What is Parauresis? Paruresis is when people find it difficult or impossible to urinate in the presence of others, under the stress of time pressure, when being observed, when others are close by and might hear them, or when traveling on moving vehicles. Recent studies show that about seven percent (7%) of the public, that is 17 million people in the US, may suffer from this social anxiety disorder.
The condition called Paruresis hav many more common names, Paruresis could be called: Shy Bladder, Pee-Shy, Pee-phobia, Urophobia, or Psychogenic Urinary Retention. It all means the same, they all describe the same medical condition.
Yes, anxiety is the key here, it is typhically nothing wrong physically. Paruresis is a psychological disorder that involves the urinary system, a type of social phobia. The person with paruretic, the paruretic, is usually shy and fears being scrutinized or criticized by others when performing in public. For most paruretics an unpleasant experience or group of experiences appear to precipitate the onset of the problem, making the parauretic person beginning to catastrophize, that is, he or she worries about being able to urinate next time he or she is in a similar situation.
Paruresis is also called the Shy Bladder problem, or sometimes referred to as Pee-Shy, Shy-Bladder, bashful bladder syndrome (BBS), bashful kidneys, pee-phobia, urophobia, psychogenic urinary retention, etc.
It is important that you first rule out a medical condition before diagnosing paruresis. Then there are several treatments that could be effective:
This method can be expensive but the therapy could last only a couple of months. The person is usually gradually introduced to the feared situation and over time becomes more comfortable, desensitized, to the fear.
Support groups are usully free and could offer a great deal of advice and training. Regular participation in a group of people with paruresis could offer the person to practice exposure exercises, provide support and encouragement, and discuss the personís experiences and thoughts during the recovery process.
Medications can make the difference between success and failure in recovery for some people, but it is important to combine this type of treatment with CBA or support work groups. This is because the drug is not a magic portion that takes away the disorder, it is only a helper, something that makes it easier for the person afflicted to cure himself or herself faster. Remember that these kind of medication must be prescribed by a doctor with knowledge of the disorder!