So after a little failure in Holding My Breath Yesterday (He was staring directly at my junk), I did get Breath Hold to work, but then it stopped again. Then it worked, stopped, worked, stopped… It was crazy! When he was just standing next to me looking ahead, it worked like a charm! But in high anxiety, it was much more difficult.

So I went online and did some MORE research about this “Locking Up after a Stream Started“…

I wanted to see if there was something else that I was missing. I found some interesting info about Breath Hold that should help me out (I’m excited to test it).

Because I do feel like I’m right there, right on the verge of success!



100% Success!

Those last couple of seconds are what bother me!

So I hit the IPA Forums and read for 4 hours or so. I went through stories and techniques and questions, posts, answers… and I found such great info, unbelievable info that no doubt will help me, and help you as well.

I collected some of this info. It was scattered across hundreds of forum pages, buried bits and pieces of awesome advice…



I picked out the juicy parts!

The parts that pertain to me and where I am with Breath Hold… That last crucial step!

And I see from reading, that I’m not the only one stuck in this very spot. My difficulties are common…

So common in fact, that even people now recovered from Paruresis had problems with it at first (which makes me feel better).

Read what parureticmax and many others said in the IPA Forums before they saw the light…

P.S. These Source Links may not work unless you are registered and signed up as an IPA Forum Member! (Which I highly advise you do!)



parureticmax – Mon Nov 8th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7711

I am still working on controlling my breathing after I get the urine stream started. I have had less than a handful of times in which I breathed in too quickly and it stopped my stream. I am working on making sure that I hold my breath long enough so I can get a full stream going.

aqu – Mon Jun 6th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8103

I have practiced BH about 10 times so far, and I am able to hold my breath for about for 45-50 seconds to get my stream started. My main problem at the moment is when I get my stream started I gasp and take a very deep breathe of air which always cuts off my stream. Any advice on how I can begin to breathe after holding my breath and still maintain my stream?

steve85 Responds – Fri Jun 17th, 2011

It’s not the act of taking the breath that stops the flow. It’s the rush of oxygen. Take a small sip of air if you need to, until you can keep your flow going while breathing.

For many, it’s not enough to hold your breath up to the point where you get your flow going. They need to take it an extra ~10 sec to get to a point where their stream is strong enough, and they can control it.

Dominic M – Wed May 18, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6918

It’s normal that you lose the stream. In some occasions, I can also still lose the stream. If you’re in a high anxiety situation, you really need to have a full stream, full force, before you calmly inhale. If you’re only having a very small and irregular stream, inhaling can kill it. But this is only in the high anxiety situations. So keep practicing friend, and soon you will be able to master it and fully empty whenever you want.

klapm123 – Wed Dec 28th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8415

Hi after BH works and I get a stream …when I inhale air and breath I lose the stream without finishing urination I mean I am still full and I need to urinate more…

Any advice on how deal with it …so I won’t lose the stream until I am empty?

Dominic M Replies – Thu Dec 29th, 2011

Once the urine is flowing, put pressure on your bladder to strengthen the stream, and when it’s full force you can calmly inhale. A sudden strong inhale when it’s not strong will make you lose the stream. It will get easier the more you do it. In many occasions, just a small stream is enough for me to inhale, but in very high stress (like when I’m peeing in the open and people are behind me), I need to go to full force first. You don’t need to hold your breath for the entire duration of the restroom visit, just to get a good stream started. Graduated exposure can also help you with reducing the stress of a restroom visit. I can highly recommend you the book that Steven Soifer wrote about paruresis: Shy Bladder Syndrome

And hey, congrats on learning how to BH!

See… I am NOT alone!

That “Gasping Point” is the key to success! The uncomfortable part! (of course) This is where I am now. Right there! It’s good to know that this is the last step, the very push that I need to get me into full recovery.

I hope this info helps you as much as it does me. Having Shy Bladder all my life, and knowing that a so-called “CURE” is out there, is absolutely amazing!

