Posted by The Therapist on 11/1/2011, 10:24 pm

Having suffered pauresis for 20 years its only since becoming a therapist that I have truly understood it. When I studied CBT I really became to understand the role of safety behaviours in pauresis and all anxiety disorders. At its worst I would spend a whole night in the pub watching the toilet and the pauresis was chronic. By slowly removing the safety behaviours I have got better and better and it no longer dominates my life. A good behavioral experiment to convince your brain that there is no danger is to go into a motorway services toilet when you DONT want to go. Stay as long as you can. Then the next day do it again but stay longer. Notice how noone pays any attention to you.This experiment challenges the irrational thought that everyone is aware that you cant go. Interestingly I have spotted friends with pauretic safety behaviours but its hard to offer them help on such a sensitive subject.

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