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Why do anxious feelings create the need to go to toilet frequently?

193 Answers
Last Updated: 02/19/2022 at 2:01pm
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
February 19th, 2022 2:01pm
When you are feeling anxious, it is a very normal physiological response to the need to urinate more frequently or have bowel movement issues. Your muscles tense up when you are experiencing anxiety, and this creates pressure on your bladder and your abdomen. The added pressure can make you feel like you need to go to the toilet! Additionally, extreme stress or anxiety may activate a surge of adrenaline known as our "fight or flight" response and in turn, can increase the kidney's production of urine and lead to the need to 'relieve yourself'. Similarly, diarrhoea may occur as an outcome of anxiety as there is a direct connection between your gut and your brain. When a person is anxious, the body releases hormones, which can result in a chemical imbalance disrupting the gut flora and cause diarrhoea.
iamhereforuss
February 4th, 2022 12:11pm
Diarrhea, along with other digestive problems that often accompany anxiety, can happen because of the connection between your gut and your brain, known as the gut-brain axis. The axis connects your central nervous system to your enteric nervous system (ENS), which acts as your gut’s nervous system. The ENS helps regulate processes in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. But it also has an effect on your emotions and behavior through its link to your brain. When you’re distressed, chemical messengers carry signals from your brain to your gut. Your gut sometimes responds to these signals with physical symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, or constipation. This link works both ways. If you have digestive issues or other GI problems, you might experience psychological symptoms. And having irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or related conditions is linked to an increased risk for anxiety and other mood symptoms.
Vithleem
January 15th, 2022 2:44pm
Scientists say that our emotions are able to affect the way by which our bodies function. We are referring to psychosomatic problems, in other words. Of course, every person's reaction differs, as we all have different experiences and ways to overcome problems. If you notice that your toilet habits have recently changed, it would be helpful to discuss this with a professional who will explain to you what you can do to take care of yourself. Furthermore, you can try to eat a bit more healthy and add some walking to your daily routine. Finally, you can ask some people that you trust to tell if if they ever had a similar problem and what they did to overcome it.
stellaglaze
January 6th, 2022 8:32am
Anxiety has a super significant link to our nervous systems, which can often times explain why people with anxiety seem to have lots of stomach problems. I personally developed a condition called SIBO, which stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and I recently learned that it most likely sprouted from me being extremely stressed and anxious. Talking to a doctor to help take a look at your nervous system/stomach might really help with alleviating some of your physical problems that may have spurred from anxiety. Something that has also helped me is using a heating pad on my stomach and eating foods that I know won't cause my stomach to act up!
Anonymous
January 2nd, 2022 12:13pm
Anxiety can exist in many forms, and just as an upset stomach can occur after rides at an amusement park, anxiety and nerves that result from everyday life also have the ability to target specific receptors in the gut that lead to the same feelings and the increased use of the toilet. This is why treating anxiety and symptoms of anxiety necessitates a multifaceted approach as it can affect all aspects of ones body. Things that can help with lessening these anxious feelings to hopefully lessen visits to the bathroom are the same stress relieving exercises that are supported by all, yoga, breathing exercise, mindfulness, and talk therapy.
Anonymous
October 30th, 2021 12:45pm
Scientifically, anxiety increases the amount of serotonin in your gut (I have no idea why), which may cause your colon to spasm. When your colon spasms, your bowels are likely to move. Bowel movement generally equals the need to poo. When it comes to urinating, anxiety causes some of our hormones to shift, thus resulting in our bladders’ not being relaxed. They tend to contract because of this hormonal shift. Hence, the need to pee. The human body has an interesting response to anxiety + anxious feelings, you should research into it a bit more, you'll find there's more to it than what I have said.
Larry70
October 17th, 2021 8:18am
This is a very old reaction to stress. When an animal is being chased by a predator and basically running for it's life it is to it's advantage to poop to lesson it's weight and run a little faster. Of course, that doesn't serve us very well in modern times when we might feel the same sort of threat in a meeting let's say and we suddenly have to go to the bathroom. However, it's a basic instinct that hasn't gone away over the years. It's that fight or flight thing! I know because it's happened to me in nervous situations and my best solution is to be close to a bathroom!
