What is Tocophobia? - MyMind MyMind Blog posts In this piece, MyMind psychotherapist Lorraine Hackett and other experts talks about tocophobia – an extreme fear of childbirth. This article appeared in the Irish Times . Tocophobia, an extreme fear of childbirth, is surprisingly common and is estimated to affect one in 10 women. It was first identified by Dr Kristina Hofberg in 2000. Hofberg separates sufferers into two categories: primary tocophobes, who fear childbirth before pregnancy, and secondary ones, whose fear is ignited by a traumatic birth. Primary tocophobia can arise from a wide range of reasons, from childhood sexual abuse to exposure to graphic imagery. Actor Helen Mirren says an educational video shown at school put her off labour for life. “I swear it traumatised me to this day,” she said in an interview in 2007. “I haven’t had children and now I can’t look at anything to do with childbirth. It absolutely disgusts me.” According to Prof Louise Kenny of University College Cork, secondary tocophobia is “an area that is under researched and under resourced in the main”.

A complicating factor in the research is that what is deemed traumatic is completely individual – two women experiencing the same type of birth may view it very differently. Women also may feel a lot of guilt at saying that despite having a healthy baby she is unhappy at the experience of giving birth “and that’s a huge part of birth trauma”. Depth of fear What separates tocophobia from the usual anxieties of mothers-to-be is the depth of fear. Some tocophobes think they will die; others imagine something unbearable happening. The most common trait is a fear of vaginal birth, with no corresponding dread of Caesarean sections. However, some women find both prospects equally terrifying. For many, the idea of a baby growing inside them is deeply unsettling. Other symptoms can be the need to recount the experience over and over without finding closure to a residual feeling of disempowerment, nightmares and crying to a need for anxiety medication, says Lorraine Hackett, a Dublin-based psychotherapist who specialises in birth trauma. Physically a woman may feel “less than whole”.

The woman may feel her body has failed her and be suffering from an episiotomy or tear, and may suffer consequences such as faecal incontinence or prolapse exacerbated by an instrumental delivery. For secondary tocophobia the woman may have felt disassociated from her body during the birthing experience (a coping mechanism); feel that she is just a vessel for the baby; that the system has taken over and her voice isn’t heard. Women may have made career choices, own their own home but “suddenly are shocked to find they’re in a situation that they don’t have any say in”, says Kenny. Birth plans, she feels, are “something that women feel they may need to use in order to retain some control of their labour”. Decisions Niamh Healy, of parent support group Cuidiú, says women who feel more involved in decisions made at the time of childbirth, even if they are decisions they hadn’t hoped to make, appear happier with the outcome. Women can even have what looks like a bad experience yet feel good about it, according to Krysia Lynch of Aims Ireland, the Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services in Ireland.

Maeve O’Connell, a midwife and PhD student who is doing the first study into the prevalence of tocophobia in this country, says that although the majority of women recover from a traumatic birth, a small number will go on to develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is no data yet to indicate how many women develop tocophobia with most research in this area coming from Scandinavia to date. Kenny says she sees many women who have had a traumatic birth and who recall things that the doctors and midwives might “brush off as inconsequential”. Most vulnerable Labour is when a woman is at her “most vulnerable” and, as such, it’s very easy for a “casual comment or a very minor or poorly explained or roughly carried out intervention” to trigger a deep trauma, she says. The results of the 2014 survey by Aims shows that informed consent and refusal remain an issue of concern – 50 per cent of women being provided with the necessary information to assist them in informed decision making. Women report that consent was “implied as the procedure was being carried out” for instance, or that while they consented they felt that they did not have any choice in doing so.

A Cochrane review last year of 15 trials involving 17,674 women compared midwife-led continuity models of care with other models of care for childbearing women and their infants. The authors, who included Prof Declan Devane of NUI Galway & Saolta University Health Care Group, found that women who received midwife-led care were less likely to experience intervention and more likely to be satisfied with their care with at least comparable adverse outcomes for women or their infants than women who received other models of care. One of the key aims of Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy launched earlier this year is to “ensure that a woman’s choice is facilitated to the greatest extent possible”. How to deal with tocophobia: Birth plan: Discuss your birth plan with your doctor as much as possible. Feeling like you have a plan might help ease some of the anxiety about the unknown. Talk about labour and delivery options early in your pregnancy and revisit your birth plan often. Social support: With or without crippling anxiety, expectant mothers need social support. Now is not the time to hide your feelings for fear of judgment. Maintain open communication with your spouse and other primary sources of support.

