Bed wetting at 16

LegacyUser

Hi all
Came across this forum and am hoping someone can help me.
I have recently started wetting the bed again and don't no why. Nothing has changed in my life and this is really embarrassing.
My mother doesn't know and my dad has had to move abroad for work and we don't see him much. I change my sheets every day so I'm not worried about being caught but what should I do to stop this I hate waking up wet especially if I got caught and my little sister who looks up to me finds out.
any suggestions on how to stop this
Thanks

username123

Hey, there is nothing to be embarrassed about, you need to go and see your GP.

Try not to worry, the GP will be able to help you.

P. Breathnach

As username123 said, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. These things happen to lots of people, but they don't publicise it.

You say nothing has changed in your life, but you also say that your dad has moved abroad. Having a great deal less contact with him might have triggered something.

If you have been messing about with alcohol or illicit substances, then you should stop.

Most of all, see your GP.

seven_eleven

Hi op, this actually happens to teenagers more often than you would think.

I think the first step is to not drink anything before you go to bed, maybe an hour or two, just dont drink water etc.

Then go urinate right before you go to bed and have nothing to drink until the morning. I know this may not be possible as you can get quite thirsty etc.
Main thing is to just urinate before sleep.

If it persists, you should really visit your GP as it may be a wide range of problems.
I understand its embarrassing, and talking to the GP may be difficult and your mother may be asking questions as to why you're visiting. But trust me, its nothing to feel bad about and you will realise this when you make the visit.

Zombrex

There are no reasons for adult bed wetting that you should be embarrassed about, at your age it is a medical condition not a sign of immaturity. There are a number of things it could be that if left untreated could cause more serious complications, you don't want to end up with something like kidney diseases. Definitely go to your GP.

Miaireland

Pop into your GP it most likely a easily treated infection or something however it is important to get it treated. I am sure your GpP will have heard it 100's of times before so there is no need tombe embarassed.

Diziet

My daughter wet the bed till she was 11 - the best advice that worked well was to do to the loo before bed, lie down in bed and read for a while then go to the loo again before turning lights off. It has to do with the kidneys working more efficiently when lying down. And no tea/coffee in the evening, as it is a diuretic (less of a problem with a younger child).

But please do go to the GP, as there are conditions that make this happen and they are treatable.

Chronic Button

Doctor is a good plan.

Also, this is an option: http://www.bedwettingalarm.ie

Google "teenage bedwetting" for info, advice and to see that you are not alone. 1 or 2 in every 100 teenagers deals with this.

Good luck.

LegacyUser

Hi OP,

I was lurking and just had to reply. I bed wet heavily till 18 and then it phased out until I was 23. When I was 16 /17 it was at it's worst and after I moved away from home at 18 it only happened when I was really upset.

I'm sure you're trying everything at night to stop it happening. Looking back I can see that there was a link to bed wetting and anxiety, at least in my case it was.

It took a long time for me to admit that I have anxiety issues, but I can see that as a child I was nervous of getting in trouble with my mother, I bed-wet, then again when she was angry pulling the sheets off the bed - I bed wet again, in school I wasn't doing well - I bed wet, if I got in trouble or fell out with friends, was anxious about anything - I bed-wet.

I was ashamed for years and now I have a little son of my own I always say to myself I will do my utmost to ensure he doesn't feel the same anxiety I did from the bed wetting.

Just think about it, the anxiety thing, maybe go talk to a counselor for one session about the bed-wetting, talking to a professional about how it makes you feel will help you process the thoughts better.

Try keeping a diary to see when it happens, etc..hth

Czarcasm

makeyuppy3 wrote: »

Hi OP,

I was lurking and just had to reply. I bed wet heavily till 18 and then it phased out until I was 23. When I was 16 /17 it was at it's worst and after I moved away from home at 18 it only happened when I was really upset.

I'm sure you're trying everything at night to stop it happening. Looking back I can see that there was a link to bed wetting and anxiety, at least in my case it was.

It took a long time for me to admit that I have anxiety issues, but I can see that as a child I was nervous of getting in trouble with my mother, I bed-wet, then again when she was angry pulling the sheets off the bed - I bed wet again, in school I wasn't doing well - I bed wet, if I got in trouble or fell out with friends, was anxious about anything - I bed-wet.

I was ashamed for years and now I have a little son of my own I always say to myself I will do my utmost to ensure he doesn't feel the same anxiety I did from the bed wetting.

Just think about it, the anxiety thing, maybe go talk to a counselor for one session about the bed-wetting, talking to a professional about how it makes you feel will help you process the thoughts better.

Try keeping a diary to see when it happens, etc..hth

Could've written the above post word for word myself actually, even the bit about trying to make sure my son never felt that same anxiety. He's eight now and he's only occasionally wet the bed. The thing was just not to make a big deal of it but find out the source of his anxiety.

For me it was certainly anxiety related, I was a heavy bed wetter from about four, well into my teens, on an almost nightly basis, and it became a vicious cycle of the more I was worried about trying not to wet the bed, the more likely it was to happen (I'd be trying to force myself to stay awake, I'd go without any sort of drink all day, not even so much as a glass of water, and I'd be clock watching for the night, thinking at half 5 in the morning I was going to make it to half 6, only to wake up at half 6 soaked! I'd no idea where it was coming from!).

It wasn't until I moved out of home at 16 that it eased up a bit somewhat as my anxiety levels dropped, but still like the poster above- bad day at work or school and the bed would be soaked in the morning.

I tried everything physically possible OP and even my GP couldn't find anything physically wrong with me. I didn't have the language then to verbalise my anxiety so the GP didn't have anything to go on, unlike GP's nowadays who are used to dealing with people who suffer from anxiety and have a much better understanding of the various ways anxiety can manifest itself, even subconsciously.

It was embarrassing for me back then OP too, but don't let your embarrassment put you off letting your mum know at least so she's in the loop as to why you are going to your GP, she might find it a comfort too that you felt able to tell her, and it might help ease your worries about her finding out for herself.

There's some more info here if you wanted to have a read of it and see could you get anything useful that might help you understand the condition for your own peace of mind-


http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocturnal_enuresis