Constipation and depression have a history of coinciding with each other. Is it coincidence or is there an underlying reason? Constipation can be a painful and troublesome condition, but does it cause clinical depression? And on the other hand, can depression actually cause constipation? I hope to help lay these questions to rest for any one suffering from these two conditions.
We should first look at what the diagnosis for constipation consists of. Constipation is when the individual has two or fewer bowel movements within a week. If three days pass with no bowel movement, it could pose a serious health risk. The stool will continue to harden the longer it’s in the body, making it even more difficult to expel. Patients are also considered constipated if they experience hard stools, straining or incomplete evacuations 25% of the time they do have bowel movements.
Depression can be the result of numerous factors. Lifestyle changes, eating habits, loss of a loved one and health issues can play a huge role in depression cases. Depression can also be rather difficult to diagnose in many cases. Understanding the signs and symptoms of both of these conditions will help you to have a better understanding of what to look for, how to deal with them and how to prevent them.
How to tell if you may be Depressed
The two most obvious symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness and a general loss of interest in daily activities that usually bring pleasure. Depression can be difficult to diagnose properly because it truly is a condition of extremes. It can cause weight gain or weight loss. It can cause insomnia or the sufferer may want to sleep all day. It can cause pain to move while at the same time causing restlessness. And yes, it can cause constipation or diarrhea.
Depression affects the body’s entire system, not just the emotional aspect. It causes the digestive system to function improperly. Headaches and bodily pain are commonplace. In a state of depression, the brain actually isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to. It’s no wonder that depressed individuals feel as though the world is falling down around them. In a sense, it really is.
In the brain, there are two chemicals that affect your mood. Serotonin and norepinephrine. These two chemicals work as transmitters, sending signals from the brain to the nerves in the body. When there is a deficiency in these chemicals, the signals don’t get sent and it throws everything off. It’s interesting to note, that in most cases, the body can actually fix the problem itself. Unfortunately, it can take 1 to 3 years for that to happen and deeply depressed sufferers can’t wait that long.
To replace the depleted serotonin and norepinephrine levels, patients are usually prescribed Antidepressants. One of the main side effects of Antidepressants is constipation.
Why constipation makes us feel depressed
While constipation in and of itself does not cause clinical depression, it can cause someone to feel depressed. The reason is again because of the chemicals in the brain. Constipation prohibits food nutrients from being absorbed by the body. These nutrients are needed for the brain to produce the right amount of serotonin and norepinephrine. When constipated for a long period, the lining of the small intestine can actually build up a layer of toxins that fully prevent any nutrients from being absorbed. Toxins that are normally expelled by the body through bowel movements now have nowhere to go but to be re-absorbed by the body, making matters even worse.
Women are prime targets for both conditions, especially while pregnant. The body’s hormones are going so berserk that depression is rarely not seen during or after pregnancy. Another stage in a woman’s life that brings on depression is menopause. It’s been shown that estrogen provokes dramatic changes in the brain’s activity.
What can be done to prevent constipation and depression?
When you’re not feeling good, or feeling depressed about something, the most common thing people tend to do is head for some comfort food. It’s usually heavy and unhealthy but totally delicious, right? Unfortunately, those foods, when eaten in large quantities, wreck havoc on an already delicate gastrointestinal situation. It makes it almost inevitable that when you’re depressed, you’ll also end up constipated. It’s a vicious circle that many get stuck in.
The chances of becoming constipated and/or depressed can be dramatically lowered by eating a healthy diet and following a regular exercise routine. Avoiding alcohol and drugs can save the body from many traumas, both mental and physical. Try to follow a regular sleep pattern. Most importantly, if you begin to feel depressed, or have thoughts of suicide, you need to seek help as soon as possible.
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The Colon Cleansing & Constipation Resource Center
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/constipation-and-depression-89922.html
Is there a link between Depression/anxiety and constipation?
For most of the past two years I’ve been dealing with depression and anxiety. I’ve also noticed that most of this time I’ve been dealing with chronic constipation. I’m getting yelled at by my Dad about it and have read the mind has an effect on the gut. Apparently to him only people with IBS and Cancer should have constipation. I hate be stressed out but this along with school and other things are really getting to me bad.
Yes there is a link. When your depressed or Anxious your whole body is out of whack and the anxiety would definately cause your body to become irregular. You should eat more grain like foods (cereal, Oatmeal, bran) stuff like that helps you digest and makes it easier for your stomach you may also want to try to get more vegetables in your diet that helps too.
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i don’t know for sure but my mom tells me that when you are stressed out it can affect your digestive system and such. so the anxiety and depression might have something to do with it.
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Absolutely it does. You need to have a serious talk with your dad about getting upset with you for something that you can’t control. Constipation happens to all sorts of people, with all sorts of conditions, in all stages of life. Anxiety and depression absolutely effect your whole digestive track- for me it works the opposite way- it actually gives me diarrhea. Eating prunes and other fruits and vegetables will help this condition, stay away from cheese and dairy and if you can go to the drugstore or grocery store and get some sort of fiber supplement such as metamucil to keep you regular. Sorry you are going through that, it’ll get easier!
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Yes being anxious and depressed can effect your digestive system. Try some dried apricots they should help and tell your Dad to lay off i think its quite mean of him to be yelling at you over this.
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The answer is definitely "yes". In addition, any medications you might be taking may have constipation as a side-effect. In any case, a high fiber diet and lots of water should help the situation. Good luck.
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Personal experience
You are very close but you got it backwards… The gut has an effect on the mind.
Let me explain to you how it works…
Both anxiety and depression (for the large part) is caused by a deficiency in a natural substance that your body produces called Serotonin. While most people would believe that Serotonin is produced in the brain, they are wrong because the majority of Serotonin is in fact produced in the gut.
So if you have any sort of digestive dysfunction (constipation included) then you won’t product the levels of Serotonin needed to naturally fight off depression.
So don’t think that if you can get rid of your depression or anxiety that your constipation will go away. Rather take care of your constipation and watch your depression and anxiety improve.
Depending on the level of gut dysfunction you do have, the more healing it will require.
For constipation this is typically what I do with my clients…
#1 – Drink half your body weight in ounces of water every single day. So many people are just dehydrated.
#2 – I use a high quality fiber supplement consisting of finely ground psyllium hulls.
#3 – I use a high quality and wide spectrum probiotic. The majority of your stool is actually made up of beneficial bacteria so if you lack that bacteria in your gut, you won’t have the bulk you need for your stool. A good product to use is Dr. Ohirra’s brand of probiotic.
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http://www.leakygutcure.com