How do you treat tokophobia?

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a commonly followed treatment method by healthcare experts. Following CBT under the supervision of a healthcare professional will let you identify the different aspects of childbirth that have been inducing negative thoughts. You can also learn and follow various coping methods by visiting a mental health professional.

What triggers tokophobia?

Domestic violence and rape are some of the traumatic events that can only increase your risk of experiencing tokophobia. If you have a history of depression or anxiety, then you have a high chance of developing tokophobia. Visiting a healthcare professional at the earliest is recommended to address the phobia and find coping methods, medications, and relaxation techniques to face a stress-free pregnancy.

Tokophobia: Understanding and Overcoming Fear of Childbirth

Tokophobia is an extensive fear of childbirth. This particular condition involves you taking drastic measures to avoid getting pregnant. It’s a psychological condition where anxiety or fear revolves around childbirth, pregnancy, or your anticipation of becoming a parent.

If you live with tokophobia, you might experience episodes of panic, ongoing emotional distress, and efforts to avoid anything related to pregnancy. This fear can turn into a severe condition if proper treatment and diagnosis are not done in the right time frame. When left untreated, it can lead to pregnancy avoidance or even make you turn anxious whenever you decide to have a child. With continuous support and therapy, you can effectively manage your symptoms.

What Is Tokophobia?

There are two types of tokophobia.

Primary (Before your first birth)
Secondary (After your first birth)

Primary tokophobia can have a severe effect on you if you have never given birth in the past, but get extremely frightened by the thought of giving birth. Such negative feelings are linked to your lifestyle, relationships, and other present and even childhood experiences.
Secondary tokophobia is often connected to previous traumatic experiences during childbirth. It is referred to as a form of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). This type of tokophobia is quite common when compared to the primary one, resulting in a traumatic birthing experience.

Symptoms And Causes Of Tokophobia

Let’s understand the symptoms and causes of tokophobia:

What causes tokophobia?

The causes of tokophobia remain complex. They do involve previous trauma or sexual abuse. Other causes of tokophobia include:

Feeling pressured to have an uncomplicated vaginal birth.
Experiencing abuse or trauma at any stage of life can create complex emotional responses around pregnancy.
Hearing other people’s experiences during and after childbirth.
Being conscious of healthcare experts handling your childbirth.
Not knowing or understanding that the likelihood of complications during childbirth is low.
Overthinking about lifestyle changes that you must adapt to during your pregnancy and after giving birth to a child.
Having experienced a traumatic birth experience in the past, such as miscarriage or fertility challenges

Having an anxious personality type
Smoking
Strained relationships or low social support.
Fear of losing independence or feeling unsupported emotionally.

Tokophobia can also be experienced if you have had any gynaecological problems in the past.
Fear of losing control over your routine lifestyle is yet another fear factor that can lead to Tokophobia. You might feel like you are losing your dignity or independence, and even feel anxious about not getting proper emotional support after giving birth to a child.

Symptoms of tokophobia

Tokophobia can affect your behaviours and thought processes. Neglecting proper treatment can even lead to depression. Fear of pregnancy can further lead to:

Avoiding sexual intercourse
Not feeling excited about getting pregnant
No emotional connectivity with the developing fetus
Withdrawing from support systems or concealing the pregnancy.
Feeling emotionally disconnected from partner, family members, and other loved ones

Tokophobia can also lead to negative pregnancy outcomes, such as:

Choosing a C-Section (Cesarean Birth), even though you can have a safe vaginal delivery.
Considering an abortion after finding out you're pregnant.
Exploring adoption as an option before birth due to distress.

How is Tokophobia Diagnosed?

Tokophobia can be diagnosed by visiting your healthcare professional. If you are planning to get pregnant, the healthcare expert might ask about contraception and your plans to start a family. This is a good opportunity to share any anxiety or distress you’re experiencing.
If you are pregnant, then healthcare experts will recommend following regular prenatal exams that include questions regarding your mental health. By answering the questions honestly, your healthcare expert can certainly help in detecting tokophobia and prescribe possible treatment and therapy sessions to handle it better.

Tokophobia Treatment and Management

Medical and Psychological Evaluations: Once your healthcare expert recognises tokophobia symptoms, they may suggest certain medical and psychological evaluations.
Medical Evaluation: Medical evaluations involve determining your physical health and the potential risks linked with pregnancy and childbirth. You must attend consultation sessions with healthcare professionals and obstetricians to understand and find possible treatments to address your medical concerns.
Psychological Evaluation: Psychological evaluation focuses on getting to know the underlying cause and traumatic experiences that have led to tokophobia.

Mental health professionals trained in perinatal care can guide you through understanding your fears and building coping strategies. All these evaluations further help in developing an appropriate treatment plan.
Therapy and counselling play an important role in supporting your mental health and well-being while you are battling symptoms of tokophobia. Mental health professionals are trained in perinatal mental health and are known for providing individual therapy or counselling sessions.
Healthcare experts, psychiatrists, and psychologists play a crucial role in supporting your mental health battle with tokophobia. They can completely understand your situation, provide better space for communication, and even offer empathetic care.

Treatment for Tokophobia

Healthcare experts commonly follow CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to help manage and overcome Tokophobia. This type of therapy helps identify the aspects of childbirth that have been fueling symptoms of Tokophobia in your mind. Under the supervision of a mental health professional, you can also learn healthy coping methods.
Additional treatment methods followed to overcome tokophobia include:

Antidepressants: If you have been diagnosed with depression following tokophobia, then healthcare experts might prescribe antidepressants. This type of medication helps in balancing your brain chemicals that are responsible for regulating your mood swings.

Hypnotherapy: This therapy focuses on relaxation techniques to achieve a better sense of awareness. Your mental health provider will let you explore the subconscious thoughts that have been holding you back from negative thoughts about pregnancy.

Stress Reduction: Meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques help clear negative thoughts. Following such techniques under the supervision of a mental health professional can help you feel more confident about pregnancy and childbirth.

It’s a good idea to talk to a doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist, as tokophobia can have a unique impact that trained professionals are best equipped to help with. Once you have started following the medication, therapy sessions, and other relaxation techniques as prescribed by your healthcare professional, you can expect better management of your symptoms.

FAQs on Tokophobia

How do you treat tokophobia?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a commonly followed treatment method by healthcare experts. Following CBT under the supervision of a healthcare professional will let you identify the different aspects of childbirth that have been inducing negative thoughts. You can also learn and follow various coping methods by visiting a mental health professional.
What triggers tokophobia?
Domestic violence and rape are some of the traumatic events that can only increase your risk of experiencing tokophobia. If you have a history of depression or anxiety, then you have a high chance of developing tokophobia. Visiting a healthcare professional at the earliest is recommended to address the phobia and find coping methods, medications, and relaxation techniques to face a stress-free pregnancy.