If you’ve been suffering from shy bladder syndrome, then you’ve probably already looked up cures for it. If you have, you’ve maybe come across a fairly well known treatment option known as paruresis breath hold practice. To be quite honest, I’m personally not 100% convinced about this method of treatment but you may want to give it a try yourself and let me know how you get on.
Whilst I may be a little sceptical many have reported very positive results. Perhaps I’m wrong in my scepticism … you decide!
Basically, as the name suggests, the breath hold technique for shy bladder involves holding your breathing and allowing your muscles to relax. The idea is to hold it for around 45-60 seconds until the urinary sphincter (the muscle that controls the exit of urine through the urethra) is relaxed enough for you to be able to pee.
Let’s explain the basis behind the treatment and how it works in a little more detail … then … give it a go and try it for yourself!
The paruresis breath hold technique is a relatively simple breathing technique. It works on the premise that, if you hold your breath for long enough, you WILL pee. The theory behind this treatment is that holding your breath results in an increase of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. This increase in CO2 level is recognised as a way to reduce anxiety. In this case it can relax the sufferer to the point that they can release the stream.
As I said though, whilst it has worked for some it’s not for everyone. I personally believe it works better for those who struggle to start a flow but can continue to pee once started. Try it for yourself and let us know what you think.
In my own case it was introduced to me and I tried it but had better results with graduated exposure and hypnotherapy:
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You’re aiming at being able to hold your breath for around 45 seconds which is why we suggest you build up gradually. Here’s what to do in 4 easy steps:
Whilst the exact timing does vary a little it’s at this 45 second point that it’s believed the pelvic floor will drop and, hey presto, the stream will start! Pretty simple concept right?
Before you get started I very strongly suggest that you:
As I suggested – try it out in a safe and comfortable environment initially. If you find that you are one of those for whom it does work then you can progress to all environments. You can even start the shy bladder breath hold on the way to the restroom. That way you can get started almost as soon as you reach the urinal.
It can be a little scary at first (not breathing doesn’t feel natural at the best of times!). Sometimes, if you push yourself too far too quickly, you might even feel a little faint too. In that case you could consider holding your breath for lesser amounts of time and build up to the 45 second target.
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Science says that this slow breathing helps ease the tension in the body and allows you to calm down and let go so that you’re able to pee. So the answer is yes … shy bladder breath hold treatment should actually work. It certainly does for some which is why we suggest you try it for yourself.
On the downside I’m talking about holding your breath for 45 seconds which means that you could find yourself stood at a urinal for the best part of a minute before anything happens. This is why we suggest starting the paruresis breath hold process on your way to the bathroom. Some have also reported the flow clamping resulting in having to start the process again … with less confidence this time!
Normally when you’re suffering from shy bladder syndrome, peeing anywhere that your mind deems as ‘not safe’ can feel an impossibility. Faced with the prospect of having to pee in public, your mind panics, your body freezes and you find yourself standing in front of the urinal, your sphincter muscle well tensed up, and there you stand knowing that nothing is going to come out.
Paruresis breath hold technique certainly can help to relax the pelvic muscles to the point where you can release the flow. this has a knock on effect of giving you a little more confidence to ease and calm your mind which can lessen the general anxiety too. We suggest that you don’t just focus on breath hold alone though but also target the underlying causes of your shy bladder and this double whammy could work well.
Give it a try for yourself – practice in advance and see if it works for you. I’d welcome hearing about your actual results (in confidence of course).
And whilst I may not be an advocate and before you dismiss this treatment option as “not the one for you” … here are a few comments from people just like you, who’ve been trying to overcome their problem with breath hold (BH).
Here’s what one paruretic has to say—
“I look at it like a Placebo. It works because you want it to. That’s what my mind is mumbling to me as the weeks go by.”
And here is another 19 year old college student who has found a cure in BH techniques…he says—
“In a nutshell. I used to suffer from shy bladder all throughout high school, but learned of the breath hold technique 2 weeks before my senior year. Then I practiced for 45 seconds every day for 2 weeks. I finally got it just in time for school to start. As you can imagine, standing there for 45 seconds was awkward for a while. But after about 2 months of using it successfully every day (I must have had the breath capacity of a pro diver) it only took me 10 seconds exactly from the time I started walking to the time I got there to be ready to go.”
And yet again another person suffering from shy bladder has found his cure in BH.
“I FEEL AS IF I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE!”
Science says it should work, medical professionals say it could work, the International Paruresis Association discuss it on their website and some (but not all) paruretics say it does work!
I say try it for yourself but don’t just focus on this one treatment option. Work on it alongside trying to change your overall perception about the need to pee and your anxiety of peeing in public places. Maybe work on it as part of an overall paruresis treatment system?
Visit our “Shy Bladder Syndrome Frequently Asked Questions” page to learn more about the condition and different treatment options.
As I said earlier, the breath hold technique is very popular but not always as easy as it sounds! I’ve gathered together a list of the main 5 problems associated with the practice as reported by real people:
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