U.K. PARURESIS TRUST: Feedback Manchester Beginners Workshop

I attended the beginners’ workshop a couple of weeks ago and I cannot speak highly enough of the experience.

Andrew and Peter were welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable and the workshop was very well organised.

The other participants were really kind and supportive; I hope to meet them again soon.

I'm 26 and I've suffered from AP for as long as I can remember. In public toilets, I can only pee in a cubicle, and even then only when the bathroom is empty. I’d usually have to sit down. I'd avoid social gatherings at friends' houses and trips to the pub. I’d even struggle to pee at home when I had visitors.

In short, AP caused me a great deal of stress day-to-day, and pretty much ruled my life.

I've known about UKPT since I was at university (7 years ago!), but I couldn't pluck up the courage to face the problem and attend one of the workshops. I thought that I was the only person that suffered from AP, I was afraid that I wouldn't be 'cured' and that the other people at the workshop would be weird.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

The workshop was a fantastic experience; it was very relaxing and liberating to be able to talk (for first time) in an open and frank manner about AP without embarrassment, with other people that understand how debilitating it is.

I think Andrew put it well when he said that if a stranger had walked in to the workshop, they'd have probably thought that it was a rugby club meeting – just a group of ordinary people.

Whilst I now know that there isn’t a quick ‘cure’, the workshop taught me so many useful techniques to help me relax when I’m going for a pee that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The most important thing for me is to stop the negative thoughts as soon as they appear and just to think “it takes as long as it takes”, which along with some relaxing breathing has really helped me.

I now have the tools to significantly improve my life. I'm able to practise de-sensing at home and on my lunch break at work - it finally feels like I have the ability to take control of my life and do something about AP.

I’ve got a long way to go, but since attending the workshop, I no longer need to sit down when I’m in a public toilet (although I still struggle with other people present), and I haven’t had any problems peeing at home when we have visitors – it’s about taking small manageable steps and not being worried about set-backs.

I'll attend workshops in future, but until then I’ll keep practising at home and at work and I will get AP under control.

Finally, if anyone reading this has any doubts about attending a workshop then that is perfectly normal, everyone at the workshop was nervous on arrival, but it’s safe to say that just going for it and attending the workshop is one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Thanks to UKPT and all the great people I met in Manchester.

Anyway, I'm de-sensing at the moment, so I better get back to it!