The extreme phobia of giving birth is known as Tokophobia. This isn't your typical nervousness or reluctance at the idea of giving birth, which is typically normal. Tokophobia is what is referred to as a specific phobia, which means it is strong enough to impair quality of life, much as a paralyzing fear of heights or spiders. Tokophobia can occasionally lead to a fear of being pregnant as well, or it can make patients avoid getting pregnant (even though they would prefer to have children).

Tokophobia comes in two varieties: main and secondary.

1. Primary tokophobia: A tokophobia that affects those who have never given birth before.

2. Secondary tokophobia: This condition develops when dread is brought on by previous childbirth.

After a challenging delivery, some people may also have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is somewhat similar to tokophobia. Tokophobia's most prominent feature is an extreme, psychological aversion to childbirth, but it's not the only one. Many of the symptoms are similar to those of generalized anxiety disorders and depressive disorders, and they can affect all facets of life, including sleep, food, and mood in general.

The following are typical tokophobia symptoms:

• Avoiding sexual contact
• Postponing or postponing getting pregnant despite wanting kids.
• An obsession with potential complications during labor, such as maternal or infant death or birth abnormalities
• Making considerable efforts to prevent becoming pregnant (such as doubling or tripling birth control methods)
• Nightmares or insomnia
• Mood swings
• Attacks of panic or a worsening of anxiety symptoms, such as tiredness, unreasonable worry, or headaches
• Requesting a c-section without a valid medical reason
• Depression symptoms, such as exhaustion, aches and pains in the body, a drop in libido or appetite, or a loss of interest in once-favorite activities

Tokophobia is diagnosed by a trained mental health professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or certified clinical social worker, just like other psychological disorders. Depending on your reported symptoms, a primary care physician or even your OB/GYN might be able to make the diagnosis. Making the distinction between postpartum depression, PTSD, and tokophobia can be crucial. Although there may be overlap in their symptoms, each of these conditions may need a different strategy to therapy. Sometimes the cause of someone's tokophobia is not evident or obvious. It may be brought on by a person's lifelong accumulation of ideas, anxieties, encounters, and preconceived notions about birthing.

However, some elements are linked to a higher risk of tokophobia, including:

• Fears related to the medical industry in general, including phobias of doctors, hospitals, suffering or losing control, and enduring medical procedures, are common in people with primary tokophobia. They could not have confidence in the skill of medical professionals because they have experienced medical negligence or mistreatment at the hands of healthcare providers.
• Terrible Personal History – Whether they happened as an adult or as a child, traumatic sexual encounters in the past can be the root of childbirth phobias.
• Traumatic Delivery Experiences- If your birth experience was particularly traumatic, difficult, or convoluted, your anxieties may be akin to PTSD in people with secondary tokophobia (those who have given birth previously). This may also occur if you have an abortion, stillbirth, or miscarriage.
• Anxiety and Depression in the Past: Having a history of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, can make someone more likely to develop tokophobia. Though it's not very prevalent, there is some data that suggests prenatal depression in particular may raise the risk of developing tokophobia. Phobias are a severe form of anxiety, but they can be treated.

The two main avenues for treating tokophobia are therapy and medication.

• Psychotherapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have all been proven to be successful in treating phobias and other anxiety-related problems. It's crucial to locate a therapist who has expertise treating patients throughout pregnancy or offering prenatal mental health care, as well as training in their preferred therapy approach.
• Medication - Benzodiazepines, beta blockers, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are just a few of the medications available to treat anxiety disorders. Since social workers and psychologists normally cannot issue prescriptions for patients, you will need to see a psychiatrist or your primary care provider in order to get an antidepressant drug prescription. Which medications are safe to use while pregnant can be decided with the advice of a doctor.

Talking with a considerate and sympathetic healthcare practitioner about your anxieties is one of the greatest methods to deal with a fear of tokophobia. Although the majority of expectant mothers do not have a diagnosable fear of childbirth, many do experience anxiety and worry about the delivery procedure. An OBGYN or midwife should have some experience explaining to patients the realities of giving birth safely, including both positive and bad aspects, as well as your options for pain treatment throughout labor which can be helpful if fear of pain is behind your tokophobia. A mental health expert may be able to assist you if your fear of childbirth is linked to something else, such as past sexual abuse, mistrust of the medical community, or a previous traumatic birth.

ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND

Reference:

https://www.verywellfamily.com/what-is-tokophobia-fear-of-childbirth-5113019