So let’s get into the actual Breath Hold Instructions first (in case you don’t fully understand)…

These Instructions were put up in the Forum and they have helped tons of people out, just like you, just like me.

Take it away Dominic… (reprinted with his permission)



Dominic M – Wed Feb 3rd, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6881

First of all you need to understand that you cannot expect it to work the first time you try it. It takes some practice, for some a little more than others. It’s all about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. You’ll understand it when you know how to BH.

So, here’s how it works.

Make sure you feel comfortable when you want to start holding your breath. So, normal breathing, normal heart rate. Maybe take a couple of minutes to relax your body and take deep breaths. There should be no tension in your body. Don’t hyperventilate before holding your breath (more about that later), it’s completely useless and potentially dangerous if you consume too much oxygen. Just calmly inhale and exhale until you feel relaxed enough and ready. Doing this will allow you to relax more while holding your breath, and should make BH easier. Take a final inhale (not a deep one, your chest shouldn’t expand), let out a little bit of air, and start holding your breath. Don’t exhale too much, because this way you will make it more difficult than it needs to be. Exhaling more could perhaps shorten BH a little bit (less oxygen in the lungs), but it’s really a lot harder and uncomfortable. Try to find an optimal amount of air so your abdominal muscles are completely relaxed when you start holding your breath. If you inhale too much, you will feel them pushing against your belly, if you exhale too much, you will feel them as well. So, look for that optimal point before you want to learn BH. Also, make sure you do nothing more than “not inhaling and not exhaling”. For example if you hold your breath under water, you tend to put pressure on your lungs by contracting your abdominal muscles (and your Thoracic diaphragm and lungs). This is something you need to avoid when trying BH. You could perhaps lay a hand on your abdominal muscles so you can clearly feel when you are going wrong. It’s perhaps hard to explain, but as long you try not to control your body, you’re probably on the right track. A distraction technique could be very useful in this case, because the only thing your really should do is don’t inhale or exhale, physically relax and stand straight. There is nothing more you should do with your body. Start holding your breath and try to relax your body, make sure you aren’t contracting or flexing any muscles in your upper torso. It’s normal that your abdomen and lungs will contract a little when time goes by (sort of spams), but you need to make sure that you don’t put extra tension on them. Don’t lean over and don’t put extra pressure on your lungs. When you feel like your lungs are going to explode, just try to relax. Swallowing can help against these spasms, but make sure you don’t take in or let out any air. Of course don’t inhale or exhale. So once again, no tension in the body, only no inhaling or exhaling and standing straight. When it really starting to get difficult, the so called “gasping for air” feeling, you need to hold your breath for about 10 more seconds, and then you will pee if your upper body is relaxed. Basically, when trying BH, try to pee like you normally would when you feel no anxiety, but just while holding your breath. What you will feel is that urine starts travelling down, and will come out a little bit at a time. Hold your breath until you have a full stream. The gasping for air phase is really the only difficult thing about BH. It’s the moment where your body is telling you that you need to inhale. It’s a powerful feeling, and if you cannot hold your breath long enough until you start peeing, you probably gave up a few seconds after gasping for air kicked in. Practice a lot, and you will get used to the feeling, and it will get a lot easier to ignore. When I do BH, gasping for air doesn’t bother me anymore. After full stream, calmly inhale. If you did everything as described, you shouldn’t even feel that out of breath. If you stay physically relaxed like I mentioned, you consume very little oxygen, and after a few inhales you already forgot you held your breath.

IPA ADVICE

The IPA Website also has instructions here, but one key thing to point out that is important is this advice that Weil, Monroe Ph.D. gives:



…Do not take in a big gasp of air before exhaling. You’ll have too much oxygen in your lungs and it will blunt the effect.

Max Succeeds at Breath Hold

These instructions worked for Max. He finally got Breath Hold to work, and you can read his success here… :)

parureticmax – Wed Oct 6th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7711

So I have been working on the breath hold for a little bit now (a few months), and have now been able to get it to work in even very high stress situations.