Fradiga
October 3rd, 2021 2:59am
Well, the latest science news point to part of your mental wellbeing being actually seated in your intestines, so if you are anxious enough, it can cause those intestines to empty themselves through the usual channels, among other symptoms (stomach pains for instance). It is also known that when animals need to run or fly away, emptying their colon fast makes that flight a lot easier. This reaction to anxiety is perfectly natural and practically built in. It is spontaneous when you are suddenly worried or facing a scary situation. It happens to most people, so you are not alone at all there.
blissfulPink9961
October 2nd, 2021 1:57am
“During heightened anxiety, the amount of serotonin increases in your gut and can cause spasms to happen throughout your entire colon.” These spasms are enough to produce unexpected bowel movements. In addition to stress hormones, anxiety poop may also be linked to your nervous system.When you start to feel anxious, however, things don’t run as smoothly. This is largely due to the fact that our bladders are closely connected to our body’s fear system — aka our “fight-or-flight” response. When that response activates, our brain tends to override all those lovely signals telling us whether or not it’s actually time to pee. At the same time, our bladder muscles contract, which puts more pressure on the bladder and sends us running for the bathroom.
compassionatekoala2021
September 5th, 2021 8:22pm
This is due to our fight or flight (or fight or freeze) response. Our brain sends these responses to our body and, in turn, our body deciphers what needs to happen. If we need to run, we need to expel whatever we can to be faster. Sometimes this means our bodies want to go to the bathroom in times of anxiety. This can also be why some people feel the need to vomit when dealing with anxiety; our body wants to get rid of any excess. Some exercises may help, such as breathing techniques or grounding techniques may help alleviate these feelings.
APaletteFullofColors
August 18th, 2021 5:53pm
As humans, there are certain responses that our bodies may have in response to stressful situations. The common ones that people think are "fight" and "flight," but there's also the response of "freeze," the kind of paralysis that keeps you frozen in place. Additionally, the way that we may feel psychologically can also have direct impacts on our physical bodies and biological functions. The anxiousness that people may experience can affect their digestive systems, causing pressure inside their intestines. This might be one of the reasons why anxiety can cause a person to have to use the restroom frequently.
peacefulSunrise965
May 23rd, 2021 3:20pm
We are all animals in the very basic thinking. When confronted with fear or anxiety our bodies respond as either fight flight or freeze. Think about dogs when they really scared they pee and poo. This might give the impression of it is dead to predators so that predator (stressor) would go away. On top of all that, some experts suspect that the fight-or-flight response could also put our kidneys into overdrive, causing them to produce more urine than usual. But don't worry. You can train yourself otherwise by getting CBT. It can also help people understand that frequent urination is simply a byproduct of their anxiety and also that they probably don’t have to pee as much as they think they do. Moreover, mindfulness and pelvic exercises can also help to control your bladder.
Ririki98
April 28th, 2021 8:49am
Anxiety can cause an ongoing feeling of urgency, or needing to go to the bathroom. This is due to the fight or flight system being activated as a result of stress. Pressure builds up inside of the body, causing stool to feel like it needs to come out. There is a good chance that although you are feeling anxious, you are only feeling a portion of the anxiety that you hold unconsciously. The rest of it needs to express itself in some manner, and in your case it seems to result in more frequent trips to the toilet. The more you can express the less this should happen.
mildaandstela
April 18th, 2021 10:55am
anxious feelings / thoughts have a significant impact on your body. there's this thing called "somatic symptoms". somatic symptoms come from psychological problems, which for sure occur in your mind. basically, your mind sends signals that something is wrong with your mental health and those signals occur in other body parts. most common symptoms are headache, digestion problems and even the need to go to toilet. your body feels like it is in an instant stress, and therefore it can even impact your urinary system. how to deal with this? first of all, try to understand why those anxious feelings occur. try to calm yourself in your favourite activities. and i'm sure everything will be solved out.
Anonymous
April 14th, 2021 7:03am
For me personally going to the toilet is almost like a sanctuary and a safe space. As a result, I feel that when I'm there I am able to calmly think through my problems and feel as if I have left the toilet much less anxious than when I felt I needed to go to the toilet. So, if you're feeling that you need to go to the toilet frequently when anxious it could just be your bodies natural reaction to the anxious feeling because it knows that going to the bathroom could potentially alleviate you from the anxious feeling and return your body to a happy and healthy equilibrium.
