Learn more about incontinence
These articles about leaks, bedwetting and continence care are here for you regardless if you are a man, woman, carer, relative, or professional.
anxiety is a troubling issue facing people affected by both urinary and bowel incontinence, as well as people who aren’t affected by incontinence issues. Sometimes referred to as bladder anxiety, it can have a significant impact on an individual’s confidence, mental health and quality of life.
Anxiety has various triggers and is typically characterized as the intense and persistent worry or fear about everyday situations. It’s something that many people experience. In a survey, almost half (49.6%) of people in Great Britain reported to experience "high" levels of anxiety, so it’s most likely that many of us will experience it at one time or another.
Incontinence anxiety is a particular kind of anxiety centered on the fear of experiencing leaks in public, and it can have a serious impact on people affected by various forms of incontinence, from overactive bladder (OAB) to bowel incontinence. But why does bladder anxiety affect us in this way and are there any incontinence anxiety treatments?
To help us answer this question and to find out a little bit more about the topic, we spoke to Dr. John S. Young, Professor of Translational Healthcare, who explains not only the way in which anxiety can affect the bladder but also how the bladder can affect your anxiety!
What is the difference between incontinence anxiety and anxiety incontinence?
While they sound very similar, anxiety and anxiety incontinence are two distinct conditions. Unfortunately, the fact they sound similar means they are often confused.
Incontinence anxiety
This is a psychological condition defined as the fear of experiencing incontinence in public. People who experience incontinence anxiety may not actually experience leaks at all, but still feel distress and fear caused by this possibility. The stress this causes can be significant and lead to isolation and avoidance of social situations. Its also important to note that people who do suffer from incontinence may also suffer from incontinence anxiety, as the possibility of experiencing a leak in public is higher. This can also cause lower quality of life and loneliness in people experiencing incontinence.
Anxiety Incontinence
Anxiety incontinence is a specific type of incontinence. It happens when a person is affected by panic or heightened anxiety and can lead to the sudden and extremely urgent need to urinate. This can cause complete loss of bladder control, leading to large surges, or leaks. The key difference with anxiety incontinence is that it is a physical condition related to how the body responds to periods of heightened stress.
What’s the relationship between anxiety and overactive bladder?
Different types of and bladder issues are sometimes better known about than others. For example, the cause of stress incontinence is generally a very well understood and researched bladder issue. Unfortunately, the causes of are not quite as well understood.
However, there are some signs that you may be able to spot if your overactive bladder is related to anxiety.
Dr. Young explains that some people who suffer from anxiety
“may notice a change in urinary symptoms. They’ll see an increase in the number of occasions where they experience urinary urgency (a sudden urge to void that cannot be deferred), perhaps accompanied by incontinence.”
There’s also a school of thought that urinary symptoms such as urgency may originate or be exacerbated by anxiety.
As Dr. Young says,
“such as how a habit of ‘going, just in case’ can lead to increased frequency and being much more aware of how full their bladder is.”
Therefore, it’s interesting to explore the nature of the relationship between anxiety and an overactive bladder, as it becomes apparent that just as much as anxiety can cause an overactive bladder (and sometimes incontinence), an overactive bladder can also affect your anxiety.
How can frequent urination affect anxiety?
Health issues affecting the bladder can have a significant impact on people’s mental health (particularly in reference to anxiety).
For example, those suffering with urinary symptoms may notice increasing worries about getting ‘caught short’ when out in public; when going for a long walk or car journey you may start fretting more about where the nearest toilet is as opposed to enjoying yourself! As a result, some people may find that they eventually start restricting their activities because of an increased burden of coping, embarrassment, and a feeling of low self-esteem.
“These changes in functioning may be related to feelings of loss of control, shame, and embarrassment” with Dr. Young adding that in some cases, “they can even exacerbate anxiety symptoms”.
This means that incontinence anxiety can make it more difficult to enjoy life, potentially creating an unfortunate cycle that erodes confidence and increases the risk of loneliness or inactivity.
How can you improve anxiety incontinence?
If you are going through related bladder anxiety, it can be difficult to see a way out. But there are steps you can take to help manage both your incontinence anxiety and your bladder problems.
There are various types and causes of incontinence, and often the most effective way to manage the symptoms is to treat the underlying cause. The same is true of incontinence anxiety .
“If anxiety affects the bladder resulting in new symptoms or the worsening of existing symptoms, you should consult your GP,” recommends Dr Young. “Your GP will then review how you are currently managing anxiety and may suggest new or additional treatments or strategies.”
Steps that will help your anxiety and your bladder?
Dr. Young also proposes the following steps in order to lessen the impact of urinary symptoms on mental health:
Stay optimistic
Persevere with trying out different treatment options until the most effective solution can be identified. Fortunately, there are many different options and what works for one person may not always work for you, so do keep trying! TENA incontinence products for men and women are designed to provide you with the reassurance you need, to lock in leaks and help you keep living life to the fullest.
Don’t be afraid of going to events
Try to keep living life as normally as possible. Don’t miss out on social events just because you’re worried about access to toilets or leaking in public. We highly recommend using quality incontinence products to help you maintain confidence when out in public and trying new activities. You can also be proactive and make a note of toilet access, so you can have a plan in place when nature calls.
Find some support
Have conversations with friends and family. Others may have experienced incontinence symptoms and may be able to provide you with helpful support and understanding. It will also help people to consider your needs when planning social events and occasions to make sure you have access to the facilities you need.
Use online resources
Engage with the excellent resources available from our TENA articles section as well as Bladder Health UK, the Bladder & Bowel Foundation and Bladder & Bowel Community for additional advice.
Speak to your doctor
The mental health impact of incontinence anxiety should not be taken lightly. It can have an incredibly debilitating effect on you and your quality of life. If you are concerned about this, speak to your doctor as they will help you to better understand and treat the root cause of your incontinence, or provide you with other potential solutions to both the anxiety and bladder leaks.
If you want to learn more about the way in which your bladder and brain are connected, head over to our articles on mental health and incontinence and how mindfulness can help with incontinence