The breakthrough for me was last night (I guess 2 nights ago 10/5), when I went to a concert. I went to see Primus (the greatest show I have ever see.) Despite emptying my bladder before hand (lol paruresis 101), I had an urge to go when I got in. Even though I had relatively low urgency, I decided to try before it got too crowded. I got in there and it was a large restroom, maybe 6 or 7 urinals, and 5 stalls (don’t remember the exact numbers). Anyway I stepped into one of the crowded stalls with people in both stalls next to me, held my breath, and peed in about 40 seconds. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. I then watched Primus play and amazing set, then intermission came and I had to pee. This time a full bathroom with people waiting behind me. No matter, I stepped up with BH, and pissed.

Then today (yesterday) at school, I walked into a full bathroom this time going to a urinal, with no dividers, and peed with people and noise all around me. A great feeling indeed.

I would like to give a big shout out to Dominic M, who helped me learn the BH.

Also a message to all you paruretics: GIVE BREATH HOLD A TRY! It has been huge in my recovery process. If you would like, send me a PM and I will give you my contact information and I will help you with it.

Paruretic Max Makes His Own BH Instructions!

Paruretic Max started a blog (zenandtheartofreality) and wrote a full set of instructions here: Breath Hold Instructions (similar to Dominic’s)

But the most important step of all is the one that I’m dealing with… The Crucial Step… Keeping the Stream!



Step 7

So, taken directly from his instructions, here is his advice on this difficult obstacle…

Max – October 11, 2012

Source: http://zenandtheartofreality.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/breath-hold-instructions/

Step 7) Once a urine stream has started, keep your breath held until the stream is a full strength before you begin to breath again. If you take a breath too early or breath in too quickly, this can cause the stream to subside. When you do take a breath, try and take smooth even breaths so as not to pant or gasp, which can also cause the stream to halt.

Now let’s hit the Forums…

Many people have wrote and talked about Breath Hold. And happily, both Dominic, Max, and plenty others have weighed in and given their opinions, tips and tricks to beating this Social Phobia.

So let’s get to the good stuff. Shall we?



Breath Hold Advice From The Forums

Perusing the IPA Forums, you’ll find tons and tons of advice on Breath Hold, what to do, how to do it, how long it takes, even alternative methods…

The more you learn about Breath Hold and the more you practice it, the more you will understand and hopefully master it.

(Let’s Cross Our Fingers! …I’m right there!)

Enjoy the conversation fragments below… (It’s all very fascinating!) To learn more, follow the Source Links!

Dominic M – Wed Jul 28th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7607

First of all, you will start feeling the gasping for air after 10-20-30-40 seconds, depending on your condition. In the beginning it’s a bit uncomfortable, and it’s a bit like a wave during those 10-15 seconds. Your natural reflex would be to put pressure on your lungs, or your abs to counter this feeling, but it’s very important not to do that! So, then it gets a little less hard, little bit more, etc… It’s a strange feeling to describe. But most importantly, you cannot try to fight it with your body. You just need to go with the flow. Sometimes swallowing can make it a bit more comfortable. Just don’t exhale or inhale anything. So, make sure you really know what the gasping for air is, and get used to it. As long as your body stays calm and relaxed, you will not have any problems related to a lack of oxygen. So, get used to gasping for air, for as long as you can.

When you can do that for 10-15 seconds, you will feel that somehow urine started travelling down. If you’re in low stress situations, it will only take a second or two for it to make it’s way to the toilet, just like you would normally pee. In low stress (or no stress) you can even start breathing at this point, but not when you are still learning. In high stress, it can take 5-10 seconds. You feel that its going down, but that it takes a while. As long as you stay relaxed and hold your breath, it will continue it’s path. The moment you breath, everything can stop. So in those situations it’s important to hold the breath until you really have a good full stream.

Dominic M – Mon May 17th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7472

“Gasping for air” starts when the concentration of CO2 in the blood reaches a certain level. You CAN* start peeing if those levels rise just a little bit more than that. That requires you to bite through the gasping for air sensation for those 10-15 seconds. It has no real use in timing yourself for that sake, it’s more important to get familiar with gasping for air, and try to hold it as long as possible, while staying physically relaxed.