Anonymous
April 3rd, 2021 8:33pm
I think it's because of the tension that your anxiety builds up in your body. Anxiety affects every part of the body, including the bowels and bladder. You feel the need to visit the toilet more frequently because it's releasing some of the tension. Body naturaly wants to get rid of the anxiety, since it doesn't feel natural, and it uses whatever it can to release this uncomfortable feeling. This happens a lot, but, like everything, it can be controlled. Solution for this is equal to the solution for the anxiety. It's nothing wrong or weird, it can be expected when anxiety arrives.
allnaturalKermit91
February 18th, 2021 11:30am
Anxiety is the result of arousal of the nervous system, namely the sympathetic nervous system. This governs the fight-or-flight (or freeze) response where cortisol and adrenaline is released. In order for our ancestors to have an evolutionary advantage, it was beneficial to expel their bowels and bladder to have (presumably) less weight. Good for our ancestors, at least enough so that their offspring continued to experience this phenomenon. Fast forward to present day when it is no longer reasonable to walk around naked and there are no sabertooth tigers to fight off, we are left with a not-so-great impulse to pee or poop when we become excessively nervous. Fortunately with some effort, it is possible to mindfully pacify the sympathetic nervous system with meditation, deep breathing, or proper rest so that the body can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, where bodily processes slow down and the body can heal itself.
Anonymous
February 3rd, 2021 5:37pm
Our fight or flight response steps into action when you become anxious or stressed, which results in us having to pee more frequently. Your body is responding to the anxiousness by filling up your bladder at a faster pace. Normally when you are more relaxed your bladder will take longer to fill up. The stress hormones that are being released when you are anxious can make your body overcompensate in different areas. It is important to try and calm your nerves and alleviate stress through healthy coping mechanisms. You can also get diarrhea when you are anxious because of the high levels of serotonin that may cause your stomach to cramp up or have spasms.
ravenpuff98
January 27th, 2021 8:25pm
There's a clear link between our gut and our mental health that can be observed in the relationship between stomach upset and anxiety. When your body enters the fight-or-flight response, it releases the stress hormone cortisol. This stimulates peristalsis -- the contractions in the gut that help move food along. The result is that food moves more quickly through your digestive system when you are anxious or stressed. For this reason, it's common to experience symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting with anxiety. You are also more likely to have the condition Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) if you also have an anxiety disorder.
cuteOrange213
December 26th, 2020 2:27pm
Anxiety symptoms can be shown in a multitude of ways and one common symptom is frequent trips to the toilet. As anxiety is caused by worrying thoughts, your body is finding ways to try to avoid the problem and it detects that the trips to the toilet. The frequent trips to the toilet might also be caused by the association by the feeling of calmness and peaceful and the closed doors of the toilet as that allows no interaction with anyone else. This can also be proved as one of the ways people cope with anxiety is leaving situations when anxiety begins to occur and your body chooses the toilet to run away to.
aDistraction
December 19th, 2020 3:13pm
I am not a Dr. but I think for me its that my body absorbs nutrients different, so it gives me the poops and most times I throw up with it at the same time. I think it is just you muscles overworking. Maybe kind of like a snake does, when in danger and needs to get away. There is usually not much I can do about it, I just go though the motions. And allow at least an extra 60-90 min to get ready, when I know "its coming". Oh yeah, and I take a sick bag with me. But like I said, I'm not a doctor.
naturalbeauty
December 13th, 2020 4:01pm
Bing someone that has very recently dealt with anxiety. i know how you feel, i even went as far to look it up because i was stressing even more thinking that i was sick. From what i understand the stomach and brain has this connection, where one can quickly affect the other. So the brain sends signals to parts of the body which is a reason why you feel the need to go to the bathroom. Because that anxious feeling goes to your stomach ut once you figure out how to calm down and find that peace you need it will go away.
