Divorce expert warns men are ‘weaponising pooping’ in relationships

Men are 'weaponising pooping' in relationships, a divorce expert has claimed.

A controversial article published on Substack, author and podcaster Olivia Howell alleged that men use the bathroom for lengthy periods of time in order to avoid spending time with their families and avoid responsibilities.

“A husband walks through the door as an active member of a family unit, shuts it behind him, and immediately becomes a private citizen,” Howell penned.

She went on to note how a 'hobby can be postponed' and other activities can be interrupted, yet using the bathroom is a non-negotiable task.

"The bathroom is different because you cannot reasonably deny another human behind access to the toilet. ‘I have to go to the bathroom’ is one of the most powerful sentences available to a person who lives with other people,” she added.

The expert claimed men use bathroom breaks to avoid their families (Getty Stock)

Howell, author of Divorce Happens, added that the development of the smart phone has ultimately enabled these lengthy bathroom breaks, as men can 'disappear' to scroll on the internet.

“Now a man can disappear with an iPhone and who the f*** knows.

"He could be reading Reddit, checking the stock market, watching a 45-minute YouTube video about electric guitars, arguing about the Mets, playing a game, looking at porn, answering emails, or maybe, just maybe, he’s experiencing an intestinal crisis,” she wrote.

"This is the genius of the bathroom as domestic escape hatch: it comes with almost unlimited plausible deniability."

The article, published on September 18, immediately caused a stir, and the overall response was ultimately divided.

Some claimed Howell was criticising men for something they can't help, while others found the subject of the article comical and made light of it.

"Today I have learned that there is a new tool that the Patriarchy uses to keep subjugating women. ‘Weaponised pooping,’” one person commented.

Another branded the article 'insane', adding: "I especially love this part where the women seems to be FUMING that a man in the toilet cannot be disturbed."

One social media user joked that 'pooping is my weapon', while another chimed in: “If your husband is weaponising pooping by staying in there for hours, don’t overreact.

"He will get Hemorrhoids. Wrath is God’s to give, not ours."

Lengthy bathroom breaks may be causing rows in relationships (Getty Stock)

Each person's bathroom habits are different and there is no specific amount of time to spend on the toilet.

But experts have revealed there is an ideal amount of bathroom visits to undertake per week.

“Fewer than three bowel movements a week, especially with hard stools, straining or pain, can point to constipation," Dr. Jason Korenblit, a gastroenterologist and digestive health expert, revealed. “Very frequent watery stools may point to diarrhea.”

And it's handy to note that sitting for too long in the bathroom can eventually lead to hemorrhoids, according to Temple Health.