Ask friends and family members to share positive pregnancy and birth stories. Hearing positive feedback can halt intrusive thoughts. Relaxation breathing: Lie down comfortably on the floor or your bed. Be sure to use pillows to prop yourself up, if necessary. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four. Pay close attention to your stomach rising as you gradually fill your lungs with air. Hold for one second. Breathe out slowly through your nose for a count of four. Repeat for 3-5 minutes. Practise daily. Guided imagery: Creating a safe space in your mind gives you a place to escape when panic strikes. Get comfortable and use your relaxation breathing to get started. As you close your eyes visualise a calming place (it might be somewhere tropical or a beautiful forest). Fill your happy place with details as you breathe, and consider introducing a supportive figure in your life (a spouse or close family member). Visualisation takes some practise and requires a quiet environment, but even five minutes per day can help you create a safe space to revisit when the anxiety becomes overwhelming. Seek help: If classes, relaxation techniques and social support do little to curb your anxiety and panic, seek help.

Ask your doctor or make an appointment with a therapist trained in cognitive behavioural therapy who also sees pregnant women. Strategies such as cognitive restructuring (testing the origins of your emotions for validation and replacing intrusive thoughts with positive ones) and exposures can help treat specific phobias, but you will need to seek treatment from a professional. Tocophobia: The Fear Of Childbirth - Pretty Understandable - Mommyish Koa Beck Childbirth is universally acknowledged as a painful experience, yet for some women the fear of childbirth exceeds that of mere jitters and nervousness. Tocophobia (or tokophobia) has been receiving quite a bit of press now as the phobia of giving birth, triggered by a traumatic birth, a graphic yet standard health class video, or an explicit description of a friend or relative’s birthing experiences. But considering the increasing risks faced by birthing women in this country, the phobia seems rooted in a legitimate fear. Some women’s tocophobia manifests after a traumatic birth, known as secondary tocophobia, primary tocophobia is evident in women who have never given birth – and adamantly plan not to. For primary tocophobia sufferers, a preoccupation with the pain, blood, and potential health risks of such an experience leaves them terrified of labor.

For these same women, the fear can originate in early girlhood or pre-teenage years. Tocophobia has also been observed in women who have suffered from eating disorders and sexual abuse. Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren most famously explained her decision to never give birth after watching a video of childbirth at 13 years old in convent school. “‘I swear it traumatized me to this day,” Mirren told Andrew Denton, an Australian television interviewer in 2007. “I haven’t had children and now I can’t look at anything to do with childbirth. It absolutely disgusts me.” “Disgust” with childbirth however does not necessarily indicate a disinterest in having children, as some, such as Karen DuVall, a tocophobic 23-year-old college student, told ABCNews that she plans to adopt children with her future husband. From what is currently known about the phobia however, the majority of women diagnosed have endured a traumatic birth the first time around. In the United Kingdom, as many as one in six women suffers from secondary tocophobia , citing a horrendous first birth as well.

According to The Guardian , the Liverpool Women’s Hospital reported in 2010 a 40 percent increase in women asking for an elective cesarean because of trauma suffered in their last experience. Although a 2000 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry described tocophobia as a “harrowing condition,” some experts in the field are chalking tocophobia up to women’s mere intolerance of pain. “A lot of women are less tolerant of pain now. They should realize that childbirth is painful,” Dr. Tracey Johnstone, a consultant in fetal maternal medicine at Birmingham Women’s hospital, told The Guardian . But an intensely painful childbirth doesn’t necessarily contribute to a traumatic birth, as the Birth Trauma Association in the UK writes that, “it is not always the sensational or dramatic events that trigger childbirth trauma but other factors such as loss of control, loss of dignity, the hostile or difficult attitudes of the people around them, feelings of not being heard or the absence of informed consent to medical procedures.” One mother who spoke to me about her birth trauma in England described the swirling decisions being made around her at the time of her labor as one of the most prominent factors in her fear.

After heading to the hospital, Michelle K-G was told by her anesthetist that her “cutting” pains were contractions, not labor pains. She was not given an epidural, but when asked to sit down on the hospital bed realized that she could not because she could feel “something hard” between her legs – the baby’s head. “The midwife assured me it couldn’t happen that quickly and had a look just to check, but yes… it was the head,” Michelle remembers. “ ‘Ok, she said, we’re going to do this without pain relief…’ Those words will haunt me forever. I was so completely unprepared, mentally, for a pain-relief-free birth that I just remember thinking, this is how I am going to die. In childbirth. The pain was so unbelievably excruciating. I was screaming, howling, pushing, feeling like I was literally going to be split in half.” “Unprepared” for the birthing decisions that were essentially made for her, Michelle’s pain exceeded anything that she had ever imagined.

