Paruresis, which is the difficulty in urinating away from home in public toilets, for example, has a cure, and a treatment strategy can be a therapist or even a friend to help the patient to expose himself to the problem and gradually try to use the public toilets, until it adapts and is able to urinate, which can take a few weeks or several months.
The person with a bladder, as it is popularly known, does not have a bladder malfunction, but a psychological problem, which must be treated because, in addition to causing incontinence or urinary infections, it also interferes with daily activities, such as work or travel, making people who suffer from this condition have difficulty leaving home because they can not urinate unless they are alone.
How to know if it is paruresis
If the individual does not have any disease that leads to slow and difficult urination, such as a urinary infection for example, but has difficulty urinating in restrooms, bars, malls, or even at friends or family, he may suffer from paruresis.
In addition, normally, the patient suffering with shy bladder:
- You can go to the bathroom at home when you are all alone or the family members are far from the bathroom;
- Drinks little liquids, to have little desire to go in the bathroom;
- It makes noises while urinating, such as flushing or opening a tap;
- He goes to the bathroom when they know that no one is going to work, for example.
However, to know if you suffer from shy bladder you need to go to the urologist to make the correct diagnosis and start treatment if necessary.
How to treat paruresis
To treat the shy bladder it takes help from a therapist, family or friend to support the patient to expose themselves to the difficulty of urinating, helping the patient to be calm when they go to the bathroom, as if trying to forget where they are, for example.
This treatment and therapy of gradual exposure, in most cases, is very slow, taking between a few weeks to several months and it is essential to force the urge to urinate for 2 to 4 minutes, waiting a few minutes if you can not and, try again until you succeed.
For this, it is important to have a lot of urge to urinate, being necessary to drink many liquids, such as water or natural juices, for example.
In more severe cases, when the patient can not urinate even after therapy, he may need to stay at an angle to avoid complications such as infections or incontinence.
Causes of Paruresis
Paruresis usually arises due to stress, need to urinate quickly or in individuals who are sensitive to sounds and smells, developing embarrassment at the noise caused by the act of urinating or having difficulty in smelling the urine.
In addition, this problem may also occur in individuals who have already been sexually abused, have social phobias or have been bullied.
Learn about other diseases of the bladder such as:
- Nervous bladder
- Neurogenic bladder
