Posted by Ali on 1/7/2009, 11:27 am, in reply to "London Beginners Workshop"
Message modified by board administrator 1/7/2009, 3:43 pm

Hi guys! Well, i'll start with a background of my problem pre-workshop. I had trouble going whenever anyone was in earshot, or if i had a time constraint, such as people waiting for me, or even if anyone was just aware that i had gone to the toilet, even with a cubicle or toilet door closed and locked. This was obviously affecting my life massively. I would be constantly second guessing when i needed to go, making it more stressful, and always quickly trying to go when i thought it might be an opportune moment, without a decent urgency, resulting in constant 'misfires', i.e. times i couldn't go. Now considering i went from that, in one and a half days of a gradual desensitisation process i walked into a busy service station and calmly used a urinal. It felt as life changing as it sounds! I can't stress enough to anyone who is suffering from AP the importance of getting yourself to a workshop. I was personally pleased to be going to it, as i thought, at last i can get some help, but as you could tell from the uneasy faces on friday evening and saturday morning ,I like everyone else, was nervous as hell about the desensing and what it would involve. There was no need to be! It shortly became fun! I know this is hard to imagine, but it's true! The surreal experience of sitting down in a group and talking with others about why you can't have a piss and them empathising with you quickly started a lot of brilliant friendly banter, with a massively positive atmosphere throughout, with everyone encouraging each other! Now i understand how easy this is to describe now i have done it as before going it was very difficult to commit to a workshop, but i urge you to do so. You will not regret it. Andrew and Colin structured the weekend superbly, and as well as encouragement gave so so many helpful ideas and mindsets which has left me feeling fully armed to beat this completely! I am so grateful to them for the time and effort they put in, really doing an amazing job! Finally, i'd like to say thanks to all the other guys in the group for such a brilliant weekend. A better bunch of guys i could not imagine, i will remember every one of you. I too was very touched by the bond that i soon felt, and the banter was absoultely top class! I wish you all good luck, and hope to see as many of you as possible at the improver's workshop! All the best, Ali p.s. started my desensing in bluewater the next day, and although i missed being able to tell you all about my successes and general observations, the workshop gave me the power to do the whole thing with a smile on my face and to give myself a pat on the back at the end

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