How do you stop constipation??!

How do you stop constipation??

Dear Ms Clea...
Oh, how I can relate!
But I'm putting the cart before the horse here.
If you're accustomed to taking laxatives to help this problem--STOP IT! Laxatives only add to your problem by taking your own muscle structure in the intestines and making it useless--yes, _useless._
This is why folks become DEPENDENT ON LAXATIVES; they've messed up their own regulation.
You've got to restructure your eating habits, starting with the first thing that goes into your belly in the morning.
1st Thing: WATER, preferably room temperature, distilled, a full 8-10oz glassful first thing on arising. You could add natural lemon juice if you like.
Do your normal ablutions (shower, shave, etc) and then have yourself a bowlful of instant oatmeal (cooks in 2 mins. in the microwave). I like to add half a cup of _applesauce_ to it with a bit of milk. You will have eaten a decent low calorie breakfast with one of the two FRUITS you'll need for the day.
Next, with either your usual juice or more water, take a STOOL SOFTENER (an over-the-counter product) DAILY and 1-1/2 or 2 Chewable Fiber Choice tablets.
THIS ROUTINE NEEDS TO BE A DAILY THING. START CARRYING WATER BOTTLES WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.

Ideally, you'll be eating and drinking the lightest meals from breakfast through lunch and not eating heavily or starches past 8:00p.m. Doing this will make your system work extra hard to digest for the day.
Lunchtime, make sure you get some salad greens in for roughage, and try to either eliminate or greatly lessen your red meat intake.
Because straining at the stool is the cause of many problems with both hemmohoids and diverticulosis, it's your diet that's been all wrong for you.
Try adding more legumes, beans, lentils and such to your diet; they're both a high fiber source and good protein. If you think you'll become flatulent (windy) try "Beano."
Add Activa (a Dannon yoghurt product) to your diet along with a multi-enzyme formula (supplement) to help break down your food intake.
Try to limit the amount of processed sugars you eat.
Take an apple before bedtime as your second FRUIT; it promotes natural sleep.
I haven't said it throughout this whole thing, but...You'll need to drink no caffein, or carbonated drinks. Only drink WATER (Copiously)throughout your day as much as 48 ounces.
Once you get used to a regimen with the above changes/additions, your own bowels will have become regulated once again and the natural undulations that takes place in your intestines will have been restored. The extra water you're drinking along with the fruit and fiber will take care of the rest.
Don't think you can go back to your old ways of eating though...this is a life changing thing and you'll feel so much more energetic once you get your now sluggish system back to working right again.
You don't want to continue with your old eating habits. Diverticulosis becomes a severely painful Diverticulits (usually an excrusiating pain in your lower left quadrant)and you don't ever want to go through this. Personally, I'd rather give birth and I've done both!!!
I hope this helps move things along for ya, hon. You may be happily surprised at having more than one really good & easy BM each day. Halleluja!