Young and Incontinent

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I have lately been struggling with feeling like I am the only person around my age dealing with incontinence. I hate that I'm only 20 and some days need to wear diapers, pads or pull ups. Although I am sure their are other people around my age who struggle with this it seems like incontinence is mostly a problem for older people especially with the stigma that surrounds it. Is their anybody that can relate to this?

 

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I'm in my thirties and suffer from urinary incontinence and rarely bowel incontinence. This has been and issue for the past seven years. I use diapers as they are easier to change versus having to undress from the waist down.

 

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I am 43 but have been partially incontinent since age 25 because of a motorcycle accident.

Its not only an elderly condition, you just don't see it in younger people because with todays products we can hide it. If you passed me on the street or worked right next to me... you would never know.

 

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I'm a 42 year old male with incontinence also. Mine started out when I was back in elementary school. I had big issues with bedwetting and daytime wettings. It all stopped for a while. Then it came back hard. I ended up with OAB. I am diapered 24/7 now. It was hard at first dealing with wearing diapers all the time. Now I consider them my underwear. So, my advice to you is keep your head up. Keep working with doctors. Search the Internet for diaper samples. Most places will send you free samples of diapers with a small shipping fee. I myself use Dry 24/7, Abena, I even started trying some of the ABDL brand printed diapers. I figure if I have to wear diapers, I want a little fashion while I am padded up. A lot of the premium brand diapers are little more expensive. They do work well at night if you have bed wetting problems. You're not the only one out here that has these issues. We on this forum are here to help and make things easier for you while you are going through these issues. So stand strong. Like I said earlier keep your head held high cuz it's not the end of the world.

 

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I been a bed wetter all my life and had day time bladder problems since my early. 20s

 

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i percieve you as young and intelligent and compassionate as you offered me advice. Having you listen and respond withput judgement was a huge gift.. i hope you will put your focus on the greater part of things that interest you as well as being a valued speaker to those you trust and this forum as this topic is clearly not a unique condition yet ww are learning how to cope from each other.

 

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Greengold4 - you're not alone. I am only 34 and have used diapers for many many years. It is something that is not discussed much in our age group. Keep your chin up. This group is here for ya...

 

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I'm 34 and have been in diapers for 11 years now. I suffer from nuerogenic bladder due to a vehicular related spinal cord injury. I also suffer from sciatica and severe nerve spasms as a result. You're not alone my friend.

 

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I'm 22 and have had urinary incontinence my entire life. It's definitely frustrating and can be embarrassing. What has helped me is thinking about it like this, some people wear glasses because their eyes don't work right I just happen to be someone whose bladder doesn't work right so I take necessary precautions for that.

 

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i was thinking that this morning!
Everyone has a body part that isn't 100 percent. Glad we live in a time of available discreet disposables.

 

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Thanks y'all for the advice and support. I think part of what is hard especially for me since I had been "dry" most of my life is that gaining control of our bodily functions is considered a large part of growing up and a big developmental step. I think thi fuels a lot of the stigma and embarrassment that is associated with this at least for me

 

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you hit the nail on the head as to why this is a stigma.
have to know as best we can what is our personal reason for the medical condition and then work like Hell to make some other aspect of our humanity, our life purpose more important than our condition.

 

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Talking with other people going through this and similar issues has definitely helped me in dealing with both the mental and practical aspects of dealing with incontinence. And lately being able to help and give what advice I can to other people dealing with this has really been helping me get through this. So if anybody on here ever feels the need to vent or has some questions or wants to talk feel. Feel free to message me. I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to get a few people on here who are willing to this as I having people willing to listen to me and answer my questions and give me advice was very helpful especially with the mental side of this

 

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i like your style! you used your experience to help others and that is in my mind, the most important part of the human experience.

 

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Stay the course, my friend!! 36 now and been dealing with bladder issues and wearing diapers since I was 32. It has been a tough road so far, and many days I feel alone too. I’m super aware that I’m different than other people around me. That’s been hard. But I guess the alternative to wearing diapers is wet pants in public, I think a public accident would be way more awful than somebody finding out you wear diapers to control a bladder that doesn’t work properly. We’re all here for you because we’re all in the same situation.

 

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Many of us here can relate to how you feel. Bedwetter my whole life and struggled with daytime leaking and worse also. This made teenage and 20's very challenging especially since I always felt there was something I could do "mentally" to control myself. I had been to many dr.'s when I was younger and medicines and wetting alarms were useless. Not until I went to an urologist in my 30's and had a complete study done was I diagnosed with a neurogenic bladder which finally let me know the bladder/brain connection basically don't work any better than a baby or toddler. In other words I never had a chance of "curing" this condition myself. Surgery was suggested as a "possible" solution, though no guarantee. I don't choose to submit myself to that so I choose to just protect myself 24/7 with nighttime cloth diapers with plastic pants and good quality disposable diapers during the day. Once I adjusted myself to this way of life my stress and distress level all but disappeared. I just feel protection is the best remedy. Best of luck

 

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Just remember that your choice in underwear or bladder problems doesn't define who you are as a person. For me going without diapers would be far more embarrassing than having to wear protection. There are things that thou can do to minimize accidental public exposure like wearing a "bodysuit" that has snaps in the crotch that stay tucked in if your shirt lifts up plus they provide some support for the diaper preventing to much sag. easyaccessclothing.com is a good resource. Xpmedical.com also carries some body stockings.

 

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You are certainly not alone in having to manage incontinence. You are right that there is a stigma for those who are not very "young" or very "old" and need to wear some form of protection. However, I have found that we often make ourselves feel worse by believing everyone knows we are wearing protection, when in reality they don't. I am 48 and have been dependent on a diaper for three years. I can honestly say no one has ever said anything to me about it in the same way that I have never known if or when someone around me was wearing protection. Most of us do not advertise our needs, and so even if we are internally aware and embarrassed, no one else really knows. Three years into this even my in-laws do not have any idea what is under my clothes or what happens in their bathroom whenever we visit. That is not to say it is not hard work to carry on like there is nothing wrong, because even now, I am still keenly aware of my needs and I think it is the stigma that keeps me aware.

 

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I'm 20 as well, and I'm settling into my new life as a young adult with stress incontinence. My struggle is different than yours, but knowing there are others out there coping with something similar... what's that saying? Misery loves company.

I think more of us struggle with incontinence in various forms than are willing to say. My girlfriends breathe a sigh of relief when I FINALLY say I need to stop for a bathroom, because they did too. My boyfriend loves watching movies at home with me because we both need lots of bathroom breaks, and neither one is inconvenienced because we're both in similar boats. There's such a stigma around not having a bladder of steel, especially as a young person, and it's frustrating.

Your not alone.

 

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i'm gonna be 24 soon and i felt quite alone for a good couple of years, ive been bowel and bladder incontinent for a long time and eventually it got to a point where i have no control or warning
it started as an urge problem but clearly something more was up, it's getting really hard to keep up with the costs of adult briefs especially when i need to use premium ones all the time
i too havent met anyone in similar situations so its great to have a place which people can give and get advice or support