And considering 30 percent of women in England and Wales (about 200,000 women a year) show trauma symptoms after giving birth, the question of women’s pain tolerance is complicated by a larger one: how much are women being listened to at the time of labor? “An awful lot of women in Britain suffer birth trauma and lack of care explains the high prevalence,” Maureen Treadwell, a spokesperson for Birth Trauma Association told The Guardian . “Some women have a quite horrific experience of childbirth and often feel they weren’t listened to because they had a baby who was well. Given the lack of care it’s no wonder 30 percent find it traumatic.” Even here in the Unites States, the risks of childbirth seem to climb every year, with maternal deaths documented as being “on the rise” in 2007 primarily due to the increase in C-sections and obesity. As of 2010, one-third of American women suffered from pregnancy related complications (about 1.7 million women), with maternal deaths doubling in the past 20 years. As I always understood it, a “phobia” indicated an irrationally intense fear.

But given the status of maternal care, both here and abroad, and the escalating dangers of childbirth, tocophobia seems like a very reasoned reaction to a pretty consistent reality for many women. Fear of Childbirth, or Tocophobia, Plagues More Women Who Want Babies - ABC News ABC News Tocophobia, or Fear of Childbirth, on the Rise By Susan Donaldson James Email Karen DuVall, a 23-year-old college student from Vacaville, Calif., was surprised there was a word for her unrelenting fear of childbirth -- tocophobia. DuVall's aunt had told her about a "third degree tear" after having her first child. Later, in a sexuality class, she was horrified by a photo of a woman giving birth. "The more I learned about childbirth, the more afraid of it I've actually become," DuVall, a college theater major, told ABCNews.com . "I'm afraid of my body being ruined. I'm afraid of having an aneurysm and dying. I'm even afraid that when I get married, my husband won't be attracted to me anymore after giving birth.

I'm afraid that I just won't be me anymore." It's not that DuVall doesn't want children -- she would eventually like to adopt. Some people are afraid of snakes, others bridges and tunnels, but a small number of women are phobic about the very notion of giving birth. Tocophobia (also spelled tokophobia) is derived from the Greek "tocos" (childbirth) and "phobos" (fear). There are no statistics available in the United States, but British reports have shown that as many as 1 in 6 women have extraordinary anxiety, and the number may be growing. At its worst, tocophobia can be so profound that some women, even those who yearn for children, choose not to get pregnant. Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren admitted to it in a 2007 interview, telling an Australian television show that her fear began as a 13-year-old when she saw a graphic video. "I swear it traumatized me to this day," said Mirren, 65. "I haven't had children and now I can't look at anything to do with childbirth.

It absolutely disgusts me." A study of 26 women published in the 2000 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry said phobic avoidance of pregnancy is a "harrowing condition" that may date from adolescence or be secondary to a traumatic delivery. It can also be a symptom of prenatal depression. Researchers emphasized the need for doctors to acknowledge the condition. "It's more common than one would think," said Erica Lyon, author of "The Big Birth Book," who is a consultant for New York City's Tribeca Parenting . She counsels many older women who have waited to have children. "I think it tends to be a woman with a type-A personality," said Lyon. "She may have a previous history of anxiety or depression or struggled with an eating disorder. We don't understand the brain enough to know why." Pregnant Women Afraid of Loss of Control Many women say they are afraid of losing control of their bodies during labor and an "unknown amount of pain." "In your 20s, you feel invincible and you have not yet heard all your girlfriends' horror stories," she said.

"There is the double whammy of slightly more risk and being adult longer to hear the negative stuff." Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder, a strong irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Many common phobias include fear of heights, public places or being in closed-in places. People with phobias avoid what they are afraid of and if they cannot, they experience panic, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling and a strong desire to get away. Some women say even the sight of another pregnant woman can trigger crying, hyperventilation, sweating and nausea. "Fears can come in many forms," said Dr. Catherine Birndorf, a reproductive psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Birndorf said one pregnant patient was so frightened she insisted on a Caesarian with full anesthesia. "She didn't want to be there," she said. Another was so terrified of the anesthesia that she had to be slowly introduced to the operating room. Another had a phobia about vomiting, and wouldn't get pregnant because she was afraid of morning sickness.

Sometimes those who are tocophobic have had an eating disorder or have been sexually abused as children. Phobias often run in families, but are triggered by events or traumas in people's lives. Tocophobia, like other phobias, can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques or anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. "I always try to go the nonpharmalogical route and use behavioral therapy first," she said. Karen Butler, a 19-year-old from Warwick, R.I., who hopes to attend college in musical performance, said she had been tocophobic ever since she was an early pre-teen. "The thought of having some parasitic organism living and growing inside of me never seemed to settle with my mind -- that, and the prospect of that organism tearing my body apart from the inside out never seemed too appealing," she said. "I realize that it is somewhat irrational to think this way, but I cannot get over those thoughts when thinking about getting pregnant or having a baby." Butler has never sought treatment, even though she admits to a few other fears -- moths, the dark, heights and drowning.

