Why Do We Poop When We Are Nervous?

We all get the nervous poops, whether it is before that big date or the big interview, but why?

Why Do We Poop When We Are Nervous?

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I'm an aspiring actor in Musical Theatre. After my 50-something-th time I had ridden the train into NYC for yet another audition, a thought occurred to me; Why is it that every time I am waiting to go into the audition I need to poop? Am I crazy? Does this happen to other people?

For me, I believe that answers must always come first from science.

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And thus, my search for the answer began

So naturally, I looked up some info from Harvard (where all the smart people go) to see if a study like this has ever been done before.

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Obviously searching the question “Why do I poop when I get nervous?” didn’t really dig up any helpful answers. However, what I did find first relates to stress. Now, I’m sure all of us remember “fight or flight” response from a biology or health class we took in high school. However, this article “Understanding the stress response”, published in Harvard Health Publications, talks about “fight flight or freeze”

“Fight, flight or freeze” refers to the nervous response to a high stress event.

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When someone experiences a high stress event, the nervous system responds by sending a burst of energy into the body. Therefore, a person will respond by fighting the source of the event, getting away from the source of the event, or they will freeze.

I know what your thinking...How could freezing in a stressful situation actually help you?

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Obviously if I'm about to get hit by a bus, it would not be helpful to freeze. And yet, apparently deer don't really get that.

The reason why we freeze when we are shocked or stressed is simple.

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This is our body's way of allowing the adrenaline to be targeted to our senses, computing how to take the next action. So although it feels like we are freezing, the body is actually activity focusing. Say you are trapped in the dark. You hear a sudden noise and you body tenses up. When this happens, you body is tensing up to prepare to either run from the source of the noise or fight the noise, all while your hearing becomes heightened.

So what does this have to do with poop?

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The reason why you feel the need to poop when you are nervous is because the body is trying to release waste so it can better respond to the source of stress.

So the next time you get the nervous poops, you'll know its because you are about to go and fight to get that job!

or run away...