If you have paruresis, also known as “shy bladder syndrome,” you know how social anxiety can paralyze your mind and body with fear.
Having paruresis makes you unable to use the restroom if you know that someone else is nearby, for example, in the stall next to you.
Social anxiety makes you feel very nervous and uncomfortable around others, and it makes you especially afraid of their disapproval or dislike.
While paruresis does affect your body, it is strongly tied to your mind, as well. The anxiety and panic you feel even when thinking of using a restroom near someone else are what makes you feel paralyzed by fear.
One strategy that can work for treating some people with shy bladder syndrome is working to reduce the underlying social anxiety. By making people with paruresis feel more comfortable around others and less preoccupied with failed social interactions, it may be possible to reduce the severity of some of the symptoms.
BBC News recently published an article on treatment for social anxiety disorder. A computerized system is designed to project the social anxious person’s face on a screen. He or she is then able to practice social behaviors in different settings. The participants who tested out the system were able to observe their facial reactions and behaviors and learn to improve them.
If you want to know more about how the new computerized system works, you can read about it in detail at the link below. You will also find out what the participants thought of their virtual experience.
