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Highlights
Chatting in a Women’s Restroom
Women attending an IPA workshop
Peeing Through the Fly of Your Pants
1. Question of the Season
How much does it bother you when women are
chatting away in a restroom, either at a sink or maybe even between
stalls? What, if anything, do you do about it? (see my response
below)
2. New "News"
Please take a minute to read the following
two posts from two women who just completed Steve's IPA workshop
in Baltimore.
(1) Workshop--and the ride home
“A special hello to all the people who attended the workshop
this weekend. I wanted to share this with you and Steve and Carl
and anyone else who cares to listen. As you all know, I'm a woman
who has no recollection of ever being able to pee in a public
restroom with anyone else in there. I've had this problem since
I was about 6 years old. Today I had a breakthrough at the workshop.
My two pee buddys were running the water & blower for me and
for the first time I went! I had not realized I had "graduated"
to this level until I actually did it! BUT add to the excitement
I must tell you that on the way I home I stopped at a rest stop
on the NJTP (something I normally would never have done) just
to "sit." The bathroom was large ,there was another
person in there, but there was like a humming sound that was nice
because it blocked out sounds like white noise. Also there was
piped in music. Well guess what? I peed after a couple minutes
and the song that was playing was "It feels like the first
time" by Foreigner. I almost laughed myself right off the
toilet!
I still have a very long way to go to get to where I want to
be. But I've seen results this weekend that I never would have
imagined. I trust there will be more good surprises. I encourage
everyone out there not to give up!”
(2) From another female IPA workshop participant
“So after a week end workshop I have become one of those
people wishing there were people in the bathroom! This morning
I went to mall and used 3 bathrooms. One with lots of people and
two, more elegant ones in two different department stores with
people, but not mobs. I had no idea there were 3 women's rooms
at the mall. I had no idea I could use them! All three times I
went with someone in stall next to mine. And in the last one I
stayed in stall for 7 minutes. There wasn't a line or anything,
but no one moving in or out of bathroom seemed to care that I
was in there "forever."
At the workshop, Carl said it was important to practice keeping
people waiting. This really helped with the whole issue of lock
ups. I can go into a bathroom knowing that if I lock up, I will
sit there for 7-10 minutes and that is how I will evaluate the
desensitization work. Boy, does that take the pressure off.
Then I went to hospital, which is a lot closer to me and used
two bathrooms there. Both empty! They both had one person in them
when I entered, but not when I "went" Too bad However
I sat in "scary" one (two stalls) for 7minutes and no
one came in. Alas. Well, I vow to return when it is busier.”
3. Check out the following website:
http://www.travelmateinfo.com.
Carl, the IPA's VP, posted it on the website a few days ago. It's
about a device that allows women to pee through the fly of their
pants while standing. A follow-up post mentioned there is also a
paper disposable version similar to this at Magellans travel catalogue.
Anyone interested?
4. Additions/changes
5. My response to: How much does it bother you when women
are chatting away in a restroom, either at a sink or maybe even
between stalls or talking to their kids? What, if anything, do you
do about it?
Before I began my recovery work, I usually would abandon a bathroom
facility if anyone carried on a conversation. I would not even bother
to try or would immediately leave a stall.
As part of my desensitization practice (and in a later phase of
it), I actively invited friends of mine to join me and encouraged
them to converse. After a while, their noise did not bother me at
all. I continued to repeat my "mantra" (thanks to Dr.
Howard Liebgold in my second AP workshop): I am a free peer (that's
pee-er) , and I will stake my ground".
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