We've had a chat amongst ourselves at UKAP, and we think it is: "An inability to urinate in the presence, real or perceived, of others."Define it how you feel fit, we all know if we've got it. Common names for the condition are Pee Shy or Bashful Bladder.

We consist of a core of people who met via RichardZ's U.S. Website (which is no longer in existence) and people who joined after finding the U.K. board. We first met informally in spring 1999, and have met every three months or so since. So far we have clocked up 4 meetings. Humour, trust, intelligent cut and thrust, friendship and empathy are all bywords for the meetings.

We're from all over the UK (London (South and East), Yorkshire, Merseyside, Glasgow,Buckinghamshire, and West Midlands) , and so far have met at a great venue in Warwick that allows us luxury, freedom and a relaxed surrounding. It's as AP friendly a public venue you can get. However we're becoming more mobile and lesser sufferers in the group will come to you on your terms.

We currently have the following main goals:

1. To promote the UK end of things to fellow UKers via the Web and build more fellow sufferers into a support network.

2. To promote solutions (psychological, devices, drugs etc) to alleviate some of the suffering.

3. To meet regularly to discuss all matters in 2.

4. To build a solid active UK presence complementing the USA experience.

5. To actively engage in desensitisation therapy

There may be no 100% cure. Like alcoholism and smoking, it's probably impossible to completely "unlearn" this thing. However, we offer a range of real-life experiences that cover the full NHS saga, through hypnotherapy, to self catheterisation, drugs and all manner of other possible solutions. We believe talking and chatting with as many of ourselves as possible may provide the best way forward.

A good Web Page, possibly a Bulletin Board like the USA. About 4 meetings a year, "Boot Camp", to be the self catheterisation experts of the world and to be the best possible support group.

Self Cathing is the use of medically available Catheters (small plastic tubes) that can be inserted up the length of the penis and give immediate mechanical relief to the problem. So far, it"s the only sure fire way of peeing we know, and we are generally committed in the UK to getting to grips with this technique. Desensitisation is the technique whereby you attempt to pee next to a fellow sufferer. The theory is that do it often enough and you overcome the "fear". "Boot Camp" is the other approach - we have found that "desensitisation" happens too infrequently (3 pees a quarter with 2-3 people you know fairly well) so we are looking in 2000 to get together at a 100% private safe venue to pee all weekend until we've shaken that particular fear a substantial amount.

Our UK contact person, Andrew, will be happy to chat with anyone . Alternatively, seek out our members on the UK paruresis bulletin board where we maintain an active presence.