Posted by Mike on 1/6/2009, 12:22 am, in reply to "Re: First time user!"

I've just discovered this site and I'm really pleased that clearly there's enough support from this forum (and other websites) to help us get over this. This crashing realisation resulted from a situation that happened last night in the pub toilets when someone jokily (?) referred to someone else as having 'a shy bladder' so I decided to google that phrase today and discovered how common it is. I'm 34 as well, and my first concious experience of paruresis (as I can now confidently refer to it as, which is a positive step in itself) was when I was 13. Like one of the other posters here, for me the issue improves and worsens generally in line with my stress/confidence levels. I've been able to go for a wee during half-time at twickenham surrounded by thousands of people during the rugby but other times (often when there's just one or two people) in a pub toilets I lock up - and that's bad when you've had a couple of pints! Recently it has come to the point that I have to think strategically about my toilet visits at work (so evidentally not as bad as some here, but serious enough for me) and I finally decided the situation needed rectifying. I'll read the posts here, sort out a CBT session (my partner has used CBT for something else with great success) and see what happens. I'm really looking forward to being able to wee at ease!

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