Easing into Spring - The Psychosomatics of Constipation

As part of The Mind Body Gut Seasonal Programmes, we talk about going into Spring constipated.

During the Winter months, we and our digestive systems can become sluggish and slow, potentially leading to a build-up of toxins. As we head towards the Spring equinox it is important that our bowels are working and all routes of elimination are clear. The reason for this is during an equinox our body naturally detoxifies more. Our body needs to process that toxicity ready for Spring when our liver and gallbladder are most active.

Constipation can have significant psychosomatic components, meaning psychological factors can contribute to its development or exacerbation. This is an experience that I know all too well, having struggled with constipation for around 30 years of my adult life, the reasons will be expressed further on in this article. In my opinion, here are some possible psychosomatic aspects of constipation:

Stress and Anxiety

High levels of stress and anxiety can disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive system, including slowing down bowel movements. Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can inhibit gastrointestinal motility, leading to constipation. We don’t need to be digesting food if our physiology believes that there is an imminent threat. We can all identify with times when we have needed to go to the toilet just before an interview or have been sick with worry – nauseous enough to stop us from eating.

Depression

Depression can affect appetite, energy levels, and motivation to engage in activities such as exercise, all of which can contribute to constipation. As we seek to increase our levels of happy hormones, we can find ourselves reaching for the foods that give us a quick Dopamine hit such as chocolate, sweet foods or salty and fatty foods. Receptors in our brains respond to the gustatory reaction to sugar, salt and fat and this can give us a temporary ‘high’ yet cause sluggishness and toxin buildup in our systems. Additionally, some medications used to treat depression may have constipation as a side effect – I know that this was often true for me.

Trauma or Emotional Distress

Traumatic experiences or emotional distress can manifest physically, including in the form of gastrointestinal issues like constipation. This can be due to the gut-brain axis, where emotions and stress can influence gut function. Poor gut health can lead to the slowing down of the digestive system causing constipation.

Disordered Eating

Certain eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, can lead to constipation due to irregular eating patterns, inadequate intake of fibre and fluids, and disturbances in gastrointestinal motility. Disordered eating, by nature, activates the sympathetic nervous system even if the person does not feel unduly stressed or anxious about their eating pattern. The act of restricting or binge-purging creates a load on the system leading to disturbances in the digestive system.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors such as fear of using public restrooms (parcopresis) or fear of pain during bowel movements can lead to withholding stools, which can contribute to constipation. These can often appear in childhood and contribute to a lifelong disharmonious relationship with the digestive system.

Personality Traits

Certain personality traits, such as perfectionism,  a tendency to suppress emotions or an overwhelming fear of being judged, may contribute to constipation by increasing stress levels or affecting bowel habits. Suppressing or not allowing the natural excretion of byproducts from eating through personality traits can lead to a lifelong disturbance in gastrointestinal motility.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors can influence our ability to allow the natural excretion of byproducts from eating. Poor facilities in school or the workplace can lead to a reluctance to relax and let go resulting in ‘holding on’ until we are in a better environment. Fear of using public restrooms (parcopresis) can also lead to constipation. As a nation, many of us spend an inordinate amount of time stationary at desks, through ill health and age-related mobility issues, or any other hobby that lacks movement. Movement is key to maintaining gut health. We need to be able to breathe effectively and move our bodies so that our internal organs related to digestive processes and waste removal are massaged into optimum efficiency. A stagnating body equals a stagnating gastrointestinal system.

My Story

I met the criteria of much of the above. I was a perfectionist, I was crippled with fear of being judged by the next person using public restrooms, or being judged critically in any scenario, I was also often anxious and depressed, sometimes both at the same time and this started in my childhood.

I remember suffering from stomach ulcers at about 14 years old and being on a ‘food watch’ at school where I was made to eat something in front of a teacher every day. I don’t recall when I first started ‘holding on’ and waiting until I got home before going to the toilet but I know this was a regular occurrence by the time I started work in Central London, aged 16.

I had also tried to commit suicide around the age of 13/14 and my Mother simply dismissed me as ‘being ridiculous.’ This led to me learning to suppress my emotions from an early age, even before this time but that is covered in another article. I learnt to be a good girl and keep myself in the shadows, however, there would be many flashpoints of anger as I was trying to maintain the impossible. This rollercoaster of emotional suppression followed by purging would only serve to create more disharmony as I spent much of my life in a state of ‘fight, flight or freeze.’ My adrenals became exhausted adding the the psychosomatics of disharmony and stress.

This continued throughout my adult life, I was prescribed medications at times, especially when I was pregnant as hormone fluctuations wreaked havoc with my digestive system, they didn’t help. I don’t remember a time from when I was at school until my mid-40s when I wasn't constipated. If I went on holiday, it would be 4-7 days between passing stools and I would feel horrendously sick as a result. Holidays were rarely physically comfortable and it would take me days to recover.

As a child, I was sent to a secondary school that I didn’t want to go to, the people there were not my tribe, it was far from home and my two best friends went to a different local school. For some reason, my parents saw fit to send me to a school where I was worse than a fish out of water. It was a school in a rougher area. I spoke with a plum in my mouth, proper Queens’ English, I am also quite quick to take on new information and can quickly regurgitate facts that I have learnt in the previous few days. This gained me the reputation of being ‘anally retentive’ and I was called this on many occasions – how literal and true that became!

The tipping point came in 2009 when my body pretty much ground to a halt. Since then I have spent 15 years writing the wrongs of the preceding 38 years.

I also have a cow’s milk intolerance, something that I have only recently become aware of and it has transformed my gastrointestinal health and my physical health for the better. I believe that this has been the case since before I was born. My Mother described me as a fractious child with colic and difficulty settling. For most people, excluding the food that creates an inflammatory response for a while and then slowly reintroducing it is enough to overcome the stress response, I have not been successful in doing this and am at peace with the decision to ditch cow’s milk products (I’m fine consuming Goat, Sheep and Buffalo milk).

If I consume cow’s milk products, three things occur. I return to an old pattern of binge-purge as my body seeks to expel the toxin as fast as it can. My stomach expands like a balloon as I retain water. Water retention is the body’s way of sending fluids to the site that has been attacked like you would get swelling around a cut on your knee, my body sees Lactase as an injury. I then suffer from abdominal cramps and pain when passing the poisonous stool. Once this process is complete, I return to normal digestion. I am not hyper-vigilant when out eating and as I sit writing this article, I know that yesterday, whatever I ate whilst I was out, contained cow’s milk products. It is extremely uncomfortable.

Every person is unique, mainstream medical models tend only to address the symptoms and don’t look at the root cause. Identifying the root cause or causes, as if often the case, will allow you to have a comfortable and efficient digestive system that promotes wellbeing. Toxin overload from an ineffective digestive system can cause symptoms such as:

·         Abdominal cramps and pain

·         Fatigue

·         Headaches

·         Skin problems

·         Digestive issues

·         Muscles or joint aches and pains

·         Brain fog

·         Allergies or sensitivities

·         Weight gain

·         Mood fluctuations

·         Anal fissures

·         Rectal bleeding

·         Haemorrhoids

·         Decreased immune function

If you identify with anything mentioned above, know that addressing the psychological aspects of constipation often involves a holistic approach that includes stress reduction techniques, cognitive-behavioural therapy, relaxation exercises, and addressing any underlying psychological issues through therapy or counselling. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, maintaining a healthy diet with adequate fibre and fluids, which may include testing for food intolerances through Kinesiology or blood tests, and establishing a regular bowel routine can also help relieve constipation.

For more tips on easing constipation, Laura Shipp has written a great article that’s worth a read.