HappyCat66
October 15th, 2020 2:46pm
I can’t say with certainty as I am not a trained/educated professional in any related field, but my guess is that it has to do with it being a natural physiological response. Anxiety is linked to our “Fight or Flight” response, but for the life of me, I can’t imagine the modern day value of releasing urine in the face of danger (building anxiety). Even if imagining a caveman confronted by a saber-toothed cat, not sure the value, unless an empty bladder increases or optimizes one’s ability to get physical, fighting off the threat or evading it. Hope this helps.
Anonymous
August 28th, 2020 10:33pm
I believe that there is a physiological reason behind this. When we are stressed or anxious, there is a very complicated physiological process (that I won't go into because I don't want this to be a massive response), that leads to the adrenal glands releasing cortisol into the bloodstream. The effect of cortisol on the body is the fight or flight response, which is what we feel when we're anxious. During this response, blood flow is redirected towards the muscles and the heart, and away from all "unnecessary organs" (the GI tract especially). This next part is a hypothesis, but when we shut down blood flow to these organs, the smooth muscles will contract less and lead to an easier release of fluids (i.e you need to pee more). Not quite sure if there's an actual verified explanation , but this was just my line of thought!
acloudwithasilverlining
August 2nd, 2020 9:41am
Stress and anxiety closely affect our digestive system and may also lead to gastro-intestinal issues, among other things. Increased levels of stress and anxiety may lead to imbalance of 'good' bacteria and 'bad' bacteria in our intestines, which are essential to break down food during digestion. This can cause issues such as stomach ache, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea or even nausea. It can also lead to increase in stomach acids, causing heart burn and indigestion. Additionally, anxiety also stresses our muscles, mainly those in our gut region, which may exert extra pressure on the bladder and even on the intestines, hence the need to go to the toilet frequently.
JoWalker
July 15th, 2020 2:49am
Hello;) To answer your question scientifically, anxious feelings usually increase heart beat rate and blood pressure. This squeezes out more water from your blood at the kidneys to create more urine. That's why you need to go to the WC more frequently when you are anxious about something. Our body does this because they want to lower the blood pressure to help protect your internal organs and blood vessels. This is quite common and is a perfectly healthy phenomenon so don't worry too much about it. Please consult your doctor if you experience pain or you have other symptoms that cannot explained. I hope this answer helps.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2020 5:02pm
Anxiety is an evolutionary response to dangerous situations. Way back when, when humans were living in the wild, things were a lot more dangerous! One way our body worked to keep us safe if, say, a dangerous animal was near, was to activate a fight-or-flight response in our brain and body to get us ready to face danger. Our hearts beat faster, our eyes take in more light, our bodies fill with adrenaline, and our excretory systems can be stimulated by hormones...leading to us having to pee or poop. Of course, we're likely not facing lions or tigers or bears much these days, but our body still responds to anxiety with the same full-body reaction. Uncomfortable, definitely, but perfectly normal!
Asher
June 17th, 2020 7:02am
When we feel anxious we have the urge to use the restroom so much as a body to cope with the emotion that we are feeling. This allows us to remove ourselves from the place that we got a response from and take a step back. It's a fight or flight mode that we have as people that we do. It's not the most helpful thing but if you can get your mind off of what is making you anxious to can be helfpul as well. For example when I was feeling this way I would listen to music to help with how I was feeling.
Anonymous
June 11th, 2020 10:30am
Anxiety places stress on your body, this includes your digestive system, your brain, your bladder, etc. So when you are feeling worried you you might feel the need to go more often then normally and this is completely normal! If anything you can always check in with your doctor to make sure everything is in check. Remember everything is connected so feeling uneasy in the stomach can also result from being anxious but it's not need to worry over, it's as ai said completely normal to feel like this! Taking some time out and addressing what's causing the anxiety might help stop this or control this!
martinbo
June 10th, 2020 12:29pm
That could be a stress reaction on the body and particularly for the blader, soon we use the toilet the stress or anxious feeling is disappeared. That is a reaction when a body tries to protect themself fro damage other cells or organs. Similar situations are when body is sick or has the fever over the normal point, in that place the organism tries to cooling down or start sweat to back for safe zone. This process in the body is normal but alarmed us that is something wrong with the organism by signalizing with a particular behaviour. I hope that is helpful.