5 year old starts pooping pants

[Sspecialk88]

My 5 yr old son has been fully potty trained since he was 2. In the past 2 months he has begun pooping his pants.  He refuses to use the toilet and will hold it for as long as he can.  Often he will bounce up and down, or run around in circles to try and keep it in.  If you ask if he has go poop he will adamantly deny, but when forced to sit he will poop.  When he is unable to hold it any longer he will poop in his underwear instead of the toilet.  He sees a counselor, psychiatrist and his pediatrician regularly and we have tried every suggestion out there.  He was originally diagnosed with Encopresis but this is SELF INDUCED Encopresis, NOT the true form.  Medications, etc. for Encopresis do not correct the problem as he is CHOOSING not to use the bathroom versus being UNABLE to use the bathroom.  It is not painful when he goes and the consistency is "perfect".  We have tried rewards, loss or addition of privileges, time out,  yelling, and yes, even spankings.  We have been as drastic as to take every single toy he owns from him and the only way to earn them back is to sit  have NO accidents.  The psychiatrist had us try ignoring it and that just caused the issue to get that much worse.  When he is home, he will also pee himself sometimes.  Today, he was sitting RIGHT NEXT to the potty yet proceeded to urinate in his clothing.  We tried something this weekend that shows it is NOT a physical problem, it is mental.  Starting Saturday morning he got up, ate breakfast, and immediately afterwards he had to go back to his bedroom.  He was not allowed to wear pants or underwear.  If this were a TRUE physical problem, regardless of the lack of clothing he still would have defecated and/or urinated on himself, the rug, the furniture, etc.  The rule was that he stayed in his room like this all day.  I would bring him his meals, but that was his only human interaction.  If he could go in the potty all day every time, then at dinner time he got to come downstairs and eat with us, then he got an hour or so of cartoons or got to play a racing video game.  Then he would get a treat (cookie or something) before bed, and then i would take him up and read whatever story he wanted before he went to bed.  If he didn't comply, then he was stuck in his room like that all night with no treats, no fun, and no human interaction.  He did not make a mess once!  He yelled to us that he had to go potty and would go to the bathroom all day long.  He pooped in the potty on his accord as well.  So, he got his rewards.  Sunday it was the same thing.  It worked perfectly again.  He knew when he had to go potty and would go in the toilet every time.  I was very proud of him and made sure to let him know.  Monday morning we discussed how well he had done over the weekend and I assured him he would have those same privileges if he had another good day.  NOPE.  He pooped his pants at school.  When I came home, he was sitting RIGHT NEXT to the toilet and had peed his pants as well.  When asked what the problem is, all he ever says is "I don't know".  I have absolutely HAD IT.   These behaviors are negatively impacting everyone who lives with him and has to deal with him daily.  He is on the verge of getting kicked out of Kindergarten and has already been kicked out of daycare.  No one will watch him and I am going to end up losing my job if he doesn't get his act together.  If anyone has ANY suggestions I am beyond desperate and willing to try anything. It is tearing my family apart and has gotten to the point that I do not even want to be in the same room as him.  I would rather be at work then to come home, yet at work this problem is all I can think of.  I can't sleep, and when I do, I have nightmares about it.  His doctors don't have any ideas and I am at a complete loss.  

[Sspecialk88]

I appreciate both of your input, however, we have had a breakthrough since i posted this.  He admitted that he does it when he gets angry.  When he is playing with friends and they do not share the toy he wants he poops.  When he is forced to complete a task he does not want to do, he poops.  Worst of all, he now threatens people with it.  This past Friday I received a call from his teacher because he had told her that morning that if he didn't win a prize at the raffle he was going to poop.  When he didn't win later that day, he pooped and as his teacher said, was quite satisfied with himself.  I have a saved voice mail from his teach and I have him on tape proudly explaining why he poops his pants.  I am hopeful that this proof will be useful at his psychiatrists appointment this Tuesday, however I am feeling rather hopeless.  It takes a SICK, SICK mind to not only THREATEN to poop your pants, but then to actually follow through and be happy about it, all because you didn't get what you wanted.  There is some thought that he may have ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder)...  I just need this nightmare to end :(

[margypops]

I agree with teddybear and it is possible you have inadvertently, created an anxiety that is feeding on its self.No punishment it does'nt work ,positive re-enforcement does work

[teddybears4ever2]

First of all never spank, or yell at him. Reward him. A good method to use would be if he uses the bathroom he gets a treat, and if he uses his pants you eat the treat right in front of him. Maybe you could also have a rule that says something along the lines of "He has to sit on the toilet if he doesn't use the bathroom every so often.
If he hasn't seen A GI doc maybe he should. Pay attention to what he eats,because this could also be part of the problem.