Whatever the initial cause it’s simply this that’s preventing you from being able to release the flow! Graduated exposure therapy works by building confidence and therefore reducing this anxiety until it no longer has any negative effect. Let’s explain exactly how it works.
Graduated Exposure Therapy For Shy Bladder
Of the many different cures for paruresis, graduated exposure therapy is one of the more successful. In fact, it is said that 8 out of every 10 people suffering from shy bladder have greatly benefited by this therapy.
It can be a stand alone treatment program or it can support an additional form of treatment. In effect, it can be used to practice and put other treatments into action. These additional treatments include:
- Hypnosis For Shy Bladder.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy For Shy Bladder.
- Breath Hold Technique For Shy Bladder.
- Other Treatments For Paruresis.
What Is Graduated Exposure Therapy For Shy Bladder?
Graduated exposure therapy for shy bladder, as the name suggests, it is a cure that works gradually. It’s a step by step program that basically needs you to try and pee in increasingly difficult places and scenarios. Hence gradually exposing yourself to more difficult environments in order to be comfortable in stages.
There are plenty of books and treatment programs that will allow you to work at this yourself or you may want to take advice and guidance from a certified psychologist. We always recommend this latter option as working with a trained professional does tend to produce better results and faster.
GET Preparation
- First, you will need to make a list of the places to pee in. To make a written list in ascending order of difficulty. It should start from the easiest environment and moving on to the most difficult spot. The most difficult location is probably a busy public urinal with urinals close together with no screen between them. This is a place of nightmare to most Paruretics where you have the least amount of privacy. The easiest location will obviously be your home loo but after this would come a quiet, familiar restroom where you are rarely disturbed, there’s plenty of space between urinals which are screened. Somewhere you know the chances of being disturbed are minimal and that having someone standing right next to you slim.
- When making the list you’ll need to make sure you can easily access these locations and you’ll need to assign a very minimum of one hour per week to practise in these venues.
- Next, you will most likely be asked to get a ‘pee partner’ or “pee buddy”. I know … that sounds weird – right? Basically, all we’re talking about is a support system so to speak. Someone who will be there alongside you to keep you calm, motivated and to “practise” with. This could be a family member, a close friend or even a therapist.
Build Up Gradually
- Practise peeing with your pee partner in close proximity. This gives you the feel of a public toilet. You could ask your pee partner to stand outside the toilet at the beginning, and then get him to stand close to you while peeing. This graduation will depend on how comfortable you get with peeing in the presence of another person.
- The next move is to make as much noise as you can when you’re peeing. Get used to the sound of the pee hitting the water in the urinal. This should be done with your pee partner in hearing distance.
- Now work your way up and try peeing in a quiet but public rest room with your pee partner nearby. Just as you practised at home, get your partner to stand outside the door, and as your comfort level increases, get him to stand near/beside you as you pee.
- Move up the list of urinating locations until you can cope with anything!