U.K. PARURESIS TRUST

UK paruresis trust

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Feedback, London workshop, May 2014

Posted by JP on 26/5/2014, 2:34 pm
Edited by board administrator 26/5/2014, 10:40 pm

Just finished the May 2014 London Workshop. Well worth it. There are many great things I took away from the workshop. The first thing is that I was so relieved to meet a group of completely normal guys who share the same problem. Over the years suffering with AP I sometimes wondered if I was abnormal, and if I would be ashamed to see what kind of person has paruresis. Our group had a charismatic fighter pilot, a scientist, an engineer, musicians, a doctor, a couple of undergraduate college students, a retiree and a few others. The second, and most important thing to note, is that everyone was smiling at the end. Every single participant made progress and had a plan for continued “desensing” at their appropriate level.

It was also nice to have a few beers in a "safe" place with a group of people that I could be completely open with and not have to dedicate 80% my thoughts to my filling bladder, which is something many of us with AP haven’t done in years. I also came away more conscious of my general stress/anxiety level and my propensity to apologize too quickly, and have plans to work on those things. The facilitators (Andrew, Peter, and Tom) are lovely guys—incredibly sincere, and Saints for dedicating so much of their personal time to help others. I’m so happy I went.

Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014

Posted by C. on 26/5/2014, 6:33 pm, in reply to "Feedback, London workshop, May 2014"

Hey everyone,

I am so glad I swallowed my fears and made up my mind to go do the workshop !

For the first time in my life I have met other people who know and understand what I go through every single day. They were all an invaluable help and confort to me over the course of the workshop.
We all left with courage in our hearts and smiles on our faces It feels so good to know it is possible to make progress and cure this plague ! I thought I could do it by myself and wasted at least a year trying without progress... Thanks to the workshop I made more and better progress in 2 days ! I can hardly believe it myself

Many thanks to all of you guys who committed to coming and to Andrew, Peter and Tom for your dedication to helping others help themselves !

Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014

Posted by G on 26/5/2014, 11:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014"

It was really great. The sessions sure but also being able to socialize and talk openly about the problem. Looking forward for the follow-up! Thank you Peter, Tom and Andrew, you're the best!

Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014

Posted by R on 28/5/2014, 11:19 am, in reply to "Feedback, London workshop, May 2014"

Hi all,

At 64 I was the oldest of the group and over the years had pretty much come to terms with living with the problem. I was wrong, I should have done something years ago and undoubtably enjoyed a better quality of life. It was enlightening to find the others on the course were great, perfectly normal people. The course provided a wealth of fact, advice, experience and support from the tutors, Andrew, Peter and Tom. It provided a really positive boost to my understanding, accepting and coping with the problem. We all left with individual plans of action and mine is already translating into positive progress. Many thanks Andrew, Peter and Tom and my fellow participants on the course.

Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014

Posted by KC on 28/5/2014, 9:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Feedback, London workshop, May 2014"

Hi All, Having a severe case of AP - I have difficulty even at home with just the family around, so the thought of staying at a hotel with many strangers around filled me with utter dread, it was a real challenge just walk through the door. But I needn't of worried, we were all made to feel safe, comfortable & at ease very quickly at the first meeting. You are never asked to say or do any more than you are comfortable with.

It was a real comfort to meet so many normal guys of all ages, from all walks of life suffering from varying degrees of AP. For the first time in decades I didn't feel weird or self conscious whilst among a group people, even felt comfortable having a few beers at the bar in the evening.

Having tried so many therapies both conventional & alternative, even had surgery over the years, I must admit I wasn't expecting to make any progress. However, I'm really pleased to say I started to make progress even after the first morning session. I know I still have a million miles to go, but for the first time in over 30 years I believe I can overcome my AP.

The guys running the group - Andy, Peter & Tom are real genuine people who have gone through it all themselves & guide you through the process & you come away with an understanding of how you work & an action plan to continue on your recovery.

The support you get from everyone in the group is amazing, I can't thank everyone enough, I now have a chance to get my life back.

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