Battling bashful bladder syndrome.

• Position: Treatment for anxiety about using public restrooms

It's the biggest game of the year. Although halftime is almost over, there's still a long line of people behind you waiting for their turn in the restroom. You finally get up to a urinal and nothing happens, no matter how hard you try. You and your bursting bladder gingerly make it back to the bleachers, where you suffer in teeth-clenching silence until it's time to go home.

Nearly everyone knows someone who can relate to the above scenario. One in 10 American men may suffer to some degree from "bashful bladder" syndrome--the chronic inability to use a public bathroom when nature calls.

Contrary to popular belief, the condition isn't a mere psychological quirk. In its severe form, it is a type of anxiety disorder that can be treated successfully without drugs. "There's nothing wrong with these people medically. But their anxiety about being around others, or being walked-in on, interferes with their ability to urinate," explains Joseph A. Himle, a phobia treatment expert at the University of Michigan Medical Center.

The disorder, which appears to run in families, ranges in severity. A mid case is having to use a stall instead of a urinal. Moderate is being able to relieve oneself only in a stall and when the bathroom is empty. Severe is being unable to urinate no matter how private the surroundings. As a result, the disorder can force many otherwise healthy people to become practically homebound. "We've had patients who wouldn't go anywhere that would require them to be away from home for any significant time. We've even had...