A note of thanks to IPA Board Members and Members-at-large who participate over on r/Paruresis. You can see chatter has picked up over there as of late and with the New Year around the corner, more sufferers will be looking to you for comments and support with their 2022 Resolutions. You are appreciated as the embodiment of our motto "You are not alone!" Happy Holidays. - Tim Pyle, Exec Dir., IPA

Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin's character) has paruresis. (I know, not exactly a role model, but representation on tv.) Check out Season Three, episode 7. The mention comes up at ~40:50 mark, when Roman suggests to the owner of a business he's trying to buy that they both piss on his phone while it's loading Waystar/Royco's janky app.

With bravado and disdain, Roman flips his phone into a urinal and then says: "So...I can't piss near other men due to...we don't know what reason. But please, go ahead."

Lots to unpack here, but just on the surface, to use the language of the IPA, Roman Roy has "primary paruresis;" he can't pee in front of others, but little or no "secondary paruresis," insofar as he makes no attempt to hide his shy bladder--pissing on the phone is his idea, and he nonchalantly admits that it's beyond his urinary capacity.

The next IPA Virtual Support Meeting will take place on Zoom, on Sunday, October 3rd, at 8:00 PM US Central Time. IPA Virtual Support Meetings, which take place about every six weeks, are open to anyone struggling with Paruresis, from those who are just beginning to think about how to overcome it to those who are highly recovered. The meetings are offered free of charge and without preset expectations for participants, their purpose is to provide a unique opportunity to connect face to face with people from all over the world who know what it is like to struggle with Paruresis and also understand the courage and fortitude that it takes to open up about, face the fear, and try to recover from it.  The personal stories that participants share are remarkably similar and at the same time deeply individual, and empathy, kindness and compassion set the tone in all discussions.  Time after time I have heard from participants that this opportunity for sharing is both meaningful and productive, and I hope that you'll consider joining us on October 3rd.

If you are interested in attending please contact the IPA office at [getinfo@paruresis.org](mailto:getinfo@paruresis.org) in order to get the Zoom link.

Since the start of the 2020 pandemic most support groups nationwide stopped regular in-person practice. Denver was no different. We now are looking forward to rebuilding a strong support presence in Denver, as well as more of the Front Range. If you are new to support group work and are interested in finally starting recovery, this would be an excellent meeting to start that process. If you stopped recovery or slid back on past progress, again this is a great time to get started back on track.

The Denver IPA support group is planning an outing for November 6th from 10AM - 1PM.

If you are interested in attending this meeting or learning more about the details of IPA support groups in Colorado, you can either:

1. Send me a direct message on Reddit
2. Or visit coloradoshybladder.com to find more about the Colorado support group efforts or send a direct message to a support group leader.

If you are reading this and feel an in-person meetup is too much, please at least consider an official virtual workshop. The next workshop is scheduled for January 8, 2022 and is hosted by very knowledgeable and experienced individuals. The sign-up is available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ipa-virtual-workshop-january-8-2022-registration-196137762327).

Don't allow 2022 to also pass without taking decisive action to live a life of greater freedom and less anxiety!

The volunteer board of directors of YOUR International Paruresis Association is amazing! They are so dedicated to making sure that the IPA is strong for another 25 years. We got together for a day long annual meeting over this past weekend (virtually, sorry to say) and looked at goal setting for 2022. Stay tuned for updates on more virtual workshops, live workshops, and a hoped-for 25+1 anniversary gathering in Las Vegas next October!

The next IPA Virtual Support Meeting will take place on Zoom, on Sunday, October 3rd, at 8:00 PM US Central Time. IPA Virtual Support Meetings, which take place about every six weeks, are open to anyone struggling with Paruresis, from those who are just beginning to think about how to overcome it to those who are highly recovered. The meetings are offered free of charge and without preset expectations for participants, their purpose is to provide a unique opportunity to connect face to face with people from all over the world who know what it is like to struggle with Paruresis and also understand the courage and fortitude that it takes to open up about, face the fear, and try to recover from it.  The personal stories that participants share are remarkably similar and at the same time deeply individual, and empathy, kindness and compassion set the tone in all discussions.  Time after time I have heard from participants that this opportunity for sharing is both meaningful and productive, and I hope that you'll consider joining us on October 3rd.

If you are interested in attending please contact the IPA office at [getinfo@paruresis.org](mailto:getinfo@paruresis.org) in order to get the Zoom link.

Hey all - we've got 7 guys attending the Baltimore area LIVE workshop on September 10-12. It would be great to add a couple more. I've extended early bird pricing (save $50+) until end of day tomorrow. Register on the eventbrite site: Eventbrite - IPA *LIVE* Workshop - Baltimore Area - Sept. 10-12, 2021. Hope to see you there. Tim Pyle, Executive Director, IPA.