The last Social Taboo

Written by Psychologist Dr. Donna Dawson Constipation is a condition most of us experience at some time in our lives: in fact, recent Dulcolax® research revealed that one in seven people suffer from constipation¹ at some stage of their lives. Despite being a relatively common complaint, constipation is probably the last, great social taboo - if it is discussed in public at all, it is done in either hushed, confidential tones, or in a "jokey" way, so as to avoid embarrassment.

So, why is constipation, and talking or dealing with it, still considered embarrassing?

The Good Old Days
Much of our psychological repression of "the natural" can be traced back to the Victorian era, where talk of sex and bodily functions associated with "sexualised" body parts, was heartily discouraged and disapproved of. Certainly there was no such embarrassment in early Roman Britain, where public toilets featured a stick with a sponge attached to its end, left soaking in a bucket of brine. This was the equivalent of today's toilet paper!

Toilet Humour
However, times change, and we are now at the stage where the thing that is considered "forbidden" or "taboo" (such as bottom talk), has a strange, perverse attraction - and the best way to deal with it, is through humour. This process begins at school, probably the first occasion where we are forced to share toilets with others - and "humour" begins to play a very important role in overcoming any embarrassment. Also, school is where we experience an enforced "group repression" regarding vulgar language, especially in regards to bodily functions. It is where words like "poo" and "bottoms" take on a new excitement, as using them is frowned upon by adults. Hence, today's fascination with bottoms, and the amusement with anything bottom-related!

Men and Their Bottoms
Our bottoms can embarrass us by both sound and smell, and remind us of our humbler animal origins especially as they’re not really under our control, being part of the involuntary nervous system. One way to avoid embarrassment, to distance ourselves, and to gain some control over the uncontrollable, is to use humour. Men are more adept at using humour to deal with bottom issues than women: this may be because it has always been more socially acceptable for men to express their earthier side, especially in a group. Where men are the more dominant sex in a society, they can acknowledge their bodily functions without fear of social disapproval or displacement and even compete with other men - hence, the development of toilet humour!

Women and Their Bottoms
For women, society (especially that of the Victorians) generally expects a more constrained and "ladylike" behaviour. This is why, even today, farting in public is excruciatingly embarrassing for women, while most men find their own farting highly amusing! What saves women from complete neurosis over bowel activity is a better understanding of their bodies and their health (women's biology, such as menstrual cycles and child-bearing, ensures this).

Bodily Reactions
Also, (although less so today) there have always been social differences: the further down the social ladder you were, the less you had to lose by any social impropriety associated with bowels and bottoms. Since women are socialised to be more aware of disapproval from others, they tend to experience more outward signs of embarrassment over issues deemed "embarrassing or taboo", such as constipation, than men. They react more than men by blushing, looking at the floor, touching their body, face or hair, or walking away. Men tend to use humour, or stay silent.

Constipation and Work
When it comes to constipation, the Dulcolax® survey² revealed that men may be hiding a deeper insecurity about their bowel habits: men's work performance is affected twice as much by constipation as women's work performance, and they avoid the workplace toilet more than women. Men may joke about such things publicly, but when it affects them directly, they tend to suffer in silence! It may be the schoolboy pressure to be humorous that prevents men from truly understanding their bowels and any associated problems.

Personality and Constipation
The connection between personality and constipation is interesting. Most of the specialised neurotransmitter chemicals that the brain uses to transmit information are also produced in the gastro-intestinal tract. Serotonin is an important transmitter, and is of particular importance in depression and migraine headaches. Ten times as much serotonin is produced in the gut as is produced in the brain, and so it is easy to see how a change in levels of transmitters in the gut can affect the functioning of the brain! It has often been observed that chronically constipated individuals tend to be nervous, irritable, rigid, and hard to get along with. Conversely, people with good bowel function tend to be congenial, relaxed, and more at ease with themselves.

Relieving Constipation
Whilst diet and lifestyle should not be assumed to be the major cause of constipation³, it is still advisable to eat a balanced diet (fresh vegetables, fruit and cereals), drink enough water (at least eight glasses a day) and take regular exercise (e.g. walking). To help avoid symptoms of constipation, you should always act on any urge to move your bowels. It also helps to set aside time after breakfast or dinner for undisturbed visits to the toilet.

1. Omnibus Study, GfK Sept 2000
2. MORI survey of 1,171 people on 15-19 February 2002, commissioned by Dulcolax®
3. Müller-Lissner SA, Kamm MA, Scarpignato C, Wald A. Myths and Misconceptions About Chronic Constipation. American Journal of Gastroenterology 2005; www.amjgastro.com