Tocophobic Starts Facebook Group for Phobias Butler founded a Facebook group, " target="external">Tokophobia: For Those Who Afraid of Childbirth, which now has 54 members. "I wanted a safe haven for people with this condition...and for them to know that they weren't alone," she said. "The more people that are aware of it -- and understand it and accept it -- the easier it will be for people like me with tocophobia to interact on a better level with the rest of society." A report in Britain's Guardian newspaper blamed the rising fear of childbirth on the jump in women asking for Caesarian deliveries, a phenomenon that is also seen in the United States. The Caesarean rate rose by 53 percent from 1996 to 2007, reaching 32 percent, the highest rate ever reported in the U.S., according to the " target="external">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) . The reasons are varied: an increase in multiple births due to in vitro fertilization, advanced age, more maternal choice and legal pressures, said the CDC.

"While the number of women requesting a Caesarean delivery without a medical indication has increased in recent years, this still represents a minority of women," said " target="external">Dr. Deirdre Lyell , associate professor of maternal-fetal medicine at Stanford University. Lyell said she had not seen a "significant" rise in Caesareans because of tocophobia. "Hospital environments that are supportive of women's choices offer excellent labor support and pain control options, and don't unnecessarily increase the number of medical interventions are important," she said. As for Karen DuVall, she said she feels thankful that adoption is a possibility and that her boyfriend, Dante Charlton, has been supportive. "In talking with her about this, what it came down to was either choosing her for my love of her, or not choosing her because of something culture expected of her," said Charlton, 24, who is also a theater major. "I had never in all my years of thinking of having my own children think that I would be challenged in my desire to have a woman bear them for me...In the end I chose her, because there's no alternative to her." DuVall said friends say she will change her mind, but she is steadfast.

"This is the way I am," she said. "I think adoption is a wonderful avenue for becoming a parent. I don't think I am any less of a woman for not choosing to have a baby." 0 Shares The Phobia List Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car. Ambulophobia- Fear of walking. Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being scratched. Anablephobia- Fear of looking up. Ancraophobia- Fear of wind. (Anemophobia) Androphobia- Fear of men. Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia) Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or narrowness. Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc. Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry. Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint. Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers. Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society. Antlophobia- Fear of floods. Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single. Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity. Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia) Apiphobia- Fear of bees.

Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations. Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders. Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers. Cainophobia or Cainotophobia- Fear of newness, novelty. Caligynephobia- Fear of beautiful women. Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia- Fear of cancer. Cardiophobia- Fear of the heart. Carnophobia- Fear of meat. Catagelophobia- Fear of being ridiculed. Catapedaphobia- Fear of jumping from high and low places. Cathisophobia- Fear of sitting. Cenophobia or Centophobia- Fear of new things or ideas. Ceraunophobia or Keraunophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.(Astraphobia, Astrapophobia) Chaetophobia- Fear of hair. Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia- Fear of cold.(Frigophobia, Psychophobia) Chemophobia- Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals. Cherophobia- Fear of gaiety. Chiraptophobia- Fear of being touched. Chirophobia- Fear of hands.

Cholerophobia- Fear of anger or the fear of cholera. Chorophobia- Fear of dancing. Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia- Fear of money. Chromophobia or Chromatophobia- Fear of colors. Chronophobia- Fear of time. Cibophobia- Fear of food.(Sitophobia, Sitiophobia) Claustrophobia- Fear of confined spaces. Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia- Fear of being locked in an enclosed place. Cleptophobia- Fear of stealing. Climacophobia- Fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs. Clinophobia- Fear of going to bed. Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia- Fear of being enclosed. Cnidophobia- Fear of stings. Decidophobia- Fear of making decisions. Defecaloesiophobia- Fear of painful bowels movements. Deipnophobia- Fear of dining or dinner conversations. Dementophobia- Fear of insanity. Demonophobia or Daemonophobia- Fear of demons. Demophobia- Fear of crowds. (Agoraphobia) Dendrophobia- Fear of trees. Dermatophobia- Fear of skin lesions.

Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia- Fear of skin disease. Dextrophobia- Fear of objects at the right side of the body. Diabetophobia- Fear of diabetes. Didaskaleinophobia- Fear of going to school. Dikephobia- Fear of justice. Dinophobia- Fear of dizziness or whirlpools. Diplophobia- Fear of double vision. Dipsophobia- Fear of drinking. Dishabiliophobia- Fear of undressing in front of someone. Disposophobia- Fear of throwing stuff out. Hoarding. Domatophobia- Fear of houses or being in a house.(Eicophobia, Oikophobia) Doraphobia- Fear of fur or skins of animals. Doxophobia- Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise. Dromophobia- Fear of crossing streets. Dutchphobia- Fear of the Dutch. Dysmorphophobia- Fear of deformity. Hagiophobia- Fear of saints or holy things. Hamartophobia- Fear of sinning. Haphephobia or Haptephobia- Fear of being touched. Harpaxophobia- Fear of being robbed.

