This is a question I ask myself from time to time. As my progress shows you can certainly recover from it, taking back your life through Graduated Exposure Therapy and maybe other treatments. Based on my progress so far I expect to be able to make a full recovery some day (maybe soon).
But what form will that recovery take? My observation of the mensroom tells me that everyone suffers from some hesitancy and everyone has some avoidant behavior. Give a guy a choice of a urinal next to someone else and an open stall and a certain percentage will choose that open stall. I've seen this in action over and over.
With Shy Bladder this hesitancy and avoidance behavior spirals out of control. It's not just sometime, it's all the time.
Do sufferers have a pre-disposition to the condition? If so, can you eradicate the underlying cause or are we simply wired that way? If I cure myself through Graduated Exposure Therapy will I stay cured? Or will I inevitably slide back into it and be forced to confront my Shy Bladder time and time again?
People have reported curing themselves of Shy Bladder. But are these rare cases? I don't know, I'm not sure anyone does. I do know that Graduated Exposure Therapy is working for me and if I do slip back I now have a system to defeat it again.
I've had a couple of great days where it was as if I was free from the condition only to slide back again so I know that just because you think it's over doesn't mean it is. I accept the fact that I am going to have to continue to challenge myself and not allow my avoidant behavior an opportunity to come back in.
Even when I'm symptom-free I suspect it will be easy for me to avoid using a public restroom and "wait until I get home" when at the crowded mall. If I never get that kind of thought again, maybe then I can truly call myself cured.
Further reading
Analysis of recovery stories from Shy Bladder Institute Website.
Analysis of Shy Bladder from an Internet-based study carried out in 2004.
2 comments:
Thanks for the words of wisdom. I just got back from drinking with a buddy and tried twice to go in the bathroom.
The first time, empty bathroom, I choice the wall stall and could not relax, just kept waiting for someone to come in. Finally gave up when someone did come in.
The next attempt, pretty intense by now, 4 beers and I was dying. Went into the stall to sit down. Usually a fail safe, but this time I felt rushed. My buddy didn't know about this problem so I started feeling that pressure of not taking too long. Oh well, I gave up again.
By this time I ended the beer drinking festivity, saying I had to run home to get some work done. Almost passed out before I finally got home.
What a pain this problem is.
I suffered this condition since about the age of 9.The only thing that has helped me is the breath holding technique.It does work. Its best to use in the stalls.Definately helps on airplanes,trains or friends houses etc.
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