Pregnancy and childbirth are the two most essential parts of people's lives. However, while it can create moments of joy, it can also be a source of stress and anxiety. For example, the pain one has to go through during childbirth and the added responsibility develop fear.
This is all ok when it is limited to minor concerns. However, it is recognised as Tokophobia when it becomes pathological and so severe that an individual wants to avoid pregnancy or give birth. Learn more about it below!
In Tokophobia, people fear childbirth. Due to this, individuals take drastic measures to avoid pregnancy. However, even then, if they become pregnant, they dread it each week instead of enjoying the moment. Nevertheless, this fear is manageable with extra support and therapy.
As categorised by mental health experts, there are two main types of Tokophobia:
The biggest characteristic that points towards Tokophobia is an intense psychological fear that often overlaps with generalised anxiety and depressive disorders. This results in developing panic attacks, insomnia, and avoidance behaviour. Other symptoms of Tokophobia that may be visible are:
There can be many causes of Tokophobia, like the ones mentioned below:
The fear of Tokophobia can stem from many other fears like:
The following are the few risk factors that increase the chances of developing this phobia of giving birth:
The phobia of childbirth can give rise to a variety of complications:
Women often enter the stage of denial after getting pregnant with fear. As a result, they do not receive antenatal care. In addition, they register late, do not attend the first few appointments, and go on care sessions irregularly.
There is a chance of developing maternal guilt due to this fear. This is because women with a phobia of pregnancy may love children and long to have their offspring, but they are disabled due to the fear. This, in turn, gives rise to guilt.
Prenatal and postnatal are the two common forms of depression strongly associated with this phobia which can further lead to the risk of maternal suicide. Mothers with Tokophobia often resent their children fiercely and hold them responsible for their suffering. However, since they cannot show anger, it increases their stress and worsens their depression.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among women with this phobia. They feel compelled to risk their lives and health if forced to have vaginal deliveries. As a result, it starts affecting their marital life, relationship, child's upbringing, etc. Also, after developing PTSD, it starts affecting a woman's capability to live a normal life.
Tokophobia can also have long-term consequences, affecting a child's emotional health. But, again, this can be because of the actions of the mother and the overall upbringing.
Like any other psychological condition, a mental health expert will carry the diagnosis of this phobia. This can include a psychiatrist, psychologist and licensed clinical partner. The processes are as follows:
The treatment for tokophobia involves lifestyle changes, social support, medication and therapy. Find more details about these healing methods below:
Therapy is a common procedure doctors suggest to help you control your anxiety. For example, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you understand the reason for developing this phobia and its impact on your life. This process is also called building insight.
However, you will not receive exposure therapy because it exposes people to their fear. The doctors rule out this option since exposing a person to childbirth or pregnancy is impossible. Other alternatives offered in the place of exposure therapy include psychodynamic therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) method.
Another treatment option available to people with tokophobia is joining support groups or connecting to someone who shares a similar fear one-on-one. Many centres provide this facility where you can meet in groups, share experiences, or receive advice. However, if you do not have access to any group, you can also share your feelings with a family member or friends.
Doctors also suggest medications to treat this fear of childbirth. You can get it prescribed by obstetricians, physicians, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, or physician assistants. Here, he or she will recommend taking anti-anxiety or antidepressant medicines.
However, the same may not be safe for pregnant women as it can affect the foetus and result in complications during childbirth.
This is another way of helping women cope with the fear of childbirth. Mental health experts schedule classes to teach women how to self-hypnotise. It involves breathing techniques, practising relaxation and calmness during labour and delivery. This process aims at relaxing both body and mind to help women reduce pain and anxiety.
You will know it is time to visit a doctor if the fear results in severe depressive disorder, panic attacks, etc. Also, you may consult the doctor when it starts affecting your lifestyle by:
If you fear childbirth or giving birth and it is affecting your life, follow the below-coping methods for Tokophobia:
Planning always reduces the fear in half. So, your first step can be to consult a doctor to prepare a birth plan. You must discuss your needs and wants in the session, including your birth and pain management options. A plan that addresses all your problems will help you feel empowered and in control.
It's common for people to develop anxiety at the thought of childbirth. However, share the same with your midwife or doctor, as he or she will provide further reassurance and assistance. Here, you can also talk to a loved one or trusted friends.
It makes you realise that there are people who understand you and are there to help when you feel anxious.
Prenatal classes educate you about what happens during childbirth. Also, you will get to learn how to manage labour pain and other pregnancy issues. As a result, you feel more capable as the date of childbirth nears.
You can also take the help of a counsellor, psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health experts for guidance. This is in case the fear is negatively interfering with your life.
In addition to treatments, making certain lifestyle changes also helps cope with fear. So, the healthy lifestyle practice that one can adopt is mindfulness meditation. It includes the act of being aware of the present moment. However, to achieve this level of concentration, one needs to practise other habits like yoga, meditation, conducting body scans, etc.
From the above information, we understand that Tokophobia is an intense and irrational fear of being pregnant or giving childbirth. It is more common in women, but men can also have it. The reason behind it is either added responsibility or fear of labour pain. However, there are ways to overcome it, as mentioned under treatment methods and coping techniques.
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Disclaimer #2: This information is added only for informative purposes and collected from different sources across the Internet. Digit Insurance is not promoting or recommending anything here. Please verify the information before making any decisions.
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