* If you are not physically relaxed, the CO2 level itself is not enough to make you pee! If you can stay physically relaxed with those levels of CO2, you WILL pee.

parureticmax – Sun Jul 3rd 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8134

Firstly, a dozen times is nowhere near enough tries to get it to work. I can’t tell you exactly how many times that I tried it, but It was far more than a dozen (maybe closer to 100). It takes a lot of hard-work, persistence, and most of all patience. You can’t expect it to work after just a few tries. It takes a great deal of practice to not just get a hold of, but master the breath-hold. Ask anyone who has been successful with the BH and they will tell you, it is hard work.

Though it might take time and work, don’t get discouraged. When I got the breath hold to work, it was quite possibly the most liberating and freeing feeling I had ever felt. I had never felt to relieved and unrestrained in my life. I promise everyone trying to learn, it is very worth the work and time.

Dominic M – Tue Oct 2nd, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6881&start=30

It should be very clear that BH is not supposed to be comfortable. Many people who try to learn breath hold inhale when it gets uncomfortable, but that’s the point where it get’s crucial. Everything that happens before that point is not important… The very first time, you need to understand that this uncomfortable feeling WILL make you pee, and that it’s not endlessly long. And over time, you will find out that you can decrease the time of being uncomfortable, and getting used to the feeling. It beats the feeling of walking out of crowded restroom with a bladder about to explode, and nowhere to go. But the beginning is hard, that’s why many people give up. But believe me, learning BH changes the life of a paruretic.

parureticmax – Thu Oct 4th, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8565

Just remember that when you get to the gasping for breath feeling, that means you are only a matter of seconds away from getting a stream. Once you get the stream, you will only need to hold just a few more seconds, to ensure you get a full stream going. Once you are able to do it once, you will have no problem doing it again. Its a matter of pushing through the gasping for breath feeling, and then you will know what it feels like.

Dominic M – Tue Aug 31st, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7646

…keep practicing at a place where you feel comfortable enough or not too uncomfortable, and gradually work yourself up to the high anxiety situations. Once you’ve done those a couple of times, you can go anywhere at any time. What can help is focus your thoughts only on BH if you are holding your breath (“If I hold my breath long enough, I will start peeing. The reason why I’m not peeing is because I still need to hold my breath a little longer.”). In the end, that’s all it is. Keep the body relaxed, and don’t worry about gasping for air.

parureticmax – Wed Aug 24th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8232

Being relaxed is the name of the game. You can hold your breath all day long but if you are not relaxed, it will not work. Just make sure that your mind is at ease when you attempt the BH, and you should have no trouble.

Dominic M – Sun Jun 17th, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8625

I only use breath hold up until the point where I get a good stream, and then I calmly inhale. Once I have a good stream, I won’t lose it again. You will get better at this over time, because your anxiety levels will drop once you get used to using public restrooms successfully (again).

Ohio-Scott – Mon Oct 31st, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8226

I found early on a way to prove to myself that the technique works was to practice at home: Load up with lots of water, stand over the bowl ready to go but hold your stream in – then, exhale some air. I found that you will have to make 1 of 2 choices very quickly: either you’ll need to start breathing so you can hold in your stream or you’ll almost uncontrollably have to start peeing. I think the main thing learned is the cause and affect you get from exhaling some air and the feeling of how it affects your control of your bladder. Then you’ll know what to expect when practicing in a tougher situation.

Dominic M – Fri Jul 1st, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8134

What most people don’t seem to understand is that it’s not just about holding your breath for xx seconds. It comes when it comes. Don’t focus on time, don’t focus on anything… Keep the body in rest, and try to think of something else. When the gasping for air comes, it becomes critical. You just need to have the faith that if you keep your body relaxed, you’ll pee in a matter of seconds. But if you never made it work, it feels like every second gets harder, and you’ll give up before something happens. If the motivation is not really big, and you’re not comfortable with the feeling, you’ll never learn BH.

parureticmax – Sun Dec 9th 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8825

The most important part of the breath hold technique is being able to keep yourself at ease. I understand that the breath hold can be rather difficult when you are gasping for air, but it is key to success. When you are holding your breath, try and focus on how your bladder is feeling. Once you get to a certain point you will begin to feel your bladder loosen up, in which case you are close to a stream. Once you get to the point will your bladder is beginning to void a bit, just keep holding your breath for a few more seconds, and a stream should start.

