Report from 2012 Sydney Workshop
Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 8:19 am
Hi all,
I attended the workshop in Sydney over the weekend, and I thought I should quickly report back for those who are curious about what goes on at these events and how useful they are. I'd also like to give a big thanks to John for organising the workshop and for his support and advice.
First I'll give a bit of background about myself. I'm in my mid-thirties and I've been paruretic since my early teens I guess (I'm really can't remember when or how it started...). I'd come to the conclusion that I was probably just stuck with this annoying problem and would just continue on with it and see no improvement for the rest of my life. But of course I wished that I could get better, and every now and then I'd lurk around on these forums searching for some inspiration or insight into how I might miraculously "cure" myself. Eventually I guess I just worked up the courage to try and actually do something to improve my situation so I decided to attend a workshop.
Well I can definitely say that attending the workshop was a great experience and I am so glad that I took the big step of starting to work towards recovery. Meeting and talking with other people and hearing their own stories was invaluable for helping to chip away at that feeling that I am some kind of "freak" for having this problem. It was also incredibly inspiring to hear of the progress that others had already made on their journeys to recovery - this was direct evidence that this problem can be overcome if you are prepared to put in the work. John also provided great advice on how to start changing our thought processes about paruresis, and a couple of suggestions that particularly struck me were:
1) To think about it in terms of your bladder (or "waterworks") instead of yourself. For example:
- when using a toilet don't worry about what YOU are going to do, just try to think like
an observer with a dispassionate interest in what you bladder will do
- if you are asked by someone why you are using a cubicle, tell them that "your bladder needs
a bit of privacy" instead of "I need more privacy"
2) Don't feel like you have to be in "recovery mode" all the time. Practicing and graduated
exposure are essential for working towards recovery, but there are times when you will need
to revert back to "survival mode" in order to relieve yourself. This shouldn't be seen as
a failure - there is no point in exposing yourself to a stressful situation where you are
almost certain to "misfire". But it is important to make sure that practising and recovery
techniques are scheduled regularly into your life.
The practise sessions during the workshop were a great opportunity to start chipping away at the problem. It was extremely rewarding to get a sense of progress in just a couple of days, and I think this will really help with creating the motivation to continue on with practice and recovery.
So to summarise, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that others attend one of these workshops if they get an opportunity. I believe that it has given me a great boost towards recovery.
Rich.
I attended the workshop in Sydney over the weekend, and I thought I should quickly report back for those who are curious about what goes on at these events and how useful they are. I'd also like to give a big thanks to John for organising the workshop and for his support and advice.
First I'll give a bit of background about myself. I'm in my mid-thirties and I've been paruretic since my early teens I guess (I'm really can't remember when or how it started...). I'd come to the conclusion that I was probably just stuck with this annoying problem and would just continue on with it and see no improvement for the rest of my life. But of course I wished that I could get better, and every now and then I'd lurk around on these forums searching for some inspiration or insight into how I might miraculously "cure" myself. Eventually I guess I just worked up the courage to try and actually do something to improve my situation so I decided to attend a workshop.
Well I can definitely say that attending the workshop was a great experience and I am so glad that I took the big step of starting to work towards recovery. Meeting and talking with other people and hearing their own stories was invaluable for helping to chip away at that feeling that I am some kind of "freak" for having this problem. It was also incredibly inspiring to hear of the progress that others had already made on their journeys to recovery - this was direct evidence that this problem can be overcome if you are prepared to put in the work. John also provided great advice on how to start changing our thought processes about paruresis, and a couple of suggestions that particularly struck me were:
1) To think about it in terms of your bladder (or "waterworks") instead of yourself. For example:
- when using a toilet don't worry about what YOU are going to do, just try to think like
an observer with a dispassionate interest in what you bladder will do
- if you are asked by someone why you are using a cubicle, tell them that "your bladder needs
a bit of privacy" instead of "I need more privacy"
2) Don't feel like you have to be in "recovery mode" all the time. Practicing and graduated
exposure are essential for working towards recovery, but there are times when you will need
to revert back to "survival mode" in order to relieve yourself. This shouldn't be seen as
a failure - there is no point in exposing yourself to a stressful situation where you are
almost certain to "misfire". But it is important to make sure that practising and recovery
techniques are scheduled regularly into your life.
The practise sessions during the workshop were a great opportunity to start chipping away at the problem. It was extremely rewarding to get a sense of progress in just a couple of days, and I think this will really help with creating the motivation to continue on with practice and recovery.
So to summarise, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that others attend one of these workshops if they get an opportunity. I believe that it has given me a great boost towards recovery.
Rich.