The ad is in poor taste and ridicules a serious problem, said Steve Soifer, CEO of the International Paruresis Association, which estimates that some 7 percent of Americans have some form of "
shy bladder syndrome.''
Cy was nearing the end of his college years when he walked into my office and told me he wanted help to "correct a phobia of using public restrooms." Ah, shy bladder syndrome...I have seen this before.
Over the course of the lunch, he told me that he still struggled with paruresis, although his life had enough routine now that it really did not inhibit his daily functioning in significant ways; and he was less worried and shame-filled about having a "shy bladder." Cy told me about his job (a great fit and wonderful way for him to use his education and skills), and we discussed his new girlfriend (whom he had met at a church singles group gathering).
Paruresis, also known as shy bladder syndrome, is defined as the fear of being unable to initiate or sustain urination because of the subconscious perception of a threat, such as the fear of being scrutinized by others (Boschen, 2008; Soifer, Zgourides, Himle, & Pickering, 2001).
Three instruments for which there is evidence of psychometric properties are the PCL (Soifer et al., 2001), the Paruresis-Scale (PARS; Hammelstein & Pietrowsky, 2005), and the Shy Bladder Scale (SBS; Deacon et al., 2012).
"
Shy bladder" issues and the "yuck" factor of urine testing are eliminated.
An embarrassment to bare all in the presence of strangers is called
Shy Bladder Syndrome (SBS) or paruresis.