Learning the breath hold can be a rather onerous task, believe me I can relate. Just keep working at it and focusing on how your bladder feels, and you should have a success with a bit of practice.

Dominic M – Sat Dec 31st, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8418

I don’t think there is much harm in breath holding. Normally you will only “gasp for air” for about 10 seconds, and then you’ll pee and you can calmly inhale.

parureticmax – Fri Mar 22nd 2013

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8936

The best advice that I can give you in regards to using the breath hold with high urgency is to make sure that you have a full stream going when you breath in again. There have been times in the past that I have used the breath hold in which I had a partial stream going, but took a breath before the stream was at full strength. With the BH, it may take another few seconds after the initial stream for it to reach full strength, after which you can take a breath.

Dominic M – Sun Aug 8th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7618

Just practice, that’s really all I can say. I truly believe that anybody can physically be able to learn breath hold (maybe people who get panic attacks from breath holding is a different story). So, just give it all you got. Yesterday I was at a concert that was a 120km drive, I could drink beers, and just three times I had to use BH without being uncomfortable or thinking about it. It’s only the 6-7 second delay when you stand in front of the urinal, and that’s just the time the body needs to be relaxed enough to pee. BH changed my life, and it can also change yours. Just practice practice practice!

klapm123 – wed Sep 4th, 2013

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9117

I think its better to inhale through the nose and not through the mouth.

parureticmax – Wed Sep 1st, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7646

…when doing the breath hold, your perception of time will be off. For me to get a stream started, I have to hold my breath for about 35 seconds, but feels more like well over a minute.

Dominic M – Thu Jan 20th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7874

I don’t really see BH as holding your breath, more like: don’t inhale, don’t exhale. I don’t force air in my lungs. It’s just there and I leave it there. It takes very little effort, which makes it not that hard to do. What works good for me is holding my breath while I approach the urinals. The moment I’m unzipping I start relaxing my body, and because of the walking my body was using more oxygen and this way CO2 levels will raise more quickly. This reduces my BH time significantly. But still it takes about 5-10 seconds in high stress situations to start a stream, probably the time needed for the body to settle down and give in.

nodumbo2008 – Thu May 12th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8057

I started practicing at home and found that it was mastered fairly easily. Yes, it took some time but one needs to just stick with it on a daily basis. Hey, you need to practice if you want to master anything–guitar, math, etc. Then, I started using it in public restrooms and WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW WELL IT WORKED. I can even start the process as I’m walking to a bathroom and by the time I’m near the urinal *I’m rushing to get my fly unzipped because I need to pee so badly*.

Here’s the test of how powerful it is for me. If I use the breath hold process either as I approach a urinal/toilet or when I practice at home *and then deliberately try to hold my pee*, I find it impossible. I can actually feel my bladder (or bladder floor, or whatever the anatomical structure is) begin to spasm and at that point I can’t hold the urine in.

Dominic M – Tue Jan 18th, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7874

You need to understand that the initial discomforts don’t bother most breath holders anymore. For me the biggest clue that I’m going into gasping for air is the tightening of my abdominal muscles. After that it’s a matter of 5-15 seconds depending on the situation, but staying relaxed is the key. It’s all about staying cool and moving your thoughts to something else. I always think about the same thing: “If I’m not peeing yet, I’m not holding my breath long enough.” Keep thinking about that until I pee. And as long as you stay relaxed, believe me, you’re not going to faint. I did the BH in an MRI, and had gasping for air for over a minute. I’m talking about major discomfort. BH is all about the skill to fully ignore the urge to inhale and not let it freak you out while doing so. Once you’re able to do that, you will be able to pee in any situation.

