Is bed wetting a sign of trauma full#

But their psychological problems aren’t necessarily preventing them from getting dry, and successful treatment of their bed wetting symptoms may improve their psychological problems. Reality: Some kids who wet the bed are also distressed. You need to treat the psychological symptoms first. Myth: There’s no point trying to cure bedwetting if a child is depressed or anxious. Modern psychologists have rejected the hypothesis that wetting the bed is a red flag for future violent behavior.Īs forensic psychologists note, “bedwetting is neither violent nor voluntary” and there is “little or no empirical support” linking it with psychological maladjustment (Parfitt and Alleyne 2018). Mostly what I’ve found are studies indicating that children suffer from lower self-esteem, which makes sense, given the social stigma associating with wetting the bed (Wille and Anveden 1995 Longstaffe et al 2000 Shreeham et al 2009 Sureshkumar et al 2009 Phung et al 2015). In addition, there is evidence supporting the idea that bedwetters are more likely than non-bedwetters to suffer from disruptive behavior disorders (Niemczyk et al 2015 Park et al 2013).īut most children who experience bedwetting don’t have these behavior problems.Īnd it doesn’t appear that these kids are at higher risk for serious emotional problems, like depression or clinical anxiety (Wille and Anveden 1995 Shreeham et al 2009 Sureshkumar et al 2009). Yes, there is a link between bedwetting and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD). Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD are more likely to experience bedwetting (Mahjani et al 2021). And severe childhood stress makes kids more likely to become violent criminals.ĭoes it sound plausible? Maybe. MacDonald’s theory was that these three behaviors, occurring together, indicate that a child is under substantial stress. Macdonald proposed that bedwetting past the age of 5, along with animal cruelty and arson, was a sign that a child was at risk for becoming a violent sociopath (MacDonald 1963). This false claim might have originated with Sigmund Freud, who thought urination was erotic and that wetting the bed was a frustrated sexual act. And kids with certain behavior problems are more likely to experience bedwetting.īut does a child’s failure to awaken before urinating indicate that he or she is psychologically disturbed? No. Reality: It’s true that bedwetting is sometimes associated with stress. Myth: Wetting the bed is a sign that your child is psychologically disturbed, or predisposed to violence These traits may have a genetic basis, which would explain why nocturnal enuresis seems to run in families.įor the details, see my guide to bedwetting. In addition, their bodies may produce less vasopressin, a hormone that suppresses the production of urine (Doscche et al 2016).

Is bed wetting a sign of trauma full#

These children may have more difficulty awakening at night in response to the signal of a full bladder (Nevéus 2017). Reality: Bedwetting occurs during sleep, and research suggests that kids who wet the bed are physiologically different. Myth: Wetting the bed is caused by laziness, or by a failure to pay attention to body signals Reality: As I note in my my evidence-based guide to bedwetting, up to 20% of five-year-olds have yet to achieve night-time dryness, and many school-age children suffer from the problem as well. Myth: Wetting the bed is an unusual problem The following claims about wetting the bed (also known as “nocturnal enuresis”) have been debunked. If you know a child who wets the bed, pass the message along. Or how about the idea that wetting the bed is a sign of psychopathology? Or that kids require counseling - talking therapy - in order to break the “habit?” Myths about bedwetting? There are several, and they aren’t helpful.Įver heard the claim that kids wet the bed out of laziness?