Hedonophobia- Fear of feeling pleasure. Heliophobia- Fear of the sun. Hellenologophobia- Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology. Helminthophobia- Fear of being infested with worms. Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia- Fear of blood. Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia- Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation. Herpetophobia- Fear of reptiles or creepy, crawly things. Heterophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Sexophobia) Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia- Fear of the number 666. Hierophobia- Fear of priests or sacred things. Hippophobia- Fear of horses. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia- Fear of long words. Hobophobia- Fear of bums or beggars. Hodophobia- Fear of road travel. Hormephobia- Fear of shock. Homophobia- Fear of sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual. Hoplophobia- Fear of firearms. Hydrargyophobia- Fear of mercurial medicines. Hydrophobia- Fear of water or of rabies.

Hydrophobophobia- Fear of rabies. Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia- Fear of glass. Hygrophobia- Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture. Hylephobia- Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy. Hylophobia- Fear of forests. Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia- Fear of responsibility. Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized. Hypsiphobia- Fear of height. Iatrophobia- Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors. Ichthyophobia- Fear of fish. Illyngophobia- Fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down. Iophobia- Fear of poison. Isolophobia- Fear of solitude, being alone. Isopterophobia- Fear of termites, insects that eat wood. Ithyphallophobia- Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis. Metrophobia- Fear or hatred of poetry. Microbiophobia- Fear of microbes. (Bacillophobia) Microphobia- Fear of small things. Misophobia or Mysophobia- Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs. Mnemophobia- Fear of memories.

Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia- Fear of dirt or contamination. Monophobia- Fear of solitude or being alone. Monopathophobia- Fear of definite disease. Motorphobia- Fear of automobiles. Musophobia or Muriphobia- Fear of mice. Mycophobia- Fear or aversion to mushrooms. Mycrophobia- Fear of small things. Myctophobia- Fear of darkness. Mythophobia- Fear of myths or stories or false statements. Myxophobia- Fear of slime. (Blennophobia) Nebulaphobia- Fear of fog. (Homichlophobia) Necrophobia- Fear of death or dead things. Nelophobia- Fear of glass. Neopharmaphobia- Fear of new drugs. Neophobia- Fear of anything new. Nephophobia- Fear of clouds. Noctiphobia- Fear of the night. Nomatophobia- Fear of names. Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia- Fear of becoming ill. Nostophobia- Fear of returning home. Novercaphobia- Fear of your step-mother. Nucleomituphobia- Fear of nuclear weapons. Nudophobia- Fear of nudity.

Nyctohylophobia- Fear of dark wooded areas or of forests at night Nyctophobia- Fear of the dark or of night. If you appreciate the Phobia List, please help support it. Obesophobia- Fear of gaining weight.(Pocrescophobia) Ochlophobia- Fear of crowds or mobs. Ochophobia- Fear of vehicles. Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8. Odontophobia- Fear of teeth or dental surgery. Odynophobia or Odynephobia- Fear of pain. (Algophobia) Oenophobia- Fear of wines. Oikophobia- Fear of home surroundings, house.(Domatophobia, Eicophobia) Olfactophobia- Fear of smells. Ombrophobia- Fear of rain or of being rained on. Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia- Fear of eyes. Omphalophobia- Fear of belly buttons. Oneirophobia- Fear of dreams. Oneirogmophobia- Fear of wet dreams. Onomatophobia- Fear of hearing a certain word or of names. Ophidiophobia- Fear of snakes. (Snakephobia) Ophthalmophobia- Fear of being stared at.

Opiophobia- Fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients. Optophobia- Fear of opening one's eyes. Ornithophobia- Fear of birds. Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia- Fear of smells or odors. Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish. Peladophobia- Fear of bald people. Pellagrophobia- Fear of pellagra. Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia) Phagophobia- Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten. Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald. Phallophobia- Fear of a penis, esp erect. Pharmacophobia- Fear of taking medicine. Phasmophobia- Fear of ghosts. Phengophobia- Fear of daylight or sunshine. Philemaphobia or Philematophobia- Fear of kissing. Philophobia- Fear of falling in love or being in love. Philosophobia- Fear of philosophy. Photoaugliaphobia- Fear of glaring lights. Photophobia- Fear of light. Phonophobia- Fear of noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones. Phronemophobia- Fear of thinking.

