This Discussion Board is for men who
find it difficult or impossible to urinate in a public or social situation. Women should use the women's Board.
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U.K. Paruresis Trust. Registered Charity no: 1109541.
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Hi. Does anyone know if hypnotherapy or acupuncture have any effect on helping with Paruresis?. Or is there any other method to get quick results?.
Re: Methods of help
Posted by Raymond on 28/2/2011, 9:23 pm, in reply to "Methods of help"
Hypnotherapy did not help me at all, but it may have helped others (anyone can join in guys)! The best result for me was at a workshop, which I couldn't recommend more highly. Go to a beginners workshop asap, it will be the best decision of your life. Good luck
Raymond
Re: Methods of help
Posted by Andrew on 1/3/2011, 8:45 am, in reply to "Methods of help"
Hello Edward
I reproduce here our line on hypnotherapy taken from the FAQ section of our website.
The UKPT very cautious about hypnosis as a treatment for paruresis for two reasons:
1. We get people on our workshops who have tried hypnosis at some cost to no avail, and in some cases it has been a painful experience 2. Our former honorary advisor, a chartered psychologist, who was also a registered psychotherapist and a hypnotherapist, told us hypnosis was not the treatment for this condition.
Avoidant Paruresis comprises two elements: primary and secondary.
Primary paruresis is the state of not being able to urinate in a social situation.
Secondary paruresis is what the individual makes of his or her primary paruresis i.e. loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, the feeling of being a unique freak, and depression.
The UKPT deals in the main with people who have both primary and secondary paruresis. The recognised treatment is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). The Primary is dealt with by graduated exposure: as in standard phobia desensitisation. The secondary is dealt with by cognitive therapy: this has to deal with proving to the patient that he or she is not a unique freak, but is one of a population of like patients who are normal functioning members of society; then the standard approach of establishing the patient's illogical views of reality is addressed and talked through.
Neither graduated exposure, or cognitive therapy will work on its own. Instead experience shows that incremental improvements in the one feedback positively into the other, and vice versa.
Given this, it is difficult to see how hypnotherapy can work effectively for such cases.
However, there are possibly people with only primary paruresis: who see it as a mechanical "fault", and are not shy of asking for treatment. In such cases, using hypnotherapy to teach relaxation and virtual desensitisation, may be effective.
The UKPT is interested in any evidence of the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. However previous approaches have claimed success without being able to provide any evidence of success, whether short or long term. The UKPT would be looking for evidence similar to that provided as unsolicited testimonials from participants at its workshops.
end of commnet
As for acupuncture, I have not heard of any experiences of this treatment for paruresis.
cheers
Andrew
Re: Methods of help
Posted by The Therapist on 17/4/2011, 7:50 pm, in reply to "Re: Methods of help"
As I have posted elsewhere I am a hypnotherapist who suffered AP for 20 years. I would very much agree with Andrews assessment. Hypnosis alone will not have much affect on AP. It had a negligible effect on me. Systematic desensitisation is taught in hypnotherapy for phobias and that part of it can help and the relaxation part can help also. However it was when I went on to study CBT and try it on my pauresis that I made great progress and now the AP has almost completely gone. Exposure therapy combined with behavioural experiments to test your negative thoughts and beliefs (identified in the cognitive bit of CBT) really help prove to your mind that there is no danger. When your mind realises there is no danger (of humilation) it will allow your body to urinate. I have only treated myself for pauresis but I have treated clients for Social Anxiety Disorder (which pauresis is a type of) and I have seen great change in them from the behavioral experiments. Hypnotherapy is great for specific phobias.I have cured clients of flying phobias and blood phobias in about 3 sessions but I think your best bet for pauresis is to see a CBT practitioner or even better do the course offered on this site. Pauresis isn't very well known in the psychotherapy community because unfortunately people are usually too embarassed to seek help for it.When I did my CBT training I came across some very experienced psychotherapists of various types and was amazed that none of them had heard of it.
Re: Methods of help
Posted by Mark L on 1/3/2011, 5:21 pm, in reply to "Methods of help"
Hi Edward,
Iv nothing more to add to the above, but why dont you tell us a bit more about yourself and your level of AP? Chances are we can suggest some methods to make your life easier untill you get on a workshop for example.
Cheers,
Mark
Re: Methods of help
Posted by Edward Smith on 2/3/2011, 9:23 am, in reply to "Re: Methods of help"
I am 57 years old, and have been suffering from Paruresis since I was a teenager. As long as I could control the situation I thought I was OK. Recently admitted to hospital for an operation I had to have a catheter fitted twice as I couldn't urinate even when in a single room with a private toilet. The catheter had to be inserted after a bout of sickness, and was taken out after 3-4 days, and I was able to urinate normally for a week and a half albeit sometimes I had to sit down to do it. After a stomach op, I froze up again and could not urinate despite my bladder being full. Catheterised for 4 days and able to go normally after it was removed. Now I am in the process of being referred to a urologist, which I hope will be soon. I am interested in the workshops you and others have mentioned. Are they through this organisation, or is it through your own doctor? Thanks for your coments so far guys, it does help to know I am not alone.
The workshops are UKPT workshops. If you look on the index of postings, about the third one down is "info about beginners workshops". There is similar info on our website.
Hi Guys , I have just come across this site after surfing the Net in desperation for a cure . I have had the problem of shy bladder as long as i can remember but last year i was on a transatlantic flight & needed the loo. I was aware of a small queue outside & this made it more difficult for me to urinate , then some one banged on the door cos they could not wait any longer,I was mortified , ever since this occasion my problem as got much more acute even when i am in cubicles. I now dread flying for te above reason.
Re: shy bladder
Posted by The Therapist on 26/4/2011, 7:30 pm, in reply to "shy bladder"
I had a similar incident on a flight once. After queuing they made me sit down due to turbulence. When I went back there was a bigger queue.I asked if I could go next and a bloke got really stroppy with me.Then I was so wound up I couldnt go. My bladder almost burst, it was agony and I was shaking. Glad to say incidents like this are in the past for me but I have great sympathy for those still experiencing it.
Re: Methods of help
Posted by Andrew on 10/6/2013, 8:18 am, in reply to "Methods of help"
As for acupuncture, I would say the same. As paruresis is a learned response to a feared situation, it is in the mind and so needs cognitive therapy and graduated desensitisation (i.e. CBT) to reverse that.
As for a quick result: I wish. Like anything else that has to be learnt, or unlearned, or any sport training, it takes as long as it takes, with persistence being the key.
Havng said that, guys with a mild case (i.e. struggle with urinals but are OK with cubicles) do get a significant improvement by attending our weekend workshop
