Shy Bladder Introduction
January 28th, 2012
Shy bladder, or paruresis, is the inability to urinate without at least some privacy. For some, that must be complete privacy in a place they control while others will do fine using a stall rather than urinal. Depending on the level of anxiety and fear, paruresis can become quite debilitating, seriously inhibiting how sufferers live their lives. The diagnosis remains somewhat controversial, with some psychiatric experts believing that it is a distinct and individual disorder while others believe it to be a symptom of another anxiety disorder.
A study done in 2004 showed that most people with paruresis tended to be more sensitive than the average person and have a tendency to think negatively more often than not. They also were more self-conscious of everything about themselves when compared to the general population. This may indicate that sufferers have a greater tendency to be anxious in general. Unfortunately, there has not been enough research done on paruresis to confirm or disprove either theory.
The majority of men suffering from this disorder can point to a traumatic event involving a bathroom, with 58% of the men in the 2004 study stating the first time they experienced shy bladder was during a bullying incident in school. A number of men also pointed to incidents of assault or sexual abuse taking place in a bathroom. Of course, there are also a good number of sufferers who can’t think of any specific triggering incident which makes figuring out causes difficult, click here for more information.
Until more studies are done, there will be no definitive answer to whether paruresis may be a symptom of another disorder or a self-standing diagnosis. Experts on both sides of the issue are firm in their opposing beliefs.
