Why My Articles Focus on the Management Aspects of Bed-Wetting

 One reader of my articles wondered why I focus on diapers and don't discuss the many treatments available for nocturnal enuresis(the clinical term for bed-wetting) such as alarms,drugs,and other methods. As a matter of fact, I do discuss some of these options briefly in my article “Bed-Wetting:When Cures Can Be Worse Than the Disease”.I thought other people might be wondering the same thing, so I decided to devote an article to this. Right off the bat I'd like to say that I feel that people should explore many different ways to treat their bed-wetting. That being said, there are numerous instances where the various attempts at curing the enuresis have proved unsuccessful. Although many individuals can be cured of their bed-wetting,there will probably always be a significant amount of people whose enuresis can't be cured for whatever reason. In cases such as these, it would be best from both a comfort and health standpoint to wear protective garments whether pull-ups,disposable tape on diapers,pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants,or other styles of garments. My articles are written for those individuals who prefer(or have no other choice) to use diapers to manage their bed-wetting and that is why I chose to concentrate on this particular management option.

 The fact that the emphasis of my articles is on the use of diapers does not mean that I think they're the only or best way to deal with this condition. There are a number of reasons that I chose to focus on the management aspects of bed-wetting as opposed to the treatment aspects. The first reason has to do with the fact that I have a fairly extensive knowledge of this topic due primarily to my years of reading on the subject(they always say write about what you know). Second, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of articles discussing the merits of wearing diapers to bed in certain circumstances and when the situation warrants it(this is due in large part to the stigma surrounding using diapers for bed-wetting particularly with older children,adolescents,teenagers,and adults) The purpose of my writings are to fill this gap. In addition, some of the other aims of my articles are to alleviate the stigma surrounding using diapers for the management of bed-wetting in older children,adolescents,teenagers,and adults; and to help people who use diapers to deal with bed-wetting feel better about themselves.

 One thing I've noticed is that most writings on this subject stress trying to resolve the problem as opposed to discussing the various management methods available for bed-wetting. This is certainly understandable given the fact that this is an uncomfortable condition to live with,but I also feel that the main reason there is more of an emphasis on cures for enuresis is due to the stigma surrounding this condition. I've also noticed that if management options are discussed,the ones that are invariably mentioned are items such as pull-ups and “Goodnites” instead of the myriad products out there to deal with bed-wetting such as pin-on diapers covered with plastic pants and tape on disposable diapers. Again this is due in large part to the stigma associated with these items. An additional reason my articles center on protection is to help both adult bed-wetters and parents of bed-wetters realize that there are a wide variety of products to manage bed-wetting and these types of protection are not mentioned by most medical professionals,in most childcare books,and on most childcare/parenting websites .A further reason why my articles deal primarily with the use of diapers to handle bed-wetting is to offer strategies for parents to encourage older children,adolescents,and teenagers to wear diapers to bed when all efforts to cure it have failed. These strategies include reward systems,suggesting to the youngster that they talk to people on online incontinence support groups,and verbal praise such as telling them how proud you are of them for taking the responsibility to manage the problem in an mature manner. Additional ideas on how to reassure youngsters who are having difficulty adjusting to the idea of wearing diapers to bed are covered in my article “Ways Parents Can Encourage Older Children,Adolescents,and Teenagers to Wear Diapers to Bed and Other Topics.”

 In general it certainly makes sense to try to solve various medical problems because many ailments can cause a considerable amount of distress for the individual,but unfortunately there are situations where the disease in question can't be cured(at least at this point).That's when the focus needs to shift from treatment to management. For instance,currently there is no cure for depression so it must be managed by either therapy,medicine,or both. Both of these methods have varying degrees of success with different individuals. Incontinence is also an example where there are many different ways to treat it. Just as with many other medical disorders,some individuals are able to be helped by these range of treatments whereas others aren't.

 There are a wide variety of supplies available to manage incontinence and the worldwide market for these items is substantial(according to one website, in the year 2005 France alone sold $171 million dollars worth of incontinence products) Some people argue that one of the reasons for the large volume of sales for these items is that most people are reluctant to discuss incontinence with their doctors and prefer to use diapers to deal with this issue. While it is certainly plausible that this could account for some of the sales of incontinence products,there are no doubt cases of people using these garments because in their particular situation the incontinence can't be cured,or the treatments available to cure it are not feasible or desirable. These people should not be stigmatized for their decision to use protection nor should they be pressured to use treatment options that might not be appropriate for them in their particular circumstance just because diapers have a negative image.

 People differ in their ability to cope with various challenges. Life experience,temperament,and support from family and friends are three of the primary factors that play a significant role on how well developed a person's coping mechanisms are for handling adversity. This ties in with how well people can cope with various medical matters. Some people are significantly distressed by their bed-wetting and these people should be encouraged to look into whatever means are available to try to cure it. However if they are unable to cure their bed-wetting they need to somehow be able to cope with this and take whatever measures are necessary to manage it. If they are upset about the fact that their incontinence can't be cured, it might be a good idea to seek counseling. Some mental health professionals deal with people who are having difficulty adjusting to their incontinence. There are also some individuals who have been unsuccessful curing their bed-wetting who have come to terms with this. These people are able to live with the problem and consider it more of a nuisance. In these particular circumstances many of them don't mind wearing protection to bed and in fact many of them find it more uncomfortable not wearing protection at night. In my opinion if these people prefer to use diapers to manage their bed-wetting their decision to do so should be respected. One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that there are many people who have to wear diapers to bed their whole lives and we as a society should accept this.

 With any medical problem a person has to do several things. First identify that there is a problem. Second,seek help for the problem. And third,evaluate the different options presented to them to try to solve the problem. In many cases the different choices available will have both pros and cons and the person has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each himself in order to make an informed decision about what type of treatments to pursue.

 Finally I'd like to say the following to all people suffering from bed-wetting. By all means use whatever methods you feel comfortable with to try to resolve the problem and look into new treatments should they become available. Evaluate the pros and cons of each treatment in a calm, objective manner. Discuss these solutions with your doctor. After taking these steps and you come to the conclusion that protective garments such as diapers are the best way to deal with the situation,then wear them. Don't be pressured by what society,your friends,or your family think. I hope this clarifies where I stand on this issue.