Embarrassed that I’m still wetting the bed

Dear Pastor,

I am a teenager and I have a disgusting problem. I am in high school. Some of the places my friends attend, I cannot.

I am ashamed to tell you that I am still wetting the bed. My friends sometimes ask me to sleep over and I have to make up crazy excuses because I am afraid that I would wet their beds. Every summer, members of my church go to camp; I have never gone with them and they wonder why. But I cannot tell my closest friends that I am still wetting bed.

My mother tells me that she did not stop wetting the bed until she was much older than I am even though she tried everything. She was told that it was something that runs in her family. I told my mother that I would love to find a magic pill so that I can take to stop wetting bed.

Dear Pastor, help me to stop.

K.T.

Dear K.T.,

Some children wet their beds late into their teens and they are very embarrassed because it is not something that they wish to do.

They would not want their closest friends to know that they are having such a problem. Your mother told you that it is a family problem. Some studies would agree with her. However, there are some practical things that you may wish to do to help to control your situation, such as limiting your fluid intake in the evening hours before you retire to bed. Do not drink anything that has lots of caffeine and practise to go to the toilet as often as possible. You will overcome this problem.

Intelligent parents don't mock their children about wetting the bed. They know that it is not something the children wilfully do. I can imagine how embarrassed you feel, especially when you are invited to sleep over at the home of friends or when you would love to attend camp.

Pastor