Bathroom Phobia

[trappedindoors]

I am agoraphobic. The dumbest thing has ruined my life. I have bathroom phobia. I have a fear of going to the bathroom outside of my home. I don't mean peeing. This is really embarrassing and I don't feel like I can speak to my therapist about it. Someone is probably reading this and thinking that is ridiculous but it has totally ruined my life.

I used to be a really active person. I have traveled all over the world. 4 years ago I hadn't left the house in 6 months since then I have not gone more than 30 miles away from my house.

I am anxious all of the time. Sometimes I even have panic attacks at home when I need to use the bathroom.

Is anyone else in the same boat? No one really ever talks about this. I need some help...

[artaud]

I am agoraphobic. The dumbest thing has ruined my life. I have bathroom phobia. I have a fear of going to the bathroom outside of my home. I don't mean peeing.

I must say, defecating away from home or a place where reasonable privacy is not assured has been a concern for me, more so years ago.

I've worked in an industrial facility for many years. Unfortunately community showering is mandatory (chemical exposures, we must shower before leaving work). 30+ naked guys is a sobering thing. Despite the depiction of masculinity on TV, in real life, most bodies are not perfect sinewy sculptures. Don't get me wrong, these are real people doing real, dangerous, and difficult things, but it's a ghastly place to be.

A coworker once quipped that after being in the locker room under those circumstances, he doesn't see how women could have sex with men.

In my years at this facility, I had seen one guy wear swimming trunks into the shower, apparently, initially, he could not bring himself to traipse around naked. I do believe he is in his birthday suit these days, he just had to get used to it. Another coworker commented that he could not believe that people touched their "private parts" while in the shower in front of others, but damn if I could see how they would wash them without touching them. My coworker and I use different locker rooms, so I am not sure if he has been reunited with his "private parts" in the shower. Oh, along those lines, averting our gaze, looking at the ceiling, wall, floor, out the door to the shower, etc. is the preferred way to not be accused of gawking, no one gawks, it's an unwritten law.

The above (my workplace experience), written partly in humor, partly as a way of showing that many of us cope with things in different ways, is, nevertheless true. Different people have different sensibilities. I don't think that many people cherish their locker room experiences. But you get hardened to it after doing it again and again.

For the original question and how I have addressed it, I usually find a place that I feel comfortable at, such as a national chain of family restaurants, and when travelling, if nature persuasively calls, look for one of those to utilize for those needs. McDonalds would not be my first choice, there's usually just one stall. In the U.S., state highways usually have very suitable rest stops. And when we travel, it's not uncommon for me to return to the motel room that we're staying at to use the bathroom for that purpose, rather than to try to cope while at large.

Being semi-regular helps, you know to try to plan around specific times. If sanitation is an issue, I'm sure pocket or purse items are available.

Hope this is of some help.

[ThousandMiles]

I think you should talk to your therapist about this, seriously. I have some anxiety surrounding bathrooms as well. Not in the same way you do, just, whenever I need to go at all, I get anxious that I won't be able to hold it and it just makes me need to go more. So I try and stay around bathrooms at all times. I understand how much that kind of thing can affect a life, so you're kind of not alone.

But trust me, talking to someone about it will help. Therapists and doctors have basically seen and heard everything, so there's no need to worry. And it's not "dumb", but it's something that definitely needs sorting and definitely can be sorted