Phthiriophobia- Fear of lice. (Pediculophobia) Phthisiophobia- Fear of tuberculosis. Sarmassophobia- Fear of love play. (Malaxophobia) Satanophobia- Fear of Satan. Scatophobia- Fear of fecal matter. Scelerophibia- Fear of bad men, burglars. Sciophobia Sciaphobia- Fear of shadows. Scoleciphobia- Fear of worms. Scopophobia or Scoptophobia- Fear of being seen or stared at. Scotomaphobia- Fear of blindness in visual field. Scotophobia- Fear of darkness. (Achluophobia) Scriptophobia- Fear of writing in public. Selachophobia- Fear of sharks. Selaphobia- Fear of light flashes. Selenophobia- Fear of the moon. Seplophobia- Fear of decaying matter. Sesquipedalophobia- Fear of long words. Sexophobia- Fear of the opposite sex. (Heterophobia) Siderodromophobia- Fear of trains, railroads or train travel. Siderophobia- Fear of stars. Sinistrophobia- Fear of things to the left or left-handed. Sinophobia- Fear of Chinese, Chinese culture.

Sitophobia or Sitiophobia- Fear of food or eating. (Cibophobia) Snakephobia- Fear of snakes. (Ophidiophobia) Soceraphobia- Fear of parents-in-law. Social Phobia- Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations. Sociophobia- Fear of society or people in general. Somniphobia- Fear of sleep. Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others. Spacephobia- Fear of outer space. Spectrophobia- Fear of specters or ghosts. Spermatophobia or Spermophobia- Fear of germs. Spheksophobia- Fear of wasps. Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia- Fear of standing or walking. (Ambulophobia) Staurophobia- Fear of crosses or the crucifix. Stenophobia- Fear of narrow things or places. Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia- Fear of hell. Suriphobia- Fear of mice. Taeniophobia or Teniophobia- Fear of tapeworms. Taphephobia Taphophobia- Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries. Tapinophobia- Fear of being contagious. Taurophobia- Fear of bulls.

Teleophobia- 1) Fear of definite plans. 2) Religious ceremony. Telephonophobia- Fear of telephones. Teratophobia- Fear of bearing a deformed child or fear of monsters or deformed people. Testophobia- Fear of taking tests. Tetanophobia- Fear of lockjaw, tetanus. Teutophobia- Fear of German or German things. Textophobia- Fear of certain fabrics. Thaasophobia- Fear of sitting. Thalassophobia- Fear of the sea. Thanatophobia or Thantophobia- Fear of death or dying. Theatrophobia- Fear of theatres. Theophobia- Fear of gods or religion. Thermophobia- Fear of heat. Tocophobia- Fear of pregnancy or childbirth. Tomophobia- Fear of surgical operations. Tonitrophobia- Fear of thunder. Topophobia- Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright. Toxiphobia or Toxophobia or Toxicophobia- Fear of poison or of being accidently poisoned. Traumatophobia- Fear of injury.

tocophobia: fear of pregnancy or childbirth | Anxiety Disorders discussions | Emotional & Mental Health center | SteadyHealth.com guest00618161 over a year ago I saw that there were no posts about this subject so I thought I would start one. Tocophobia: fear of pregnancy or childbirth I mean EVERY month I think I'm pregnant. after I get my periods I think I'm still pregnant. and sometimes I don't even have sex and I think I'm pregnant. and plus I'm on birth control and my boyfriend is almost sterile (he has a 10% chance of getting a woman pregnant under perfect conditions) does anyone else have this problem? does anyone else experience this anxiety because it is driving not only me crazy but my boyfriend and my mom crazy also. does anyone have any advice for me? please. I'm tired of it. Loading... helpisontheway6784 over a year ago We find on this website lots of younger girls terrified of pregnancy, personally I dont think they should be having sex at that age if they tear themselves apart over it. That is what sex is for, after all. Not an entertaining activity for everyone, although it can be enjoyable with someone you really love.

But in cases like yours there is a real psychological phobia, of course you know that rationally your chances of conceiving are minute. Does it stop you enjoying sex? I used to feel that. You might want to go and see someone, I mean, professionally. You don't have to medicalize your fears, but they are trained in deconstructing the fear, if it truly does interfere with your day to day life, and your family and freinds. Don't let it tear you apart. I suppose you could further your steps of contraception, such as medical ovulation monitoring as well as condoms, the pill and your partners fertility rate. So you weren't having sex on fertile days. Further nulling the chances of conceiving. But of course, with a real phobia such as this, it may not help, if it is an irrational fear. all the precautions you can take in the world won't help, you need to tackle the phobia from its core. Good luck x jellymelly24972 over a year ago Like the lady who first posted the comment about fear of pregnancy i experience the same kind of fear. Except i actually feel pregnancy.. Like for example kicking in my belly..

