Blog: All Posts
Flight 282
You have to understand, I am not afraid of flying in an airplane. As a kid, I loved the movement and motion of flying. But for the past fifty-five years, I haven’t flown very often at all. This all started because of an incident that happened at the end of the summer of 1968.
Virtual Support Group September Recap
Our most recent Virtual Support Group Meeting took place last evening, and we had about twenty participants from all over the US, Canada, and Europe. In the first hour each participant was invited to talk about his or her experiences, both past and present, and as each person talked the others listened with clear empathy…
Are we “weirdos”?
“I’m wondering if the people who are members in the IPA are a bunch of weirdos. I mean, they have to be, right?”
I’m sure this question has crossed your mind. 15+ years ago when I first learned about the International Paruresis Association I know I thought it.
Virtual Support Group Hits Record
The IPA Virtual Support Group is facilitated on a volunteer basis by myself and Steve Weinraub about once a month, and we hit a record on Sunday, August 28, with 31 participants. They included people from all over the United States, as well two people from the United Kingdom and one from Poland, and the age level ranged from early 20’s to late 70’s.
Three Success Stories
There are a great many things about the support work that I do on behalf of the IPA that provide me with personal satisfaction, but there is something truly special about supporting another guy during his first public graduated exposure experience. It brings great joy because I know that it can set him on a path which could lead to recovery,
Virtual GE – Does it work?
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which has become the most widely accepted treatment for Paruresis, uses a model of graduated exposure (GE) based upon public in-person practice with a “pee buddy” from a local support group or an empathetic friend or family member, a model which has shown itself to be highly effective. In March of 2020, however, that model became difficult if not impossible to use as social venues closed down and personal contact outside of immediate family became severely limited, and the idea of virtual GE practice, following the same general procedure but done over video chat from a home bathroom, came to be used as an alternative.
A Prisoner Speaks
Thank you so much for responding back to my letter! I have to be honest with you, when I received the package and seen who it was from it almost brought me to tears. I’m almost in tears now just thinking about it. I have felt so alone and hopeless dealing with my condition since I thought I was all alone. Finally someone knows how I feel and knows the type of issues I face on a daily basis.
How can I access historic IPA resources like “Free To Pee”?
The IPA is celebrating 25 years of helping people with clinically shy bladders. Several very important resources (books, videos, audio recordings) created by the IPA or its friends are now out of print. That got me thinking about how to describe these valuable works. Are they classic? Are they historic?
When will fair drug testing be available to all?
True story. The IPA was contacted by a municipal worker who is an eight year employee with a clean employment record. He’s always had difficulty with providing annual samples and then he failed a test. For employers who must follow Department of Transportation rules, this instance is labeled a “refusal” to provide a sample and counts as a “failure.” To maintain his employment, he was put on a program of more frequent drug testing – which, you guessed it, he failed.
FTF Method Airplane Bathroom
During the recovery from a surgery, it was required that I had to wear an adult diaper for a few weeks; and as an unexpected gift, I discovered it was quite helpful with my Paruresis.
My Recovery Story – Dave Kliss
[Dave Kliss is a Board Member and the longtime Support Coordinator for the IPA.] My name is Dave, I am 65 years old, I am married with two grown children and 4 grandchildren, and I am a retired teacher. I developed Paruresis when I was 5 years old as the result of severe bullying in the bathrooms in elementary school, and like most guys with this condition,
What a Relief!
remember very well the first time I found myself unable to urinate in a public bathroom. My family were city-dwellers but we had country relatives so long car trips were a regular feature of my childhood. Pit-stops at McDonalds to have lunch and to relieve bladders were an invariable part of these journeys and it was during just such a stop that.
QUICK LINKS
INTERNATIONAL PARURESIS ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 21237
Catonsville, MD 21228
You Are Not Alone.
There Is Help For You!
Shy Bladder, Bashful Bladder, Pee Shy
IPA OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday
10:00am - 6:00pm (ET)
844-I-CANT-PEE (422-6873)
US/Canada
443-315-5250 Office
Email: getinfo@paruresis.org
This website is NOT a substitute for medical or legal advice and does not constitute the practice of law, medicine, psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work, or any other mental health profession. If you are having trouble urinating, you should always contact a physician since difficulty with voiding can be a symptom of a serious medical condition. We are a group of professional people and people who have suffered with paruresis. We have assembled a board and a board of advisors to help people cope with urinary dysfunction that has a psychological or social origin. On this website, we are NOT practicing medicine, psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work or any other mental health profession. You should have your doctor evaluate your condition before diagnosing yourself, and seek the appropriate necessary mental health counseling if warranted. IPA, Inc. disclaims any and all legal liability whatsoever.