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Trouble peeing in a public bathroom
17/F
Hi! I am going on a road trip cross country this summer with my mom. I'm very excited except for one problem I have been dealing with for about 7 years: I can't pee anywhere but my home bathrooms. The last roadtrip I took, I ended up in the hospital 3 nights in a row with 2 temporary catheters and 1 permanent one I had to have for a week (it was extremely painful, especially since I still had to drive 8 more hors home.) I was wondering if anybody had any advice on what I can do to pee in a public bathroom? Is there some medication I can take or some mental trick?? Thanks so much!!
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Want to answer more questions in the Health & Fitness category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
just close your eyes and imagine it as your home bathroom
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I am a great deal older than most of the advisers on this site, so my advice will be somewhat different from what you may have received and may continue to receive from others.
We all have little different phobias; some of these phobias get in the way of our enjoying different life’s different pleasures. You may have what some people refer to as a bashful bladder. I’m not sure if this is a true medical term or something us laypeople came up with to explain the malady you experience.
If it is a physical problem then your doctor should be able to prescribe a medicine that will help or there could be a surgical procedure to correct your problem. Most likely your problem is not physical but more of a deep seated problem and need for privacy when dealing with bodily functions. If this is the problem it is much easily fixed then if it is a medical problem.
What needs to be done is to sit down with a clinical psychologist and find out the cause of the problem and find a solution to it. No you are not crazy and you do not have a mental defect. You have a call it irrational fear, not unlike people who are claustrophobic, have a fear of flying or any other fears that inhibit the enjoyment of daily life. With the proper help to understand this fear(s) it can be overcome.
My advice is to first visit your family doctor for a complete physical to make sure there is nothing physically wrong with you. Make sure you tell your doctor of your problem so the doctor knows what to look for. If nothing physically wrong is found ask the doctor to refer you to a clinical psychologist.
Like any other problem you encounter during your day to day living this one can be overcome if you meet it head on. Working with an experienced counselor will help you identify why you have this fear and find away to meet it and overcome it. We have all seen stories on TV where someone snaps a rubber band on their wrist at times and when asked why they do it. They explain it helps them overcome some fear. It can really be that simple.
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Bring your CD player or MP3 player in the stall with you.
Sit down, relax, turn on your music, and close your eyes. Think of how relaxing it is to just sit down and listening to some music.
Forget that you're in a public restroom (or a restroom other than your own).
Relax and just let things happen naturally. Don't panic over not being able to go and definitely do not rush yourself. If it takes you an hour to relax enough to go then just sit and relax for an hour. Don't push, don't strain, don't force yourself...just let it happen.
Drink a lot of pure, clean water on the roadtrip to avoid dehydration and to help you go easier. Make sure you eat balanced means, too, to keep things in it's natural routine.
Listen to your body. When you have to go, don't hold it. Stop and head to the nearest bathroom with the above trick and relax until it happens. The key in all of this is listening to your body, usually.
I also suggest taking a cranberry supplement (not the juice--a lot of prepackaged juices are full of other things, including sugars or artificial ingredients). You can find cranberry pills a lot of locations. I think even WalMart sells them. It can help cut down on some inflamation in the urinary tract if you end up getting a little nervous and holding it on the toilet for awhile. It will not PREVENT anything--but it might help to calm some of the parts down if you hold it longer than you usually do.
It also may help if you take regular breaks to "try" to go, even when you aren't feeling like it. Sometimes if your body knows that every hour will mean sitting on a potty for 15 minutes to wait and see if you need to go it will get into the groove and let things flow out naturally. Give it a try, too. I would still bring the music along and relax.
It's just having to relax and realize that nothing bad is going to happen to you in a public restroom. No scary germs are going to get you. Nobody is going to be mad at you for going in that toilet. Nobody is going to laugh at you for taking a potty break. You're growing into an adult and things like this need to be learned.
And, no, don't be afraid about the MP3/music thing. Nobody is going to think it's silly, especially if they already know you have had problems before. If you're roadtripping with friends give them a heads up that it might take you a little longer in the restroom. Nobody will ask why ;)
You can do it! I have faith! :)
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