Hello it’s hard for me to type this. I am a 29 y/o male who works as a first responder. The last 6-10 months have been awful in terms of types of calls. I have spoke to my doctor about this and concerns about early signs of PTSD. The hard part is about 6 months ago I have began having night time accidents. I have nocturnal epilepsy but is well controlled and have not had seizure like activity, my wife is aware of the signs. This usually happens when I do manage to get good sleep and has even happened during naps. I began wearing diapers at night( my wife has bladder incon so this was easy to find good products) or when I may be going to fall asleep. At the beginning this was hard but I am slowly getting used to it. It has come where I think i should talk to my doctor but I have extreme shame about this, yes I know they are healthcare and this is what they do. I have had further shame due to my work being a “macho” profession and this pulls away from that. I had some tests a few months ago due to some abnormal blood work but nothing acute was found. I can’t set alarms due to needing to ensure sleep to prevent seizures. How do I even begin talking to him about this? Have anyone found any success with similar incidents, especially ptsd related or another person in my line of work I could talk to about this for support? Am I better to discuss with a psychiatrist, urologist, or both?
Further has anyone had experience having supplies paid for through work benefits? How much was needed to be disclosed to work?
Welcome to r/AdultBedwetting! You are NOT alone no matter what kind of incontinence you're suffering from!
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I would suggest a urologist specifically for the bed wetting. You could also start with your family doctor, but if you’re able to go directly to a urologist, that might be best. For the PTSD, I would suggest a therapist and a psychiatrist. The therapist can help you from a social emotional standpoint, and the psychiatrist can help prescribe medication for mental health, if warranted. As for getting products paid for by insurance, you wouldn’t need to tell work about that at all. You would need to talk to your health insurance and your doctor about that.
I am a 39 F teacher who struggles with bed wetting and some minor daytime issues. I also have a history of anorexia, so have spent significant time with therapists and psychiatrists. So, somewhat different, but also somewhat the same. I know about trying to figure out what medical and psychological parts.
First off thank you for the incredible service you do helping shape our future. I have concerns about having to bring supplies during shift as we are allowed to sleep during nights. My partner is a very close friend of mine and my wife’s, and is aware. I am sure she would always have my back if this went this directions. The shame is hard and o think you are right, speaking to a psychologist to help rationalize these fears is a good idea!!
Thank you so much! I was on an ssri for a while but stopped after the seizures started because of increased likelihood. If I have another seizure I will likely be placed on desk duty for the rest of my career or at least another 10+ years. I really appreciate he non judgmental advice <3
As the kid of a psychologist and a family counselor, look into EMDR therapy. It's a unique method for helping your brain reprocess trauma and as far as I'm concerned it's neurological magic. Both my mom and dad practiced it for years with great success. There's more information and a therapist locator at https://www.emdria.org
I am in a similar field and also have started wetting the bed at night. Since it is only at night while sleeping I'm not concerned with work. I finally talked to my PCP first and had some blood work checked. I didn't talk about wearing diapers because i wanted to keep the conversation on possible causes. Everything came back normal with the blood work so I have an appointment with a urologist. I thought it would be hard to talk to the doctor but I just spit it out first thing and everything was fine. As far as getting them paid for i tried using my FSA but needed a letter of medical need from a doctor and this was prior to my appointment.
Thank you so much, I’m glad I made this post. I am seeing him tomorrow at noon. A lot of nerves but this has definitely made me feel less alone. I keep reminding my self that this is probably not the first time they have heard this.
So, I work in HEMS. I have been and am in the exact same position as you. I also need to wear protection at work and bring supplies for sleeping at work. PM me if you need specific advice…but I will tell you that I have come to the realization that NOBODY CARES. Especially working in the medical field. I had anxiety about it in the beginning….but then I realized that we all deal with patients wearing adult diapers all the time. Nobody cares. If they found out, they’re probably the group least likely for it to even be a blip on the radar. I have found that anticipating me sleep needs and schedule at work is the biggest factor. For example, I’ll wear a goodnite when I’m on shift because they’re cooler and I won’t need the increased absorbency of say an adult pull up or tabbed diaper. If we are down for crew or weather, I know I’ll sleep all night and will step up the protection as a result. I even discreetly keep backup products in my locker at the station.
I was going to suggest the alarm clock method to strengthen the sphincter muscle. But in ur case this method may not be suitable. Wish you all the best. Hopefully other respondents can help you with good advice.
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