corryjeffe – Thu Mar 22nd, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8530

I came across the breathe hold technique and was very confused as I had no idea that that could possibly work and couldn’t for the life of me even guess at any of the science behind it. I read through a lot of Parureticmax and Dominique M’s posts and videos and thought I might as well give it a whirl and of course it did not work because I didn’t know what I was doing yet. But after nearly giving up, I (at home of course) held my breathe as long as I could, I got past the gasping stage, I got past the eyes blacking over stage, I got past the point where I was sure I would die if I did not take a sip of air, and I just kept holding my breathe and then it hit me… my “pelvic floor” (as I’ve heard it referred to) dropped so to speak and urine literally exploded out. I can’t describe how elated I was, it was quite possibly the best moment of my life to date.

csnoke – Sun Aug 1st, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6881

It’s funny to think the difference that 10 seconds of discomfort could make in my life.

dale deutsch – Fri Jun 22nd, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8653

The “breath holding technique” is not a breath holding technique as you may be familiar with from when you swam underwater or held you breath when you were a child. In those situations, you inhale large amounts of air. Here you expel most of the air in your lungs and then hold your breath. It should be called the breath expelling technique or hypoxia technique perhaps. Furthermore, after expelling most of your breath, you do not inhale again until you pee or give up because of the pain. Sometimes it may take two or three cycles to work although you can feel it almost working the first time. It works quite miraculously in my situation in that it is a treatment for my paruresis.

parureticmax – Sun Dec 9th 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8823

I can use the breath hold technique regardless of my urgency. One thing I have noticed, all things being equal, is the higher my urgency level, the less time it takes for me to get a stream going. In a moderately difficult situation, I may have to hold my breath 35 if I have low urgency, whereas it may only take 25-30 seconds of breath holding. For myself, urgency seems to have an impact on how long I need to hold my breath.

Another Success Story From Breath Hold

More people follow these steps and succeed! Here’s one of them…



zombie – Mon May 17th, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7475

Just a few days ago I got BH to work for the first time. Been practicing holding my breath and making it through the gasping sensation a few times a day and feeling the “pelvic floor drop” sensation I’ve read about. Panic attacks have become more mild and I feel like I’m reaching the drop sensation more quickly now due to being slightly more relaxed.

I have noticed that I get some muscle spasms mainly in my fingers right before I feel the drop which makes me keep holding out.

I’ve also found that trying to keep my mind distracted thinking about something unrelated seems to help. I’m really happy with my progress so far and it’s a big relief to know I have something that can help me out in a jam!

Testing The BH Method

Don’t believe Breath Hold works? Test it, like Scott did…



Ohio-Scott – Dec 14th, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8766

Load up on a lot of water and wait for a really good sense of urgency Stand over the bowl ready to go Exhale almost all of your air (This is the most important part) DO NOT PEE! Resist as much as possible by holding it in with your pelvic muscles 1 of 2 things should happen – One, you either will have to inhale to catch your breath (and please do this if you feel faint). Or two – you will start peeing almost automatically. You won’t be able to do both – at least I couldn’t

Alternative Breath Hold Technique

Take a look at a different way of Breath Holding…



beserkpencil – Fri Jan, 18, 2013

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8864

…you can use a method of letting off the BH just before it starts peeing with a tiny breath in order to give yourself the assuredness that you can relax without a worry in your mind about failing. If you can’t relax with a full bladder at a urinal when you could almost let yourself pee in your pants otherwise it’s just because you’re nervous about messing up. But if you let up a small breath at that moment before the pelvic floor drop you can honestly try an easy stall situation or solo urinal and try to ease up at that moment of letting up. After that it’s easy. Also make sure to speed up the BH by walking up to the plate for 10 seconds while holding your breath at 25% lung capacity. It won’t kill you and it’s easy to do after practicing 3 times a day for a week muahahahaha lol.

