Phobia of not being able to hold "it"

[anasong4]

Hi,
  I am new to all this forum stuff but I have a very irrational but very real fear: I fear I will be somewhere and will not be able to hold my urine.

I know this sounds incredibly stupid and ridiculous but everytime I go out, I fear it will happen.  Even if I just went to the bathroom, I worry that it will accumulate again which produces anxiety.  The anxiety then makes me pay a lot of attention to my bladder.  Then even if I don't necessarily have to go at the moment, it feels like I do, which makes me panic.

Is there anyone else out there like me?  Can somebody please help me?

[suki43]

Hi Anasong,

Welcome to the boards here! I'm sure you'll find a lot of helpful advice from the guys.

There is a member who has this. I think it was Angel. Hopefully she'll see your thread and you can talk about it.

The one thing I said to Angel was, is your fear actually a fear of being exposed in public or humilated? Do you, for example, not like being the centre of attention?
Do you have any memory as a child of peeing in public, which may have left you with this fear?

To me, it sounds like the focus on your bladder is a physical manifestation of may be some of the fears above?

have you considered this before?

Suki

[pippip]

Welcome to the forum, I'm Pip.Sorry in advance if i'm being to personal but do you have bladder control problems? There are many treatment options out there that can improve not being able to hold it dramatically. I know someone who is way better off since going on a medicine for it, but there are excercises also. I don't have this specific fear but having to go really bad makes my anxiety really high, i have bad memories of a person in the car who refused to stop to let us pee, so i get really worried about not being able to hold it in the car which has caused some panic attacks especially in traffic. Take care and best wishes.
-Pip

[retrogurl88]

I have this irrational fear that there won't be a bathroom available when I have to go, so I suppose that is quite similar.

[itsjustme]

Yes, I get this fear sometimes. It is very silly when you think about, but when you are actually in the situation it's not funny...it's very anxiety producing. When I was at my peak of anxiety & having frequent panic attacks, I would be sitting in class & just start worrying that I would just start urinating on myself. So, yeah, definitely know what you are talking about....

I also sometimes get the fear that I will not be able to urinate. Kinda like how you feel sometimes that you can't swallow. And so you get a panicky feeling & tighten up. Plus, I have this thing about feeling like I have to be in control of functions that are involuntary (like using the bathroom or breathing). I just have to remind myself that my body knows what to do, I don't have to focus on it & or try to control it.

[Angel5576]

THANK GOODNESS . I understand you sooo much!!!! i have this phobia PLEASE PLEASE write back i have been w8ing for years for someone to understand. I have a constant fear that if Im travelling or in say an exam that i will need the toilet and mite not be able to hold it. I starve myself of liquid before these situations and go to the loo often. But because I am constantly aware of my bladder the panic makes you need the loo more. Thus the circle continues. I would really really like to talk to you pleease write back I have never come across someone with the same problem. 

[IceAngel07]

This is such a relief to find otha people with the same problem as me! Mine is pretty much the same but also I have anxiety of having to go to the toilet , especially numberr 2 , in iconvenient situations such as class, assembly, tests and stuff like that. Its pretty bad and I get upset about it alot. I also have bad anxiety about farting in public, which is where alot of my fear comes from. Ive been to get help which was good and for a while i had control of it but it comes back.

Write to me if ya wanna talk bout it cos i kno wat its like