Talk:Paruresis

message: This leads me to believe that if you know you have a test coming or may be tested, you could try ear plugs + running water if possible to both take out the unfamiliar auditory stimulus and insert some familiar stimulus (the running water).
Perhaps also effective is to try mentally image yourself using the toilet in your home or some other familiar facility, though this will likely require some practise. Or like was suggested below, do something else that will take the focus of mind away from the testing situation. However for long term "therapy" more effective might be simple practise of expanding the comfort zone by, say, going first to variety of quiet public toilets and slowly moving to some more crowded situations.
I also read about the breath technique here: http://www.paruresis.org/FAQ/faq_page_23.htm
I haven't actually tried it as they describe but it's sort of obvious that if going into very smelly public toilet I wouldn't be able to use the mental image technique I mentioned without also avoiding smelling the surroundings too much. For this I tend to cover nose with the shirt as it helps filter most of the environmental smell.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 213.243.182.67 (talk) 00:49, 4 July 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I know this was a LONG time ago now, but it's nothing to do with the smell... But just wanted to add that in, just in case anyone else happens to look at this talk page and gets confused. It's to do with the carbon dioxide levels in your blood, a physiological reaction. And using imagery, earplugs, sound effects/music etc can help some sufferers, but not all. It all depends on severity, situations etc. 80.1.144.137 (talk) 23:49, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Role of unfamiliar and or surprising sounds

message: According to some studies, 7% of the population may be suffering from it. 
Can we have a source for that figure? Mr. Jones 17:20, 25 Jun 2004 (UTC)
replies: text: I have only ever heard of this in relation to men. Can anyone back that up? If so, it should definitely be mentioned that this mainly effects males. Makemi 05:07, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

text: Ok, thanks, someone has already clarified this within the article. Makemi 00:23, 7 March 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: Unsorted discussion

message: Paruresis (pronounced /pærjəˈriːsɪs/), also known as pee shyness, shy kidney, bashful bladder, stage fright, urinophobia or shy bladder syndrome is a type of social anxiety disorder, that can affect both men and women, in which the sufferer is unable to urinate in the (real or imaginary) presence of others, such as in a public restroom. The analogous condition that affects bowel movement is called parcopresis.
The use of the word urinophobia, is this a misspelling for the word urophobia (fear of urine or urinating)? I can't find that word used anywhere but here.
This statement:
is a type of social anxiety disorder
I'm only aware of two "types" of social anxiety disorder, generalized and specific. Would it not better be called a symptom of social anxiety disorder or a specific social phobia or better yet a specific phobia because social phobia doesn't have a sublist of phobias whereas specific phobia does?
Thunder2k (talk) 13:15, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I think I'm the one who made up that word mistakenly (urinophobia). Go ahead and change it. :-) Go ahead for the symptom thing too. I think I'm the guilty one here, once again. ;-)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Erlang01 (talk • contribs) 20:20, 17 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Question 

message: I've been to Russia and Poland a few times and I've noticed guys avoid urinals and go into cubicles far more than in the west. Are there any figures for its prevalence in different countries? Slavic guys seem to suffer from it more than most I think... Just a thought:) Malick78 (talk) 11:44, 8 November 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Cultural specificity

message: The Impact section mentions:
possibly because he may be worried about them seeing his penis
as one possible reason for paruresis.  Is there any evidence for that?  Just curious... it's not my experience, so I'm wondering if that "fear of one's penis being seen" is a true cause for anyone else.  In my case, it's more a feeling of vulnearability - like a subconscious, irrational fear that while I'm going, I could be struck from behind and not be able to defend myself, so my body's fight/flight preparations lock me up.
I'd like to add that feeling of vulnerability as a possible cause, in fact, though I have no outside source(s) for it.  But I wonder if the other reason is merely speculation?  Should it be removed or sourced?  (Or perhaps it's just the wording that seems more speculative and less authoritative.)  Memetics (talk) 08:03, 10 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Impact section - reasons for difficulty 

message: Would the material in the Cultural references section be more appropriately labeled "Paruresis in popular culture"?  Perhaps to allay the "miscellaneous information" concern atop the section, this section could be led with a paragraph describing how the public has slowly become aware of paruresis through pouplar cultural references.  (And possibly how sufferers might have their plight more widely understood, or at least acknowledged, as a result?)  Then an abbreviated list of pop-culture references following the paragraph would seem more appropriate.  Memetics (talk) 08:22, 10 December 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Cultural references 

message: An "in popular culture" section has now been added.  Based on the previous comment from 2008 it looks like a similar section may have been added in the past.  If someone took this out, I think it is important for the article to have it.  Please expand the list if possible.  --Wykypydya (talk) 07:38, 20 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Popular culture section 

message: I am baffled by this sentence in the Impact section:
:Some people cope by deliberately holding in their urine, by refraining from drinking liquids, or locating unoccupied or single-occupancy public bathrooms or elevators.
What on earth does elevators have to do with it? There is no previous mention of them. Do people urinate in elevators? Mmcculloch (talk) 04:21, 2 December 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: "or elevators" has since been removed, but I met a girl from Bermuda at a summer program last year who told me that people often urinate in public elevators there. Ian01 (talk) 00:53, 15 September 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Elevators? (Impact) 

message: According to IPA: 'It’s pronounced: “par-YOU-ree-sis.”' Is that consistent with the pronunciation currently provided by our article:  
I am not sure that the second syllable, "YOU," is equivalent to a Y followed by a schwa. Wouldn't it be more like "YUH" if the vowel were a schwa? Leucosticte (talk) 12:29, 13 June 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pronunciation 

