Paruresis: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

The Paruresis Is a psychological disorder that prevents or hinders urination in public or private restrooms, especially if other people are nearby.

If you have paruresis, you will avoid going to the bathroom in restaurants, discos, airports or other public places, where it is highly probable that there are other People urinating at your side, even if there is a screen in between.

Paruresis

Even if your case is severe, you will avoid going to the bathroom in a family home, or in your own home if you have visitors.

Changes in urination may vary depending on the degree of paruresis. Some people suffer a longer or shorter wait for the onset of urination (Mild paruresis) and others can not directly urinate (severe paruresis).

What causes paruresis?

What happens is this: people affected by this disorder feel a lot of stress and anxiety When they have to urinate in public toilets or Private, when they have other people nearby.

This anxiety prevents or hinders the voluntary sphincter of the urethra from relaxing, and therefore, it also makes it difficult or prevents urine output.

Some researchers believe that paruresis could be a special manifestation of social phobia .

Problems with urination near other people usually begin at puberty, following a traumatic experience, of great stress, or of a Extremely shy and introverted personality, With low self-esteem Y Inferiority complex .

It is also possible that their parents or other persons have made them feel very ashamed, that they have suffered bullying in the bathroom, or that they have suffered Sexual abuse.

Many people who have been through this type of situation have not developed paruresis, which indicates that there are also other factors that influence, such as It could be a physical or psychological predisposition.

Whatever the case, after the traumatic situation caused by the disorder or the first bad experience when wanting to urinate in a public service, the Subconscious relationship relates these negative emotions to the fact of urinating in the presence of other people.

Thus, whoever suffers from paruresis begins to avoid public restrooms and the problem is maintained or worsened if proper treatment is not followed.

In a large number of cases, those affected by this disorder think that the other people present near them in the bathroom are watching them or They will make fun of them.

On the other hand, many people are ashamed to talk about this problem because they feel they will not be understood.

But remember, it is a very common problem (believed to affect 10% of the population), so there are millions of cases around the world and most They have healing. Surely yours too, and you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Symptoms of paruresis

These are some of the common behaviors in people with paruresis:

  • They avoid urinating in public toilets.

  • They also avoid urinating in private baths or in your own home, if there are other people nearby.

  • They avoid drinking liquids when they have to leave home.

  • Noises, odors, and lack of visual privacy inhibit urination.

If you have trouble urinating, of course you should consult your doctor and rule out any organic problems such as a urinary tract infection, Renal lithiasis or prostate problems in the case of men.

But basically, if you can pee without problems in the privacy of your home but you have difficulties doing it in a public bath, then You are likely to have paruresis.

Negative consequences of paruresis

If you have this problem, you have probably already begun to avoid certain situations, such as long trips for example.

If you are not able to pee other than your home, you may start avoiding social gatherings and going out to a restaurant or movie theater. example.

Or maybe you urinate before leaving home, then when you have to go out you do not drink almost any liquids and you can not wait to go back Back to your home.

But this is not good for your health: surely these situations cause you much stress and anxiety.

So if you have paruresis (a condition also known as"shy bladder"or"urinary psychogenesis"), it is best to start looking for a solution Today.

Treatments to cure paruresis

Fortunately, paruresis can be cured in most cases. These are the two most effective treatments.

  1. Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Some studies indicate that 8 or 12 sessions of this type of therapy, or a one-week workshop helps 4 out of 5 people with paruresis.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is a treatment that combines two aspects.

The first is the cognitive aspect of the problem. The person who has paruresis often believes that others will watch or mock them While urinating.

Do not forget that this condition is considered a form of social phobia. Social phobics are very sensitive to the noises and smells that they themselves Produce and when they have to urinate near other people, they fear being criticized for this.

During sessions of cognitive psychological treatment the therapist tries to banish these irrational fears and replace the negative thoughts By more rational positive ideas.

The second aspect is behavioral. It is a matter of modifying the behavior of the person through the gradual exposure, so that To dominate the anxiety And urinate in a public restroom, as explained below.

  1. Facial Exposure Therapy

Some people do not need cognitive therapy, especially if the paruresis they suffer is mild.

Simply with Exp. To the object of their fear and see that they succeed in urinating close to other people and that nothing bad happens, the symptoms Begin to disappear.

