shy bladder, pee-shyness, enuresis. (All names it goes by.)