Anxiety poop, also known as anxiety diarrhea or nervous poop, can be uncomfortable and hit at inopportune times. To that end, we spoke with holistic psychologists and functional medicine doctors to better understand the reaction and—perhaps more importantly—find ways to help manage it. When connected to anxiety, these bowel movements are commonly loose stools or diarrhea, integrative medicine doctor Wendie Trubow, M.D., says. When anxious feelings arise, stress chemicals are released in the brain. The brain then communicates these feelings with the gut, disrupting normal digestion patterns and motility. More often, this disruption leads to constipation, Trubow says. “But there are some individuals who will have the opposite reaction and will have their bowels loosen up with stress/anxiety.” “IBS includes a cluster of other symptoms like pain and cramping in the abdomen, diarrhea, changes in bowel movements, and gas and bloating,” she says. Anxiety poop, on the other hand, may just mean someone is nervous about a future event. It’s how the gut responds to stressful thoughts and feelings. Anxiety poops won’t always lead to chronic digestive issues, either. When stress is properly managed, the symptoms may ease up. “Think of probiotics as your little helpers that restore order and help maintain harmony in your gut ecosystem,” Vincent Pedre, M.D., previously told mbg.* Studies have shown high-quality probiotic supplementation may help manage gastrointestinal disorders2, like IBS and diarrhea. “This doesn’t mean you need to nix all these foods automatically, and most are fine in moderation,” Pedre says. “Pay attention to what foods may be taking a toll on your body, and work with your medical provider to figure out what could make the most sense for your diet.”