Ideally, this exposure should be guided by a psychotherapist, especially in cases of severe paruresis.

But if your symptoms are not too intense, then maybe you can beat the anxiety yourself, without any additional therapy, and so you can We will give you some tips:

  • First, Drink plenty of fluids before you start , Preferably water.

  • When you feel Exp. , It will be time to start with the gradual exposure.

  • Start by trying to pee in a private bathroom, In your home or that of a relative, knowing that there are other people near the bathroom door (you will need the help of a friend or relative to this.)

  • Try to urinate for at least three to four seconds.

  • If you can not do this, ask the other person to walk away from the bathroom door.

  • Try to relax by breathing deeply.

  • Give yourself time. Sometimes urination may be slow to start. If more than four minutes pass, then get out of the bath, rest a little and then try.

  • If you manage to urinate, try to make as much noise as possible, Because the noise is what many parureéticos fear that other people listen. Do not open the sink faucet to hide your noises.

  • When you are successful urinating in a private bathroom knowing that there is a person on the other side of the door, it is time to take the next step.

  • The next thing is to try to pee with your friend or relative closer to the door or even being inside the bathroom with you, as you go Tolerating.

  • If you do not have anyone who can help you , You can also start your treatment in public restrooms that are not very crowded, then pass, as you go succeeding, to bathrooms Public with more people.

You should practice this treatment frequently, if you can several times a week and for the time needed.

Ideally, each"session"lasts about one hour and includes 15 or 20 attempts to urinate with people nearby. So at first we advised you Drink plenty of fluids before you start.

You can also drink fluids during each session, to always have the sensation of wanting to urinate urgently.

If one day you succeed and the next day you do not get or you have a hard time urinating, do not worry, the swings in the results are normal.

One more tip before finishing this section: do not go too fast, go slowly exposing yourself to the closeness of people and public baths more Crowded.

And remember: if you also have problems urinating at home, you need to consult a doctor urgently, it could be an infection or a Obstruction of the urinary tract.

Curiosities about paruresis

  • Apparently, Hundreds of workers in the United States may have lost their jobs due to paruresis , When they are Asked to obtain a urine sample in the presence of a control for a random drug test of abuse, and were unable to obtain it.

  • The International Paruresis Association Is the only one that works internationally for this condition to be better known. It organizes workshops and leads support groups in more than ten different countries. There are also many forums on the internet where people affected Share important information.

  • In 1975 researchers Bill Rees and Debbie Leach described Three types of discomfort in public toilets: visual, Olfactory and auditory. Women were more upset about the noises, while men are more intimidated by what they see.

The results of these studies were published in the Journal of the American College Health Association.

  • In the Middle Ages paruresis was already known , Although it was believed that it was a spell that left impotent to the enemies, or incapable to expel its urine.

  • Paruresis may not be a problem for you. Some people may not urinate in a urinal under certain conditions, but in a toilet, and this is not a problem for those people. But other people are the same and consider that they have a serious disability, feel that their life is worth less because of that.

If you have difficulty urinating under certain conditions but this does not affect your life most often, then paruresis may not be a problem for you.

  • Did you know that paruresis can improve if you boost your self-esteem? Some experts think that people with fears and phobias often give a certain"power"to the object of their phobia, a power they believe not To overcome.

Then, when the person improves self-confidence, the object of their fear loses strength, loses their power, and symptoms improve or disappear.

Paruresis on TV

Reference has been made to this condition in many famous TV series. In NCIS Los Angeles , Eric confesses that he has difficulty urinating in public when he is notified that he must carry a microphone in a Mission concealed.

The character Mitchell de Modern Family Recognizes a chapter that has"shy bladder"and that therefore, can not urinate in any
site.

And the most comical of all: in Two and a Half Men, Charlie can not pee in front of his girlfriend, although she was waiting next to the
Door, outside the bathroom. "I can not do it under such pressure,"Charlie said. But then his girlfriend sings"the song of the pee"that his mother taught him and This is very helpful. "It's working!"Charlie shouted.

In short, do not let paruresis dominate your life and fill you with fears and traumas. There are millions of people in the world who have your same problem and Are working to overcome it.

Use the gradual exposure exercises described above or seek professional help, until paruresis is no longer a problem and you can urinate Freely when and where you feel like it.

References

  1. Image source.


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