Tocophobia (fear of pregnancy): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment

The fact of becoming pregnant can arouse a myriad of emotions. The process involved in the development of a person within the body represents an important life change and that causes mixed feelings. There are women who feel immense happiness for it, but pregnancy also causes them certain fears and uncertainties, since it is a complex process.

The truth is that there are women who feel an intense fear of the idea of ​​pregnancy. This can cause serious difficulties that affect their daily lives. Having concrete and valuable data regarding the fear of pregnancy allows us to have more tools to treat this phobia. For this reason, in this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Tocophobia (fear of pregnancy): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment.

Index

1. What is tocophobia
2. Causes of tocophobia
3. Symptoms of tocophobia
4. Treatment of tocophobia

When we refer to tocophobia, we refer to an anxiety disorder characterized by a

According to the DSM-V^[1], it is possible to place this disorder within the group of specific phobias that are described within the category. In order to establish a proper diagnosis of tocophobia, the following must be met: diagnostic criteria:

• Fear and/or anxiety about the possibility of being pregnant.
• The fact of becoming pregnant usually generates fear and/or anxiety immediately.
• Avoidance of situations that may cause pregnancy.
• Fear or anxiety disproportionate to the real danger posed by pregnancy.
• Deterioration of work, social and family relationships due to fear of pregnancy.
• The symptoms of tocophobia cannot be explained by the presence of another mental disorder.

When establishing the diagnosis of tocophobia, it is very important to find out what factors cause this irrational fear. Therefore, below, we will show you the main causes of tocophobia:

Environmental factors

If you are wondering why I am afraid of being a mother, one of the most relevant causes is having experienced some unpleasant experience related to pregnancy, for example, having experienced a loss or having experienced physical pain, among others.

Likewise, it is possible that if someone in the environment has suffered from this clinical picture, the cause is that this problem is being replicated by imitation, since it is a frequent behavior pattern.

Genetic factors

There are certain sectors of the cerebral cortex that are associated with the emotional processing of external stimuli. In this sense, it is possible that tocophobia may be due to having a increased neural sensitivity to the emotion of fear. This would explain certain behaviors such as avoidance or flight from any stimulus related to pregnancy.

Another transcendental aspect to consider is discerning how the fear of pregnancy manifests itself, both physically and psychologically. Understanding this point is crucial, since it makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis. Therefore, in the following items we will point out the main symptoms of tocophobia:

• Catastrophic thoughts linked to pregnancy.
• Avoidance of places where pregnant people are present.
• Anxiety.
• Distress.
• Depression.
• Changing mood.
• Palpitations.
• Excessive sweating.
• Tremors.
• vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
• Shortness of breath.

Even so, the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily represent a picture of tocophobia. It is essential that the diagnosis is made by a mental health professional, since it is necessary to evaluate the individual clinical conditions of each patient.

Despite the difficulties that tokophobia entails, there are effective approaches against this problems that provide valuable and important solutions for the person who suffers from this condition clinical. The most effective treatments for tocophobia are the following:

psychological therapy

Therapy provides a space to reflect on the difficulties experienced by someone with fear of pregnancy. On the one hand, short-term therapies work on the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that give rise to the symptoms. In general, strategies are used to cope with stressful situations and/or anxiety.

On the other hand, long-term therapies try to locate the origin of conflicts from memory of traumatic situations experienced in childhood. This allows finding other ways to deal with the symptoms caused by the fear of pregnancy.

psychiatric medication

In more severe cases of tachophobia, taking anxiolytics can help reduce the intensity of symptoms. However, the intake of psychiatric medications should only be carried out under the supervision of a mental health professional.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Tocophobia (fear of pregnancy): what is it, causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Pan American Medical Publisher.

• Farkas, C., Santelices, MP. (2008). Study of concerns associated with pregnancy in a group of Chilean primigravida pregnant women. SUMMA Psychological Journal UST, 5 (1), 13-20.
• Sánchez Montoya, J., Palacios Alzaga, G. (2007). Post-traumatic stress disorder in pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. Midwives Profession Magazine, 8 (1), 12-19.