sometimes its powerful and sometimes its not. In september-november 06 i took 4 pregnancy test that all came back negative.. two taken by my GP. These kicking sensations have been going on for roughly about.. 8 months and its really annoying me because i just want to forget about fearing pregnancy. Ive feared pregnancy ever since a few years ago when i was 15 and got pregnant but unfortunatly was forced to have an abortion. Im still with the same man i lost my virginity to but he's not sure himself what is wrong with me. Just about everyday i fear pregnancy.. especially with this kicking in my stomache. I know its not wind because i know the difference. It more a less feels like spasms.. but who gets spasms throughout the day everyday in their stomache? I have discussed this with my GP but i didn't exactly get much help and i haven't done anything in the hope my fear would go away. Can anyone tell me whats wrong and what i should do?? over a year ago helpisontheway wrote: We find on this website lots of younger girls terrified of pregnancy, personally I dont think they should be having sex at that age if they tear themselves apart over it.

That is what sex is for, after all. Not an entertaining activity for everyone, although it can be enjoyable with someone you really love. But in cases like yours there is a real psychological phobia, of course you know that rationally your chances of conceiving are minute. Does it stop you enjoying sex? I used to feel that. You might want to go and see someone, I mean, professionally. You don't have to medicalize your fears, but they are trained in deconstructing the fear, if it truly does interfere with your day to day life, and your family and freinds. Don't let it tear you apart. I suppose you could further your steps of contraception, such as medical ovulation monitoring as well as condoms, the pill and your partners fertility rate. So you weren't having sex on fertile days. Further nulling the chances of conceiving. But of course, with a real phobia such as this, it may not help, if it is an irrational fear. all the precautions you can take in the world won't help, you need to tackle the phobia from its core. Good luck x elb555 over a year ago i have been afraid of being pregnant/giving birth ever since i can remember.

first off, i am terrified of doctors and needles so the thoguht of being poked (having my blood drawn, etc) for 9 months and then having an iv during birth (not to mention the huge epidural) is enoguh to scare me. Next, ive never been good with invasive exams. It makes me naucious to think about all of the times i have to spread my legs for complete strangers, absolutely no privacy. next, i am deathly terrified of labor... the pain, the needles, the blood, the goop, the stretching, everything. i am afraid that i will never look the same down there, nor will my partner want anthing to do with me afterwards. And finally, worst off, i am afraid of having something growing inside of me, feeding off of my body, ruining any figure that i once had. i am very insecure about this, considreing that it would be my own child inside of me and im supposed to be able to give up my body graciously. but i just cant. and for this, i feel selfish, ashamed, embarassed, you name it.

To add to the selfishness, i fear that if we did have a baby my partner would love it more than me. Its like im not willing to give him up either. This whole fear of pregnancy has stressed me out from the moment i first got into this serious relationship, and does so more and more as more time passes. its like i have to countdown because i know he wants children. I have a terrible feeling that this will eventually tear us apart, he just doesnt seem to understand. most people dont for that matter. am i weird, or does anyone have similar fears? over a year ago reply to elb55 reading your post is like listening to my own thoughts. i am petrified of mainly giving birth, the pain,tearing etc i am also freaked out by the thought of something growing inside me. i took the plunge to get pregnant back may after losing my mum,i think losing my mum made me realise how much i wanted to be a mum and wished i had given her grandchildren. i got pregnant really quickly and i was so scared that my thoughts made me have accute panick attacks and now i have lost the baby, and i feel its due to my fears and anxiety.

i dont know what to do as i want a child so much but i know when i get pregnant my anxiety only gets worse. i also feel this is eventually going to ruin my relationship.i always think that its just me thats wierd aswell but this is a phobia and i feel there should be more help out there for people like us.i hope this fear doesn't leave you of myself childless forever it would be so sad. good luck i hope you can overcome it,i think i'll just try again even though the anxiety is excruciating,i also cant bear the thought of life with no kids x Guest over a year ago I'm getting older and I really want to have a baby of my own. I always thought I'd adopt, but that hasn't happened and not sure of that any more. I have had three abortions, one at 19, another around 24 and one just recently at age 36. i also had one tubal pregnancy that they had to dissolve safely. and took plan B morning after pill 2times. I have an intense fear of being pregnant, going through the pregnancy, and especially of giving birth.

this last pregnancy i tried to go through with it but i too had acute panic and sever depression. so i just couldn't go through with it and i feel less than as a woman, weaker for my fear and wish i could be like women who want to have kids and just do it so naturally and calmly. i don't like getting exams, i have had my fear of pregnancy and birth since i can remember. i wish i could be strong enough to just do it. i fear how i will work and pay my bills, how my body will turn out, especially now that i am older. and how i will make it, and if i'll regret it. i wake up feeling lonely and wonder why i was never normal enough to have a family. and want one so badly, i think of growing old alone and with no children or grandchildren. i think about this daily, it's always plagued me, but only gets worse with age, i wish i would have just been brave enough to have all the babies instead of the abortions. i was terrified and it was like the only way out the only answer to my fear. is there any way to have a baby even when you are insanely terrified of it?

