Anxiety is an unpleasant feeling of apprehension or fear. It produces physical symptoms and may prevent clear-thinking as the person focuses on his concerns or bodily responses to the anxiety. Untreated, long-term anxiety can be detrimental to mental and physical health. Three of the symptoms of anxiety involve bathroom functions.
Excessive Urination
The National Institutes of Health explains that anxiety can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Occasionally, this is the only sign of recurrent anxiety that a parent will notice in her child if the child is attempting to hide symptoms. Test-related anxiety can cause this problem is both children and adults. Excessive urination is more common during waking hours; voiding usually produces small amounts of urine each time. In some cases, excessive urination is accompanied by an increase in beverage intake due to nervousness, which worsens the urinary symptoms and causescopious amounts of urine.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is another sign of anxiety. It may occur during a singular stressful or frightening event or each time an event is about to occur, such as before a child goes to visit a troubled non-custodial parent for the weekend. Some people with chronic anxiety experience chronic diarrhea, having small liquid or semi-formed bowel movements.
Lack of Urination
The University of Washington explains that severe anxiety can cause a fight-or-flight response in the body. A part of the autonomic nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system is activated during this severe anxiety, causing changes in the body that prepare it for an emergency. One of these changes is decreased urine secretion by the kidneys. Pre-historically, this would allow a man to run from a wild predator without having to void, thereby diverting the body's energy to activities necessary for survival. This feeling usually diminishes within a few hours; recurrent, severe anxiety of this nature requires treatment to avoid serious harm to the body.
References
- "Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing: Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice;" Mary C. Townsend, M.N., A.P.R.N.; 2006
- National Institutes of Health/MedlinePlus: Stress and Anxiety
- Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth: Being Afraid
- University of Washington: The Autonomic Nervous System
