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Highlights
IPA All-Women’s Workshop scheduled
for June 2004 in Chicago
New book about Avoidant Paruresis to be released
(woman editor)
Exposure exercise for secondary paruresis
New “News” Section
The first all-women's workshop
is scheduled!
When: June 11-13th, 2004
Where: Chicago.
Dr. Steve Soifer, IPA Executive Director wants to offer the first-ever
all women’s workshop this year. I and another woman plan to
be present to help facilitate this group.
Now is your chance to help yourself!
For any of you who have been “thinking” about participating
in a workshop and for others who would like a refresher, this workshop
is for you. I can’t tell you how much I personally benefited
– it changed the course of my life. If you’ve been reading
these newsletters for a while, you know that other female workshop
participants from this Forum report similar success stories.
Please consider attending, and let me know your intent.
For further information, please write directly to Steve at ssoifer@ssw.umaryland.edu
or to me at Olmert@aol.com.
New book about AP to be released!
“The Secret Phobia”, an anthology edited by Sylvia
Typaldos (one of our Forum participants and my pee buddy), will
soon be published. It contains personal stories written by those
of us who have suffered from AP for most of our lives – how
we’ve coped and what we’ve done to get help. Several
of the stories, including mine, were submitted by members of this
Forum.
The book is available on the IPA Website. Click on “Read
About Our Books” and scroll to the bottom of the page. Sylvia
will donate some of the proceeds to the IPA.
1. Tips/Suggestions:
Back to Basics: what can be very helpful for improving and managing
your paruresis:
(1) It is much easier to get started on a recovery program when
you have read some of the following materials and understand why
certain things are encouraged and others are discouraged.
Exposure exercise for secondary
paruresis (which involves getting anxious about being anxious.)
Notes Carl Robbins, IPA Co-Founder: “I have found that the
secondary anxiety is the most important to work on because it blocks
the effects of desensitization and habituation (which eliminate
the PRIMARY anxiety over time). In essence, learning how to be comfortable
BEING ANXIOUS is a key to recovery)
1) Approach someone at an information desk at a mall or the front
desk at a hotel
2) Using a "matter of fact" tone, tell him/her you have
difficulty urinating in a public restroom and ask him/her where
you can find a more private place to go
3) Notice his/her reaction; don't just slink away
optional:
4) Go back and check out what s/he thought when you asked the question
Variation: have someone else do this if you're not ready for it
and notice the reaction
Remember, privacy is a preference. Secrecy is avoidance.
2. Question of the Season
What, if any, is your New Year’s resolution as it pertains
to your recovery from paruresis?
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