Toilet anxiety, toilet phobia or paruresis may be triggered by an unpleasant experience, such as a noisy or smelly toilet. Children might remember this each time they go - leading to an association of anxiety with going to the toilet. They may also start to hold in wee or poo to avoid using the toilet.
For some people, it may be due to a traumatic or unpleasant experience when they were younger, such as being bullied or having an accident when going to the toilet. Others may have a medical condition that makes using the toilet difficult or even painful, such as hemorrhoids.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offers the most consistent evidence for the reduction of toilet anxiety, and is therefore one of the most accepted treatment options.
Understanding Toilet Anxiety
'Paruresis' is the official term for a shy bladder and 'Parcopresis' is the term for a shy bowel. It's believed that anywhere from 6.5% to over 32% of people suffer from these conditions*, often grouped together under the terms Toilet Anxiety or Toilet Phobia.
A person with paruresis (shy bladder syndrome) finds it difficult or impossible to urinate (pee) when other people are around. Paruresis is believed to be a common type of social phobia, ranking second only to the fear of public speaking. Paruresis is often first experienced at school.
This problem can affect men, women and children and again people often change their diet to try to control their use of toilets. Most sufferers feel more in control at home because they are sure of their home's cleanliness. Toilet Phobia is quite common, but those who suffer from it often feel isolated.
Parcopresis (also known as shy bowel syndrome, psychogenic faecal retention) is a psychological condition involving the difficulty or inability to defecatein public restrooms, due to an overwhelming fear of perceived scrutiny.In severe cases, the difficulty or inability to defecate can occur in private restrooms, such ...
We've established that it's not uncommon for anxiety and overactive bladder to occur together (with anxiety at least contributing to OAB). But what about incontinence and OAB? Can anxiety cause you to lose control over your bladder? Yes – but it's rare.
There is a common OCD problem that no one likes to talk about – over wiping. OCD loves to make our kids doubt. Doubt their safety, doubt their cleanliness and doubt their completeness. Unfortunately wiping can touch on any and all of those thoughts.
Other symptoms of lazy bowel syndrome include abdominal bloating and/or pain, nausea, and the inability to control bowel movements, resulting in uncontrollable soiling, poor appetite, bloody stool, and diarrhea.
There is evidence suggesting psychological factors play an important role in IBS, this is due to the link that exists between the brain and gut, often called the 'gut-brain connection'. In some people, the gut-brain connection can trigger or worsen symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation and nausea.
They go out of their way to avoid coming into contact with feces or sometimes even seeing feces. Fear of feces is termed "coprophobia," a word derived from the Greek "kopros" (dung) and "phobos" (fear). Alternate names: Koprophobia, scatophobia.
Constipation may also cause the feeling that you constantly need to poop even though you can't. In this case, your bowels may not be empty, but you have trouble getting anything out, despite frequent efforts. Hard, impacted poop stuck in your bowel can irritate it, making it constantly want to evacuate.
Tenesmus is the medical term for a constant or frequent feeling that you need to poop even after having a bowel movement. It can be a symptom of an underlying health condition or concern. Is pain a common symptom of rectal tenesmus?
They affect your physical self and can cause gastrointestinal issues (GI) including diarrhea and constipation. You may also experience general stomach upset, like nausea. The brain and stomach share a connection, which means when your anxiety gets triggered, you may also experience a sudden, strong urge to poop.
This is a pretty normal childhood fear. Especially after a child has just gotten comfortable with using a toilet in potty training. Toss in a errant automatic flush from a “not at home” toilet and you may end up spending the next five years of your life covering automatic sensors.
Urge incontinence.
You have a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine. You may need to urinate often, including throughout the night. Urge incontinence may be caused by a minor condition, such as infection, or a more severe condition such as a neurological disorder or diabetes.
After Treatment
Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to be effective in about 85 out of 100 people, and along with drug therapy, shy bladder can often be controlled.
Since paruresis impairs bladder and brain functions, which are major bodily functions, paruresis qualifies as a disability under the ADA.
A troubled intestine can send signals to the brain, just as a troubled brain can send signals to the gut. Therefore, a person's stomach or intestinal distress can be the cause or the product of anxiety, stress, or depression. That's because the brain and the gastrointestinal (GI) system are intimately connected.