Have you ever been lying in bed at night and thought to yourself, “maybe I should pee now “just in case” so I don’t have to get up later?” I’ve worked with many clients who have anxiety and repeatedly report peeing “just in case”-especially before bed. For some reason not enough people are talking about this, so I’m going to!
A “just in case pee” is when you urinate before you need to. This could include before leaving the house, doing something important, or going to bed. Anxiety in general can cause someone to urinate more often because when the fight or flight response is activated, muscles contract in the bladder which can lead to an increased sensation of needing to urinate. Individuals with an existing overactive bladder may have worse symptoms when they are anxious. Hypervigilance from anxiety makes people more aware of their bodily sensations which can result in “just in case peeing.” And from a psychological perspective, some people are fearful of not having access to a bathroom or fear of the bathroom being a disruption. According to NIH, a “just in case pee” is generally not a good idea because it trains your bladder to think it’s full even when it’s not, can weaken the bladder muscles, or cause bladder problems. Here are some tips for the “just in case” urinators out there:
1. Increase your self-awareness
You need to be aware of the problem to fix it. Pay attention to how often you’re using the bathroom and how much you’re peeing. Is the sensation coming on when there is little to go? Are you going to the bathroom based off “what if” thoughts? “What if I have to go to the bathroom when I’m out?” Get curious!
FYI: According to Well + Good, on average it’s healthy to pee six to eight times a day if you are drinking at least 64 ounces of fluid. This is from the “what goes in must come out model”.
2. Talk to your doctor
Speak to your doctor about exercises you can do to retrain your bladder. A healthcare professional can help you strengthen your pelvic floor and increase bladder control. Consult with your physician to come up with a plan for you.
3. Meet with a mental health professional
If anxiety is behind your frequent urination, it’s important to work on the anxiety itself. Learn responses to your anxiety and how to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce the fight or flight response which can cause increased urination.
If you occasionally pee “just in case” this does not immediately indicate a problem. This blog is referring to cases where the “just in case” peeing is excessive and impacts daily functioning. The good news is that just like the brain can be retrained to handle anxiety, the bladder can be retrained to handle more pee (with the help of a doctor)! It’s possible to get the anxiety help you need and start living your life outside of the bathroom! Give A Little Counseling a call if you’d like to get your anxiety surrounding urination under control. Also, no worries, we will let you use our bathroom “IN THE case” you have to go! We don’t pay attention to “JUSTIN” “JUST-IN case”. OMG I need to stop. 😉