message: I removed this whole paragraph:
:Some drugs can cause difficulty in urination, opiates such as heroin, hydrocodone, or synthetic opioids such as methadone in particular. It varies in severity and from person to person, but many users and abusers of these substances find themselves suffering from paruresis. Partly this is a physical side effect of these substances, but it is often seemingly a psychological symptom, directly related with "shyness", etc., like paruresis. While drugs such as heroin can make it more or less impossible to urinate, the effect can vary, and very often has a direct resemblance to "ordinary" paruresis, i.e. the user may find it impossible to urinate at all, or he/she may only be able to urinate when alone. Buprenorphine (such as in the opiate substitute Suboxone) seems to be slightly different than "normal" opiates, in that it causes symptoms more or less matching paruresis, with the difficulty directly related to psychological factors. In comparison, opiates can simply cause great difficulty regardless of things such as the presence (real or imaginary) of others. Many Suboxone users find themselves having a great deal of difficulty if they know or feel that others can see or hear them urinating. This can cause difficulties, as Suboxone (being used in substance abuse prevention programs) often requires patients to submit urine samples, which can be very difficult for many patients. Some Suboxone users never experience this, while others do only sporadically. It can affect patients even if they never had any problems with paruresis before beginning treatment. It is unclear by what mechanisms this is caused. It is certainly psychological in nature, as a person can experience it when alone, or unexpectedly have no difficulty even when others are close. Many users have found running water or other sound to "cover up" the sound of their urination is necessary, but once urine flow is finally started it will usually flow normally until completion. It is unclear as to how these chemical substances cause the psychophysical reaction described. The listing of this in the "side effects" of the medication is sporadic, with some pharmacies including it in the list of possible symptoms, while others neglect it.
Leucosticte (talk) 17:12, 18 June 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removed dubious content 

message: I removed the long paragraphs about opiates and Suboxone causing Paruresis. There is not one link to back any of this info up. Statements like- In comparison, opiates can simply cause great difficulty regardless of things such as the presence (real or imaginary) of others.,Many Suboxone users find themselves having a great deal of difficulty if they know or feel that others can see or hear them urinating. Who are the many Suboxone users? Also this-Some Suboxone users never experience this, while others do only sporadically. It can affect patients even if they never had any problems with paruresis before beginning treatment. It is unclear by what mechanisms this is caused. I even went to the Suboxone web page and nothing at all about Paruresis  listed in the side effects. This statement- It varies in severity and from person to person, but many users and abusers of these substances find themselves suffering from paruresis, I could not find any info about opiates or Hydrocodone or anything about opiates causing Paruresis. This statement-The listing of this in the "side effects" of the medication is sporadic, with some pharmacies including it in the list of possible symptoms, while others neglect it. how in the world could that statement be proved true or false? can anyone check every opiate bottle in the world to see if a Paruresis sticker is on the bottle? I don't think these paragraphs should be added back in the article without links to back the statements up. It reads like someone's opinion,and not medical facts.--BeckiGreen (talk) 00:18, 29 April 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: I suspect someone was confusing paruresis with urinary retention, which absolutely is a side effect, albeit fairly rare, of opioids. In addition, it can sometimes cause difficulty urinating too - but it isn't paruresis. So you were right that it's not the same thing. Although I do wonder if it's worth adding a section of differential diagnoses such as drug side effects, bladder stones, nerve issues/back injury, infections, prostate issues etc that can also lead to similar symptoms? Usually the big difference is that the person can pass urine when they are in a "safe" place with paruresis but this isn't true with other issues, but it certainly is worth considering. 80.1.144.137 (talk) 23:58, 15 December 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  I removed paragraphs about drugs. 

message: I'm not entirely sure what link was removed, but a quick search shows that the quote is from this paper in Nephro-Urology Monthly, and the reference points to this paper in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Are one/both of these journals regarded as predatory, and if so, on what basis? Genuinely asking, as I couldn't find anything specific about either publication on the Beall list, journalsearches.com, or anywhere else that I normally check for the reputability of journals. 80.6.203.241 (talk) 17:19, 30 January 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Citation for trauma of voiding cystourethrograms 

message: The topic seems to be presented by those who do not have paruresis, and have never suffered its consequences, while many who have responded in the TALK section do have paruresis. Perhaps someone with paruresis who is also qualified as a psychologist could put in additional information? Things like have any new kinds of pharmaceuticals been discovered that may be helpful for the condition, something along the lines that erectile failure that was once considered incurable is now helped with Viagra? (I'm fully aware that the two conditions are separate and distinct from each other) One thing I object to is the use of the word "phobia" in the opening statement, where some of those who have paruresis do not have a phobic type of response when in a situation where their paruresis is manifesting itself. For them, they are simply not 100% in control of urinating on demand, nothing more, without a racing heart, trembling, sweating, and in great fear. However, that is not to say that some of those who suffer from paruresis actually do have some kind of phobic response when having to use a public toilet, or are in uncomfortable surroundings, such as a jet airliner. I am one of those who suffered with "non-phobic" paruresis for probably 60 years, where the way it manifested itself was I could not always urinate "on demand", but sometimes could, depending on circumstances. Around loud and noisy strangers and in crowded public toilets was when I had zero control of urinating on demand. On demand meaning when I needed to, or I would not have another opportunity for several hours and the public transportation bus was waiting for me to hurry up and get out of the public toilet so the bus driver could be on schedule. However, if I had taken something like a benzodiazepine such as Valium, then there was no problem with being in 100% control of urinating on demand, which shows either a neurological or psychological component. In complete contrast to paruresis, I've never once had a problem with defecating "on demand" in crowded and/or noisy public toilets, even with ones where the doors to the cubicles had been removed. Go figure. Linstrum (talk) 04:13, 15 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  More precise, or definitive, information needed