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.
The Board is maintained and moderated by the
U.K. Paruresis Trust. Registered Charity no: 1109541.
For
further information, visit our website, or contact us at
I attended the Manchester workshop last weekend and wanted to pass on my feedback.
All week i had been nervous about it to the point where i nearly didnt come, as soon as i arrived the first other sufferer i met was 18 years old, this made me feel slightly silly for worrying thinking if this guy has the bottle do do this then i should be able to as i know i wouldn't of had the courage to that when i was 18 and for this he gets my respect.
I didn't know quite what i expected but what i found was a room full of ordinary normal men who were in the same situation as me, i had never discussed this with anyone before and for the first time in my life i was able to discuss it with others which in itself had made me feel better and helped me a great deal.
Andrew and Peter are two of the most genuine, friendly and helpful guys i have met and their passion for helping people with AP should be commended, they did everything in their power to put us at ease and help us and the level of knowledge and experience they have is second to none.
When i left the workshop on Sunday i actually felt a bit worried about going back out into the real world alone after a full weekend of amazing support and openly discussing the issue however when Monday morning came i did feel a lot more confident about things and although i stil have the problem i can see that there is a way forward which i am desperate to follow on with.
I am in a better position now and hope that more good will follow.
Thanks to everyone on the course, you were all a great support and a great bunch of guys
Following on from what Chris said.... I also cannot overstate how useful and important it is to attend this workshop if you are suffering with paruresis. I've had the condition for the past 15+yrs and tried reading various articles online and books on the topic but never really made much progress.
Being able to talk openly to other guys about the condition and share our experiences was such a refreshing change. It makes you realise that you are not alone and that there is something that can be done to improve your future.
Andrew and Peter are excellent guys who have immense knowledge on the subject and have lots of practice in explaining the theory around the condition and how to implement the desensing sessions to make it work for your particular scenario.
Without exception I enjoyed meeting every one of the other attendees on the course. We are all of different ages, from different areas and walks of life but everyone was united by sharing this condition and the positive attitude of wanting to do something about it. I hope to stay in contact with several of the guys I met during the weekend and by keeping each other motivated we will hopefully all get to where we want to be.
I feel I have definitely made progress over the weekend and I am more aware of why my mind & body is doing what is does. I have now got the tools to keep chipping away at the problem and if I can keep motivated and keep practising then I am confident I will gradually get there
My only regret is that I didn't go on the course sooner...
I have now attended a few workshops and having initially come as a fairly severe sufferer of AP I feel better about my situation and i’m now armed with the techniques and knowledge to help move forward in my life.
I found an important part of the course is to simply talk with other guys that understand where you’re coming from. It was liberating and an important reminder that ‘if others can improve, what’s stopping me?’
From stepping foot into the room you will be made to feel at ease and comfortable. Andrew and Peter are relaxed guy’s with a wealth of knowledge on AP, they are also happy to give 1to1 advice as well which can be very helpful.
The beginners course is structured, but at the same time each man completely goes at his own pace. Although there’s a sense of everyone in it together, each individual works at their own pace which they are totally comfortable with and there is no competition amongst each other.
I would highly recommend the course to anyone that thinks they may benefit from it. The workshops are not full of ‘strange guys’ they are just ordinary blokes from all different backgrounds and ages that you’d pass in the street and never guess they share a problem that you also deal with.
To any guys that are considering the workshop but thinking it probably won’t be worth it. Just DO it. One weekend out of your whole life could significantly help you, and will at least point you in the right direction, with solid guidance and encouragement. You really have nothing to lose.
