User:Catty C

Shy Bowel

Shy Bowel can be described as: “An inability to defecate when other people are perceived or likely to be around (e.g. in the same public toilet, house or building).” This inability limits the sufferer to being able to defecate only in a limited number of ‘safe’ places thus restricting their lifestyle. The level of restriction varies depending on the severity of each sufferer’s condition but in extreme cases it can force people to give up their jobs, avoid holidays they would love to take, and generally dictate and limit most aspects of their lives. A medical description is ‘Psychogenic Faecal Retention’. It affects both men and women, of all ages and backgrounds; it is a form of toilet phobia.

The medical name for Shy Bowel is Parcopresis. There is support available for sufferers at www.shybowel.com. This includes a forum where sufferers can discuss their condition, and ways to overcome it.

To date, only one book has been published on the subject, entitled "SH*T DOESN'T HAPPEN - Lifting the lid on Shy Bowel" by Baz Chalabi available through www.shybowel.com. It is based on Baz Chalabi's many years of testing different methods for recovering from Shy Bowel. It includes ways to densitise oneself, such as Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy. It also looks at the physiology and psychology of Shy Bowel.

The term Shy Bowel was created in 2003 by Baz Chalabi, with the help of Steve Soifer (author of "Shy Bladder Syndrome - Your step by step guide to recovery"). Previous to this, no specific name had existed for the condition, and it had only been referred to under the more general term of Toilet Phobia.

Toilet Phobia refers to any anxiety disorder involving using toilets and includes: fear of contamination, specific object phobias such as Black Toilet Seat phobia, Paruresis (Shy Bladder Syndrome), and Toilet Proximity Anxiety Disorder.

Baz Chalabi also created the medical term, Parcopresis in 2003, with the help of Professor Alex Gardner.

Shy Bowel is sometimes called Bashful Bowel.

It is not clear how many people suffer with the condition, and level of severity is a key factor as some people may not find it affects their lives, whilst others find their lives are dictated by its demands.

The charity Anxiety UK has a dvd and information available on Toilet Phobia, some of which deals with Shy Bowel. Their website is http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk