Help For Shy Bladder Syndrome – Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket
Shy bladder syndrome, also known as paruresis, is an anxiety issue where you find yourself unable to urinate when there are other people there.
At home you’ll be totally fine, but in social settings, where other people can be there, it all becomes an anxious, stressful struggle. You need to pee, you go into the toilet and if there are others there, you simply can’t. If no one else happens to be there you can go fine. If it is a single, sole person toilet, you’ll be fine. Yet when others are there, it’s like your body freezes. You know you need to urinate but you either have to leave or you have to bide your time until other people have gone, while hoping no one else arrives (which may be impossible in busy places).
For some with shy bladder syndrome, the anxiety is only mild and can be managed. For others the use of public toilets is a constant challenge. You may find yourself watching to check if the toilet is likely to be empty of other people or checking the toilet locations beforehand. The fear of not being able to urinate when others are around can mean you just find it easier to avoid some social situations altogether.
As with all types of anxiety, there are the anxious thoughts and feelings that you have if you are in a situation where you can’t urinate in front of others, despite desperately needing to go. And then there is the anxious anticipation that you may find yourself in a future situation where you may need to go but can’t.
Shy bladder syndrome is a relatively common anxiety issue and one that I have helped many people to overcome. It can strike for men at urinals when someone else is also there, and it can apply to anyone in a public toilet cubicle if someone else is in the room.