Going To The Loo Often When Anxious

[mrsps]

I am wondering if anyone else has this problem?
Whenever I have an appointment with my T I go to the loo before I leave home (only a 10 min drive to gets to T) and half the time by the time I have got there I need to go to the loo again. This morning I had to stop in at some public toilets just down the road from my T to go to the loo.
Was invited to a friends new years eve party and I don't like social situations and can remember going to the loo about 5 times in 10 mins before we left home.
School camps were the worst at night I would have to get up constantly during the night to go to the loo.
I don't drink a lot of liquid (bad I know) so sometimes wonder how I have so much urine to pass!

 

[Fadeaway]

Yup, anxiety kicks in and I have to pee, even if I just went.

 

[notsurewheretoturn]

Same here! During major panic attacks I have to defecate too! Not to mention throw up. Thankfully doesn't happen toooooo often now.

If I know I have to travel (I don't drive so use public transport) I usually wear a sanitary towel - just in case - if I'm nervous about anything.

 

[illusionist]

Yes my bowels and bladder are very reactive to stress. Even though I've managed to reduce my reaction to stress and calm myself down, once the bladder and bowels start up, there's no calming them.

 

[shimmerz]

Yep. And it is a problem for me because I don't drink enough fluids for just this reason. I can't be guaranteed I will find a bathroom on the road and I get annoyed having to hit the bathroom so often.

 

[mrsps]

I don't drink enough fluids

Same here, today is day number 2 at my new job so I have not had much to drink as I don't want to be going to the loo all the time. I know its really bad for my body not drinking enough but if I was to drink the recommended 2L a day I might as well just spend the day on the loo lol

 

[mytai]

It is completely normal. T actually explained this to me. It's a fear response, when someone experiences fear/anxiety it is normal to void your bowels/bladder. In intense fear situations it is so involuntary that people will wet/mess themselves. In situations like this we experience frequent urges to go to the bathroom.

 

[Friday]

What @mytai said. It's true for everyone. Partly why you never wanna stress kids about potty training. If they're anxious about it? Add years to the clock before it happens. And any kind of outside stress/anxiety? Will also prolong it.

Even in adults it never entirely becomes 100% conscious control (somatic nervous system). The autonomic nervous system (breathing, heart beat, digestion, regulation of body temp, all the unconscious stuff) still has the ability to yank control back whenever it wants to. But in kids? The changeover from autonomic to somatic is still new. And the process takes awhile, anyway. Kids don't pee themselves because they want to.

 

[Wastinglight]

I've been like that for my entire life. It's definitely an anxiety thing for me. The moment I start thinking about whether I need to pee or not.... I do.

 

[Blue Survivor]

Ohhhh does this sound familiar! I was going through this recently, and I'm just about over I think. It's the anxiety/stress, at least for me. I've maintained a healthy diet, normal sleep schedule, and have tried to manage my stress the best that I can (whatever that means).

But in the end it was caffeine that was worsening it for me. I'd have just one cup of coffee at home in the morning and by the time I was at my desk at work for an hour I was having to run to the bathroom. Which continued all through my day.

I hope that this gets better for you soon.

 

[cupfish]

Everybody thinks I am very social and outgoing but I am NOT, it is a well-practiced front -- don't have to explain this here. At events I go to the bathroom constantly, to hide and count the minutes until it's done. Such a waste, but I can't comfortably be social for hours on end without wanting to hide and catch my breath.

 

[Leah Morgan]

Yes this is part of the fight or flight adrenaline mechanism. Adrenaline floods your body to prepare you to run or fight blood pools in you muscles and heart comes away from digestive and urinary system. You body doesn't need to waste energy on holding a full bladder/bowel so the body will void to save energy. Unfortunately I have this reaction in my dreams not great for my husband. But I also have it when I have a panic attack and I don't mean just the urge to go I mean I can't control it, it's devastating but your not alone. X