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Posted by mikew on 16/3/2008, 8:23 pm Message modified by board administrator 17/3/2008, 9:27 am
Just back from the Follow-up workshop. I definitely have come away with a positive frame of mind. Desensing, had 5 out of 6 successes at service stations on the way home so Sunday was a good day for me.
I'd left it a year and a half for the Follow-up - which I think suited me, I'd made some good progress on my own after the Beginners - but can see how it would be good to leave less of a gap if you really want to make fast progress. I've been busy with moving etc. over the last 6 months, and the Follow-up has given me the boost I need to make more of an effort at desensing, and reinforced a few of the techniques that I'd sort of forgotten about from the Beginners workshop.
One thing I'd say is that if you're not local try and make sure you take the Friday afternoon off in order to arrive in plenty of time to be check in and chill out to get the most out of it - I rushed up straight after work, and missed the initial meet up which was a shame, and wasn't relaxed enough to really make the most of Friday night.
Many thanks To Andrew and Mert for all the time and energy they put in, and great to meet everyone on the workshop - great bunch of people, and it is good just to be with people who you know understand what it is to have paruresis - hope to hear from you, and good luck.
I’d just like to second what Mike has written. I had the first course late last year and this follow up course gave me just the boost that I needed.
I definitely improved over the weekend and have a better mindset going forward to tackle this deeply annoying phobia
It was great to meet people in the same situation and they were a truly nice bunch of people.
I will always remember the analogy that AP is like having a fear of spiders but having to pick up a spider six times a day, everyday.
After the course was over I used the toilets again at the Arndale centre and at Schipol. My stress level on both occasions was very low.
Thanks again to Andrew and Mert for giving up their weekend for us and for their enthusiasm, understanding and support.
Finally, if you are a reader of this board but have never posted or never been on a course please don’t hesitate to start posting about your experiences and do yourself a favour and get yourself on a course. You have nothing to lose and so very much to gain
I'd just like to add my agreement and support to what mikew and Steve M have said above.
I had a very enjoyable weekend in Manchester, which was ironic because the main reason I was there was to do thing I most hate doing; peeing in public loos of course!
The reason the weekend was so enjoyable, not to mention beneficial, was because of the support from all the great people on the course. If you've been to a beginners or improver's workshop, then you'll know just what I'm talking about. If you haven't, then it is difficult to explain just how much better you can feel just by meeting other people with who know what it is to live with this horrible condition. The support that everyone gives and receives over the weekend is truly amazing and has to be experienced to be believed.
The education that you receive on paruresis and the desense sessions are a very important first step on the road to recovery, but remember: (i) it is only a first step, you must be prepared to put in a lot of hard work yourself after the workshop is over and (ii) you must be realistic about the amount of progress you can make in one weekend, overcoming this problem will take time for most people and if you expect to be 'cured' in 72 hours then you're going to be disappointed. Think of attending a workshop as laying the foundations for your recovery and a chance to make some real progress and you'll be more than satisfied.
Many thanks again to Andrew, whose dedication to helping others with paruresis is truly heroic. Many thanks also to Mert who gave great support to everyone throughout the weekend. Thanks finally to the other participants who are a really great bunch of people. At the beginners workshop I was so wound-up about paruresis that I had great difficulty in even opening up to other sufferers about my experiences. By the second workshop I was so much more relaxed about the whole thing that we spent most of the weekend cracking jokes about it. Thank You.
I was also on the course in Manchester and agree fully with what the other lads had to say. Thanks to everyone there as I learned a lot from the other people on the course. Special thanks to Mert for giving up his weekend to help us and of course to Andrew who has changed my life through his dedication to helping people to deal with this condition. Hope to meet ye all again- ye are a great bunch of people.