Being confident and going out with friends

Building confidence
It isn’t always easy, but things like challenging negative self-talk and learning to appreciate your achievements can help make you feel more confident.

Take a look at ReachOut’s great tips for improving your confidence, especially for things like handling nervous situations and building self-esteem.

Going out
Be prepared, be comfortable and be confident. It’s a lot easier to enjoy yourself when you’re out and about or over at a friend’s place if you feel ready for any accidents that might occur.

Tips to better prepare when heading out

• Don’t blame yourself! It’s not your fault if you do experience incontinence in a public place or anywhere else. If you did happen to have an accident, just clean yourself up and try your best to continue having fun with your friends.
• Bring appropriate supplies like pads, a change of underwear, a disposal bag or whatever you think you need to make yourself feel as comfortable as possible when you’re hanging out or going to events.
• Practise what you might say to people if you do have to go to the bathroom more frequently than others or if they ask about your supplies.
• Have a support person (or support people) – whether that’s a parent or a friend that you’ve confided in. It can make life a lot easier if you know there is someone that has got your back in any situation.

Bullying
When people don’t understand something properly, sometimes this can play out as teasing or bullying. Sadly this can happen with bladder and bowel control issues. It’s important to remember that bullying is never OK, and that there are people you can reach out to if you need support. Here’s some advice for dealing with bullying situations.