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Can't go in a public restroom? You're not alone:
Most of us don't give much thought to going to the toilet. We go when we need to go.
But for a small minority of people, the act of urinating or defecating can be a major source of anxiety—especially when public restrooms are the only facilities available.
Paruresis (shy bladder) and parcopresis (shy bowel) are little known mental health conditions, yet they can significantly compromise a person's quality of life.
We don't know how many people have shy bowel, but research has estimated around 2.8%-16.4% of the population are affected by shy bladder. The condition is more common in males.
[...]
Most of us will feel a little "grossed out" from time to time when using public toilets. But what we're talking about here is different and more serious.
People with shy bladder and shy bowel experience significant anxiety when trying to go to the toilet, especially in public places like shopping centers, restaurants, at work or at school. Sufferers may also experience symptoms in their own home when family or friends are around.
Their anxiety can present in the form of increased heart rate, excessive sweating, rapid breathing, muscle tension, heart palpitations, blushing, nausea, trembling, or a combination of these.
Symptoms range in severity. Some people who are more mildly affected can experience anxiety but still be able to "go," for example when the bathroom is completely empty. Others may urinate or defecate with difficulty—for example their urine stream may be inconsistent. Some people will sit on the toilet and not be able to go at all.
[...] We canvassed 316 undergraduate students in an online survey on shy bladder and shy bowel. Some 72 participants (22.8%) self-reported symptoms of either one or both conditions.
- We found these symptoms were influenced by particular patterns of thinking, including:
- a misinterpretation or distortion of information (for example, interpreting laughter in the restroom as being directed towards them)
- fears around potential perceived negative evaluation (for example, a fear of being criticized for taking too long to defecate, or for sounds and smells produced during urination or defecation)
- fears around potential perceived positive evaluation (for example, a fear of being evaluated too positively for a strong urine stream).
Using statistical modeling, we found fear of negative evaluation was the factor most strongly associated with shy bladder or shy bowel symptoms.
As such, people with shy bladder or shy bowel may benefit from the sorts of treatments that help people with social anxiety disorder.
Cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, is known to reduce social anxiety symptoms.
The best way to help people with these conditions will be addressing the thought processes behind shy bladder and shy bowel, especially concerns around the perceptions others might evaluate or criticize one's urination or defecation.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Citation: Can't go in a public restroom? You're not alone—and there's help (2020, January 22) retrieved 22 January 2020 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-01-restroom-youre-aloneand.html
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday January 24 2020, @02:37AM (2 children)
If you must shit, shit on company time. Some companies, even nice ones, will punish you in other ways if you shit outside your break time, though. And they will let you know it as soon as you start working there. And California is an at-will state, and what average Joe has the time/energy/money/dignity to sue over taking shits?
The only way to get around this and not be fucked-with is to get a doctor's note, but even in that case word will get around that you're a "professional shitter," which is another stigma all its own. I've heard stories of guys taking prescribed opioids for back problems being subject to disciplinary action for literally taking hour-long shits due to the "effect of the opioids" on their digestive system. Nobody likes a freeloader or a free-floater.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 24 2020, @03:18AM
Reality is a thing. People compensate. Machines break.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Friday January 24 2020, @04:38PM
Wow. In almost forty years doing my job, I've never encountered that. Have never had any official "break" time. Nobody monitoring restroom use. Nobody gives a thought about leaving their desk for the kitchen, or restroom, or even to leave the building to run an important errand, etc.
We're all here in pursuit of a common goal: to maximize our bonuses. Which means maximizing the company's profit. When the company is profitable (after annual audit) and results in annual bonuses that are quite real and often more than a month's pay, or more sometimes, everyone quits worrying about such trivial details. Everyone is paid a salary. Everyone has flexibility to manage their own time, and is expected to achieve certain goals. Everyone is normally expected to be working certain "core hours" from 10am to 2pm so that it is possible set up meetings across time zones, etc. Although exceptions can be granted.
I tend to think of places that would pay attention to restroom usage as places that treat workers like children rather than adults. And that is probably because the managers act childish themselves. Maybe. If someone is monitored in their use of the restroom, does that person even have any authority to make decisions? (And I am not a manager and have expressed that I never intend to be a manager, that there should be a career path for a senior software developer, etc.)
I occasionally take prescription opioids for pain. Emphasis on occasionally. When doctor asked a few months back about constipation, I said I don't take enough of them to have that problem. But even if so, why would anyone care, as long as I can get my work done? (btw, I don't need to even ask permission to visit the dr. I just put it on my calendar so it's blocked out)
That leads me to, why would anyone care about other things (religion, race, skin color, etc) if they can get their job done and bring in money? When company is doing well, people focus on things that matter. Or maybe vice versa?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.