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4A – Daily News – Monday, May 3, 2010 Vitality & health (MCT) — It's precisely because it's so easy for the rest of us, it can be paralyz- ing for millions of others. Snicker if you will, but the International Paruresis Association, or IPA, esti- mates that the fear of peeing in a public restroom or uri- nating when others are around affects an estimated 17 million Americans, or 7 percent of the population. Think about it: You can avoid spiders or heights or flying and many other sources of common fears. But hydrating the body and releasing toxins is essential to life. "We're just told, 'When you have to go bad enough you'll go," says Steven Soifer of the Baltimore- based IPA and Shy Bladder Center. "Well, it doesn't work like that." Paruresis is so debilitat- ing for some, it has destroyed careers and lives and made them virtually homebound. Dating is a nightmare. Jobs with shared bathrooms or close working quarters add to the pressure. Long trips by car or, particularly, plane are nearly impossible. Some sign up for quiet night shifts. "Oh, we're very cre- ative," says 54-year-old Soifer, who spent years working through his anxiety and returns to Detroit this month for the IPA's 10th workshop here. "One man took a job as a janitor so if he had to go, he could just put out a sign. And a guy in the U.S. Navy back in the '40s or '50s told us he signed up for latrine duty because of it." Growing up in Royal Oak, Mich., Mike O'Rourke, 43, attended a local community college for one reason: It was nearby. He stretched out his sched- ule so he could make it home between classes. Leaving home for long periods of time simply was- n't an option, he says. Much like the fear of fly- 8th Annual FIBER ON THE FOOT May 1-2 • 9 to 5 Fiber Livestock Festival Family fun Handcrafter’s Paradise Plus 6 other events at the TDFG www.fiberonthefoot.com Corning Calif. Largest Selection In Tri-County • Herbal Medicines • Edibles (Foods) • Clones 1317 Solano St. (530) 824-4811 www.tehamaherbalcollective.vpweb.com with a Special Gift from Gayle’s at 649 Main Street Downtown Red Bluff Free Gift Wrapping Gift Certificates MCT photo Ken Land, 60, of Ann Arbor, Mich., is trying to conquer his battle with Bashful Bladder Syndrome, a condition millions of Americans battle by not being able to use public bathrooms to urinate. ing, it's the inability to take control that feeds the panic, says O'Rourke, now a father of two in Farmington Hills, Mich., who works in com- puter support. "It's not like you're afraid of peeing. It's that you don't feel comfort- able in certain situations." The condition is a con- stant preoccupation, domi- nating meetings, recreation- al outings, conversations, says Carol Olmert, the IPA's women's coordinator. "It takes on a life of its own." FEAR OF BEING JUDGED It's unclear what triggers the disorder, and doctors are still trying to understand the brain-bladder connection. Our sphincter muscles are what keep us dry. Almost always tense, they allow the bladder to work like a reservoir, keeping the urine in while we're typing on our computers at work, playing with our children, chatting on the phone or reading the newspaper. Six or eight times a day, we ask it to relax on com- mand — a command so nat- ural for most of us that there's no hesitation, no sec- ond-guessing in it, says Dr. Michael Chancellor, direc- tor of Beaumont Hospital- Royal Oak's neurourology program. But for some, a momen- tary hesitation can lead to panic and finally to a fright- ened paralysis as muscles of the pelvic floor refuse to relax. The fear is not in peeing, it's not being able to — and having others notice, says Carl Robbins, director of training at the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland and cofounder of IPA. Much like the perfor- mance anxiety associated with stuttering, insomnia or sexual performance, "the anxiety or fear of the event Remember Shy bladder sufferers overcome anxiety makes it more likely to occur," he says. Ken Land, a 60-year-old Ann Arbor, Mich., social worker, tried for years to quietly find ways around his paruresis. He talked about it with colleagues, as if it was a client of his who was strug- gling with it: "But everyone you tell, they just kind of scratch their heads — psy- chologists included, neurol- ogists included and family practitioners included." Even friendships can be tough when it's hard to enjoy a few hours at a ball game or a shopping trip to the mall. "I've had people hide it ... from their spouses for 20, 30 years," Soifer says. "When they finally are truthful about it, it's such a relief (for the spouse). It's 'What? That's it? I thought you were a gangster or something.'" As a young man, O'Rourke knew that a wife and family would threaten his privacy. "I had doubts. 