I have a 'nervous bladder'. I can't pee in a public washroom what can I do to fix this?

You’re definitely not the only person to have this affliction.  I myself have had trouble in some particularly cramped washrooms and some of the old trough systems that thankfully aren’t around much anymore.  It is very common; some men can’t pee in a public bathroom that is completely empty!

The condition, which affects millions of men in the United States alone, is called avoidance paruresis.  Although you may not think it is due to anxiety, it is.  We spend the majority of our lives preventing ourselves from just urinating when ever there is urine in our bladders, and we are also (thankfully) conditioned to consider it unacceptable to simply urinate whenever and wherever we want.

There are a couple of methods to breaking this anxiety, some men have it so bad they have taken to using a catheter while in public.  Hopefully you won’t have to take such a drastic step.  Other methods include hypnosis and psychotherapy.  A simple method to try and break this habit is to have what you may call a ‘pee buddy’.  It may sound unorthodox, but gradually getting used to something is often a easy and successful way to overcome something such as a ‘bashful bladder’.  Therapists use similar techniques to help people over come fears.  If you’re willing to expose your unwillingness to pee with other men around you can ask a friend to help you out.  Have him stand by the bathroom door while you pee, perhaps leave the door open a crack at first and as you become more accustom to having someone near you while you pee you can eventually leave the door wide open and have your friend stand right behind you while you pee.  A difficult thing to ask of a person I know but there’s a good chance it will work.

You can also always go in a stall rather than in a urinal, or you can try distracting your self with math problems, or trying to remember all the scores in last nights games, whatever you like. 

Remember that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and that a great deal of men share your inability to urinate in public.

Good Luck.

Here’s a link that provides some additional suggestions, and some stats that may make you feel better.
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1546.html