After decades of struggling with paruresis, also known as shy bladder syndrome, writer Robert Ashton found an unexpected cure during a day spent with a group of Christian naturists in 2025. His inability to urinate in public toilets, a condition that had haunted him since childhood, disappeared after he stripped off at a naturist club near Colchester, a transformation he describes as astonishing.
A lifelong struggle with shy bladder
Ashton, a writer whose agricultural background often took him to farms for interviews, had developed elaborate tactics to manage his condition. He would loiter outside public toilets, waiting for others to leave before entering, but if someone followed him in, he would find himself standing there, worrying that his hesitation looked odd. The condition meant he could only urinate when alone, a challenge in the cafes, hotels, and events he frequented for work.
His journey to naturism began while researching a book on the spiritual connections humans once had with the land. This research led him to the Christian Naturist Fellowship, a network of people who believe Christianity and naturism are entirely compatible. Intrigued by a community that clearly got closer to nature than most, Ashton arranged to visit one of their clubs.
First visit to Springwood Sun Club
On a Saturday morning in 2025, Ashton arrived at Springwood Sun Club, where he was greeted by Nigel, a committee member, who wore a warm smile and a pair of shorts. Neither was in a rush to shed their clothes, and they walked to the clubhouse fully dressed. The scene was ordinary, except that a foursome playing miniten outside was in the buff.
Nigel then took Ashton to a clearing in the woods, where he emphasized the importance of touching the ground with bare feet. They slipped off their shoes and socks and gave it a go. After meeting several other naturists, Ashton began to feel overdressed and suggested it was time to go with the flow. He returned to his car to strip off, while Nigel did the same in his cabin. When Ashton later used the loos, he found them empty, though walking in with no clothes on and not having to zip up before washing his hands felt strange.
A surprising and lasting cure
Before leaving, their conversation returned to Christianity, and Nigel, knowing Ashton was a Quaker, invited him back as a visiting speaker at an interfaith event later that summer. On his second visit, Ashton felt no hesitation and stripped off on arrival. His inhibitions about being seen without clothes left after that first visit, but to his surprise, so did his paruresis. He realized it had always been connected to a fear of nakedness, of people seeing him urinate, a fear that dated back to primary school, where he would refuse to use the school toilets despite clearly needing a wee.
On his way home, Ashton stopped at a garden centre for a coffee. When visiting the loos, he was horrified to discover that only the centre urinal of three was not in use. Rather than being forced to walk out from embarrassment, he stepped forward and, astonishingly, had no problem at all. A few days later, visiting Norwich, he discovered he could pee in company once more. Since then, he has not experienced any difficulty, no matter how busy the toilets.
Ashton's time with the Christian Naturist Fellowship also helped him realize that people really do come in all shapes and sizes, and that very few of us have the kind of physique we are encouraged to aspire to, especially by social media. He notes that when clothes are shed, so too can inhibitions, pretences, and even lifelong anxieties be let go. His book, Down to Earth, is published by Wilton Square Books at £16.99.