'Do I even want to get married?' When you're alone, you control your own destiny, your day. You do what you want to do on your schedule," he says. "It's both a psychological and physiological reaction. It's the fear that someone will hear or see you and evaluate you negatively. It's the fear of being judged," says Olmert, who remem- bers being at a summer camp the first time she grew anxious in a restroom. WORKING THROUGH SHAME In high school, now-56- year-old Kevin Melchert of Whitmore Lake, Mich., took the easiest classes to ensure his placement on the school's honor roll — and access to the library's sin- gle-use bathroom. Public outings were anxiety-ridden to the point he could no longer concentrate on con- versations around him: "I'd keep watching the bath- rooms, seeing who was walking in and out and try- ing to time it just right." His anxiety began after he was sexually assaulted as a teenager. The more he tried to cope with the anxi- ety, the more panicked he became. On a high school trip across the country, he went for more than 24 hours without a restroom stop — an excruciating experience. "The shame was instilled in me as a kid," he says. The debilitating panic reinforced it — a cruel cycle. Like so many others, Melchert kept his condition secret for years. His father died a few years ago without knowing about Melchert's condition. fitness Nutrition Quiz: Honey in the raw (MCT) — We do requests at Nutrition Quiz, and loyal reader Ellen John- son of Sacramento implores us to feature raw honey. Hey, we are The Sacramen- to Bee, so Ellen's wish is granted. 1. One tablespoon of honey contains 60 calories. How does that compare to 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar? sugar sugar a) 12 more calories than b) 12 fewer calories than c) Same number of calo- ries as sugar 2. According to Colum- bia University Health Ser- vices, why do most people use a smaller amount of honey as a sweetener, com- pared with sugar? a) They worry about caloric intake and weight gain. b) Honey is harder to digest than sugar. c) Honey is sweeter and more dense than sugar. 3. True or false: Most vegans permit themselves to eat honey, even though it comes from bees. 4. According to a 1993 study in the journal Surgery, the topical use of honey can help which condition? a) Gout b) Gangrene c) Gingivitis 5. True or false: You should not give a child under 12 months honey because of the risk of infant botulism. 6. What is one reason for a darker-hued honey? a) Heat and indoor stor- age time b) Honey cultivated in southern climes c) Darker-colored bees Sources: thedailyplate.com; goaskalice.columbia.edu; www.mayoclinic.com. Can you prevent Alzheimer's? (MCT) — Exercise, dietary supplements and programs that claim to boost your brain power have all been market- ed as ways to stave off Alzheimer's. But there's no evidence that any of them work, an independent panel of experts con- vened by the National Institutes of Health concluded this week. So far, studies haven't been able to prove if any of these strategies work to prevent cognitive decline, the panel said. The news is discouraging, for certain. The unfortunate real- ity is so little is known about the illness and of the aging process in general, experts said. Researchers have identified certain risk factors such as age and the association of a genetic variant of a protein that plays a role in cholesterol — apolipoprotein E — that have shown links to developing Alzheimer's. The panel found that chronic diseases such as diabetes and depression, and risk factors such as smoking are asso- ciated with increased risk of both Alzheimer's and cognitive decline. But it's unclear if these cause Alzheimer's. What's clear, however, is that a review of the interven- tions used to prevent the disease shows little evidence that they're effective. May 7th is Show us Your Hope Day! Wouldn’t life be better if everything was purple? We think so! That’s why on May 7th, the Red Bluff community will be turning purple! Decorate your store, office, and restaurant and wear purple on May 7th. Join the celebration in support of Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society’s largest event and the world’s biggest fundraiser with more than 3 million participants. During this overnight community event, teams walk around a track, relay style, to raise funds, celebrate survivorship, and remember those lost to cancer. Relay For Life of RED BLUFF May 15 & 16, 2010 Vista School – 1770 S. Jackson Street 9:00 a.m. Opening Ceremonies Photo: We Shoot Ya Photography Shuttle space is limited, so please contact Janet at North Valley Service Transit to make your reservation today 530.528.1083! PICK-UP AND DROP OFF LOCATION Anderson Safeway Parking Lot Red Bluff Community Center Corning Safeway Parking Lot PICK UP TIME 10:45 AM 11:20 AM 11:40 AM LEAVE FROM ROLLING HILLS 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM 4:00 PM or 8:00 PM Contact: Debbie O’Connor, Chair (relaytrailboss@gmail.com) Published through an event co- sponsorship agreement with D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY ANSWERS: 1: a; 2: c; 3: false; 4: b; 5: true; 6: a