Posted by M_R on 1/8/2016, 11:56 pm
When I first googled shy bladder syndrome I came across the idea that it might be down to something in childhood. I remember at primary school age I was very prone to claustrophobia, and the worst claustrophobia was to do with toilets. I was terrified that I could be locked in, with the lights out, or that something would come up from underneath me in the toilet bowl, or that the cistern of a traditional pull-the-chain toilet would come away from the wall and crash down on my head.
Somehow as I got older I managed to put the lid on all of these fears. And then instead I stopped being able to pee in public. It came on fairly suddenly, and I can date it because I remember it happening at a family event which would have been when I was 14. That's not far from being 40 years ago now.
When I was at university I sought out toilets which weren't heavily used and where I had a good chance of being alone when I needed to. And I also figured out that people don't mind and often don't notice if you go into a cubicle just to pee.
The trouble, and the reason that I'm posting this now after all these years, is that this condition does vary in its severity. When it's mild, I can manage in cubicles even if they have thin walls. When it's mild, I've been able to manage on flights though not recently. When it's severe, all sorts of settings and causes of anxiety can cause me to lock up. So I'm really looking for a way at least to reduce its severity.
482
Responses
« Back to index | View thread »
Responses are not allowed!