Frequent urination, when you need to go to the toilet more than usual during 24 hours is a common symptom of anxiety disorder.
If you find yourself feeling as though you need to urinate all the time, the best thing you can do is simply learn to relax. Getting up and walking around can be a big help. Often sitting actually creates more urine anyway, so you'll find yourself needing to pee all the time especially when you stand up.
Stress, anxiety, and depression may actually contribute to OAB and urinary incontinence. In a study involving more than 16,000 women in Norway, having anxiety or depression symptoms at baseline was associated with a 1.5- to two-fold increase in the risk of developing urinary incontinence.
It can be a symptom of pregnancy or a urinary tract infection, or more serious or long-lasting conditions like diabetes, overactive bladder or prostate issues. In many cases, your healthcare provider can help relieve frequent peeing by treating the underlying condition.
It's considered normal to have to urinate about six to eight times in a 24-hour period. If you're going more often than that, it could simply mean that you may be drinking too much fluid or consuming too much caffeine, which is a diuretic and flushes liquids out of the body.
Overactive bladder (OAB) is a common cause of urinary frequency. Having a pelvic floor problem can be a risk factor for OAB. OAB leads to bladder spasms, meaning the bladder contracts when it shouldn't. This causes increased urination and, sometimes, urinary incontinence.
Anxiety and incontinence interact and exacerbate each other. And, anxiety is a risk factor for developing incontinence. The same appears to be true with other mental health issues, like depression, which is also a risk factor for developing incontinence.
Duloxetine (Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle) is a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that is approved to treat depression and anxiety. It can help relax the muscles that control urination and improve bladder leaks in some people.
Unfortunately, overactive bladder is linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Women with this condition may therefore want to seek out professional help for both their physical and emotional symptoms related to OAB.
Studies show there is a large correlation between stress and the activity of your bladder. Adults with higher stress levels report more frequent trips to the bathroom than those who aren't under as much stress. (A condition commonly known as Overactive Bladder.) You may have already noticed this with your own health.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Contact a healthcare provider if you're waking up several times per night to pee. Often, lifestyle changes can make a big difference. But sometimes, medication is necessary, especially if you have an underlying bladder or prostate issue. Fortunately, most cases are highly treatable.
Untreated anxiety can result in changes to the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. This impaired functioning may increase the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and dementia.
Instead, high-functioning anxiety typically refers to someone who experiences anxiety while still managing daily life quite well. Generally, a person with high-functioning anxiety may appear put together and well- accomplished on the outside, yet experience worry, stress or have obsessive thoughts on the inside.
To diagnose an anxiety disorder, a doctor performs a physical exam, asks about your symptoms, and recommends a blood test, which helps the doctor determine if another condition, such as hypothyroidism, may be causing your symptoms. The doctor may also ask about any medications you are taking.
Check in with your health care provider if: There's no obvious reason for your frequent urination, such as drinking more total fluids, alcohol or caffeine. The problem disrupts your sleep or everyday activities. You have other urinary problems or symptoms that worry you.
Sudden stress (pressure) on your bladder causes stress incontinence. Common causes include coughing, sneezing, laughing, lifting and physical activity. Younger and middle-aged women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) near or experiencing menopause are most likely to have stress incontinence.
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary, sudden loss of urine secondary to increased intraabdominal pressure that is bothersome or affecting the patient's quality of life. Physical activities precipitating SUI include laughing, sneezing, straining, coughing, or exercising.
The main symptom of stress incontinence is a leakage of urine at times of physical movement or activity. Examples of the kinds of activities associated with urine leaking include laughing, coughing, lifting, or exercise. The leakage may be as little as a drop or two, or may be a "squirt," or even a stream of urine.
Feel a sudden urge to urinate that's difficult to control. Experience unintentional loss of urine immediately after an urgent need to urinate (urgency incontinence) Urinate frequently, usually eight or more times in 24 hours. Wake up more than two times in the night to urinate (nocturia)