Last Notes Regarding Breath Hold

More great words of advice on this crippling disorder…



Dominic M – Tue Feb 1st, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7895

The moment you are “gasping for air”, it all begins, and in most cases with inexperienced people, it ends. This is the point you need to get over. You shouldn’t care about that urge to inhale.

parureticmax – Sun Sep 30th, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8739

What many people don’t realize about the breath hold is that the most difficult part of it is the las 5-10 seconds. However, once you get over that hump, the breath hold becomes something you can always rely on.

Dominic M – Mon Aug 09, 2010

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7624

…for those about to learn breath hold, the message is: don’t try it, but work on it until you can do it.

wlosi – Sun Aug 14, 2011

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8220

Please, all of you who cant live their life because of paruresis – just spend a few minutes each day and train, even if you don’t believe that it can work. Believe me – I was thinking exactly the same as you and after a few tries I just did it, and you cant even imagine how much my life changed.

Dominic M Responds – Mon Aug 15, 2011

(One quote from Dominic’s Response sums it all up)

…BH really is a miracle for paruretics.



Paruresis Exposed Channel

Be sure to check out Dominic & Max’s Paruresis Exposed Channel Here!

The Videos are very cool to watch, and they give you a ton of more info about this wonderful and life changing technique.

Make sure you check out one video in particular…



Common Questions about Breath Hold

(Paruresis Exposed Channel)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5khV9aee5Zo

That’s a great Video Max put up, it’s amazing to watch and learn (he’s a very good speaker).



In fact, just watch all the videos!

They are all worthy of watching and will help you immensely.

Dominic even went so far as to create a video for me (I wanted to see his face during Breath Hold). Which he did here:

And I wrote about this very video here: A New Breath Hold Video

Dominic posted this Video in the IPA Forums and this is what he said:

Dominic M – Wed Jan 4th, 2012

Source: http://ipatalk.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8425

A video that shows my face when I do a BH. As you can see, I swallow once half way, because when you start breath holding, there is still saliva in your mouth, and that gets a bit annoying when holding the breath. After that, you see my face and eyebrows twitch a few times near the end, that only happens in the “gasping for air” stage. It was not an easy breath hold, because I felt the urine travelling and stopping for a moment near the end. In a hard BH, this can take up to 10 seconds. This was somewhere in between. I almost immediately had a good stream and inhaled without losing it again. Hope it helps. Stay motivated, practice a few times a day, keep the body relaxed, and you’ll learn the magic of BH too.

The moment you get the first drops, you need to keep holding the breath and put pressure on your bladder to strengthen the stream. Only when the stream is at its hardest, which can take up to 10 seconds, you can take a very slow sip of air and keep putting pressure on the stream. After a few times, you will recognize when it’s ok to inhale again.

I always do breath hold at the urinals, and I’m pretty sure nobody ever noticed this, even while standing right next to me… And even if they did, it doesn’t matter much, my only goal in there is to pee :)

I’m pretty sure you story will be a success story too Richard (referring to me). The first time I read about BH was a year before I actually learned it. I gave up after a few lousy attempts. Stick with it, stay motivated, and soon you’ll be a pro breath holder too, and take life into your own hands again.

Thanks Guys!

I want to Thank Dominic and Max for helping me learn all that I can about this technique (as well as the IPA Forums). I can use Breath Hold most of the time now with no issues. The high anxiety situations are still the tough ones that I’m working on. I just need to keep my flow from locking up! That’s all! I’ll get there! I have faith in myself.

I’m 95% there… Just a little bit more. Seconds really do make a huge difference!

No matter what, I won’t give up, and I don’t expect to fail! Ever!



The things that I take away from all this is clear:

Relax my entire Body, Shoulders, Chest, everything…

Know that I am just Seconds away from Success

Once a Stream Starts, keep Holding my Breath

Take in little Sips of Air Slowly through my Nose

After full stream happens, carefully Inhale and Breath normally again

Enjoy the Feeling and Empty my Bladder!

And to recap what Dominic said that really hits home:

“If I’m not peeing yet, I’m not holding my breath long enough.”

That’s my goal. I’m off to Practice, Practice, Practice. :)

Thanks Much!