subject: Paruresis: What is Paruresis? [print this page] Paruresis: What is Paruresis? Paruresis: What is Paruresis?
Paruresis is the medical term given to the inability to urinate in a public restroom.Paruresis is a mental condition, where the body is unable to relax enough to allow urine to flow. To urinate, a set of sphinter muscles need to be relaxed but Paruresis sufferers suffer with this. The tension experienced by Paruresis suffers as they attempt to pee prevents these muscles from relaxing.
It is thought that around 2 million Americans suffer from Paruresis, where they cannot pee at all if someone else is in the restroom. However, it is believed that up to us many as 15 million Americans have a form of low level Paruresis where they struggle to pee if someone is standing next to them at the urinal.
If you have Paruresis then there are various treatment methods available. This includes seeing a therapist, support group workshops, "pee buddy" exercises designed to help desensitize, medication, and in more severe cases, self catheterization.
Self catheterization involves using a device called a catheter that Paruresis sufferers keep in their pocket and use to manually force the body to urinate. A visit to a urologist is required to be shown how to safely use a catheter.
Many of the Paruresis treatment methods have one thing in common: they attempt to change the negative thinking that the brain has towards peeing in public into more relaxed, positive thoughts so that going to pee in public is not seen as something to worry about.
For more information on Paruesis, and the treatment methods available (including a digital download called the Paruresis Treatment System) visit the links below.
