If you had a bedwetting problem as a kid, do you think it had major effects on your self-esteem growing up?

Do you think any of those effects have even continued into adulthood in some way? I was a bed-wetter every night until I was 12, and my parents didn't punish or abuse me for it, but I was constantly made to feel like something was wrong with me, was dragged to numerous doctor visits and run through numerous treatment methods to try to "fix" it, etc... I had very little confidence in myself as a kid, I was always considered "bright" and did well in school and everything, but I never went to camps or on overnight field trips, etc., for fear of wetting the bed... and was often really nervous or anxious that relatives or friends would find out about my little "bladder problem".

As an adult now I would say I'm mostly well-adjusted, but still struggle at times with low self-confidence and mild anxiety in social situations... just wondering if those things might be related. Can anyone answer from experience -- especially if you wet the bed as a kid, or knew someone who did? Thanks!!

I wet the bed till I was taught some excercises to streghnthen certain muscles. I finally stopped at age 13. I really dislike socializing, but I have good confidence. It sounds like your parents wanted to make sure you did not have embarrasing moments, so they tried to fix a problem they could not relate to.
You're concerns sound a bit like asperger syndrome.

You know there may be a link between them. I ran around with a friend who also wet the bed. I was the only one who knew about his problem and we were buddies so I never told anyone else(until now). Now that he is grown up he does have alot of problems with anxiety. He also has low self-confidence. He pretty much avoids social gatherings. I really hadn't thought about that but yes I think it could effect you later on in life if you are a bedwetter.

I wet the bed as a child, not as persistently as you did and it wasn't a time when parents knew to use medications or other treatments. I vividly remember my mother's face when I told her I'd wet the bed again, maybe around age 10. She was annoyed, but didn't act as though I was doing it on purpose. We all just waited for it to stop, and it did. I'm sure it didn't affect my self-confidence at all, not like having to learn to deal with girls after puberty demanded I do that.

Maybe all those doctor visits affected you. I'm sure kids with any reason to see the doctor a lot feel different because of it. On the other hand you might be reaching to blame something tangible rather than just have feelings of shame or fear that you can't attach to anything as easily.

I've thought that the answer to difficulty with social situations is experience and if experience doesn't do it, a psychologist can help. I don't think a history of bedwetting changes that. I don't think it explains anything. It didn't bother me except for shame when I wet the bed. I didn't have any shame about it once I stopped. Somewhere I got the message that it's not that unusual and is just part of maturing.