this last time i tried to get pregnant thinking i could go through with it, and had the abortion because i couldn't go on with the fear. i don't want to do that again. is there any help? can people plan c-sections? Guest over a year ago I have spent most of my life (as long as I can really remember) having no desire to physically have my own child. I have always intended to foster or adopt children (not infants)...and so never really focused on my intense fear of pregnancy, labor and delivery. Until I recently found out that I am unexpectedly pregnant. I have known for 6 weeks now and have been battling depression, anger, and hatred (that sounds awful, I know). For my husband and I adoption or abortion are not options (I judge no one for these choices, but I can't do them myself)...and so I am feeling terrified that I have NO options. I truthfully don't want the baby...and then I feel like a horrible person for thinking this way. My husband has been INCREDIBLY patient, but as yet nothing has budged...no glimmer of excitement or hope.

I have the same fears that several other women have listed: needles, invasive exams, doctors in general, giving blood/having blood drawn, and finally labor/delivery. I don't know what to do...if anyone has experienced this and turned out "alright" please offer me some hope. Guest over a year ago Ever since I can remember, I claimed I was never going to have children. During my teens I was very promiscuous and constantly feared pregnancy. Luckily, I didn't get pregnant till I was 21 yrs. old. I opted to get an abortion and it was easy to justify because I was young an did not care for the guy I was with and had not accomplished any of the goals that I had planned for myself. Years later at 27 I found myself pregnant again. This time I knew that I was old enough and I was with my fiance in a stable relationship, but I had not finished my degree and was not financially where I wanted to be. During both pregnancies I was horribly sick all the time so I was miserable and could not imagine enduring it for 7 more mths. Now I'm 30 yrs old. I'm still scared sh*tless.

I feel like I'm the only one with this fear, everyone around me has a child.Don't want to end up like one of those sad older people who have nothing to do with their lives and no family to care for. How do I get over this fear. Guest over a year ago I, as well, have an extreme fear of pregnancy/childbirth and doctors ever since age 12. I have no 'natural' maternal instincts, and it angers me to think about giving up my dreams and time to raise a child. So far, I've had one miscarriage, one birth, one severe pregnancy scare, and two abortions. Yes, I did bear one child (conceived when I was far too young) only because I couldn't find a doctor who would give me an abortion. I felt forced to bear him and have been resentful raising him as a single mother, but I am glad that he is my son. I did loose my career and everything I had going for myself, but I gained a whole new world of childhood firsts that I have enjoyed.

I still don't have maternal instincts and had to learn everything from books and pretend my way through ;even though, I always felt more like his sister rather than his mother. But the experience of having a high risk pregnancy and all the extra doctor visits and the excruciating birth experience (by luck relieved by the assistance of a masseuse), increased my fear 10-fold of getting pregnant again. The fear is so great that I'll panic during sex when I think I might have been impregnated, even when it's no where near my ovulating time, and I'll test and retest for pregnancy daily and do all sorts of home remedies to ensure my safety, which have made me very sick in the past and I do -not- recommend them. Even right now, I fear that I am pregnant again and dread the appointment I need to make to make sure I'm not. After so many years of miserable relationships, I've finally been blessed with an understanding partner, and a good therapist.

My now fiance also has a child and we both agree that we don't need more, and after talking over all the options and risks, he is getting a vasectomy to help ease my fears so we can have more freedom in our relationship without the interfering fears related to pregnancy. Before reading this thread, I thought that I was out of place in fearing motherhood... afterall that is what we are taught as the woman's purpose on earth. What I've learned is that it isn't our only purpose, only one of many. Our real purpose is to love... whether it be our own child, an adopted child, the neighbor's or friend's child, a relative's child... etc. children come into our lives in all sorts of ways... we don't need to be the biological mother, to care for the many children out there who need a little more encouragement from good and caring role models. All-in-all there are more logical reasons -not- to have a child, than there is to have one. There's no need to push yourself to be 'normal', or to give into motherhood cravings. Motherhood is not our only purpose, and not something we were sent here to do.

I am relieved when I am ensured that I am not pregnant. I am relieved that I have had the experience of motherhood. I am relieved that I have helped to raise so many children in my life though being a teacher. I am relieved that I am now helping to raise my fiance's youngling. But I would never bear my own again... I refuse to go through it again... but that won't stop me from doing my share of raising the children of the world. The population is high enough, we don't need to add to it. Is much better to give our time and excess to help raise the children who are already living on our planet and need good, wizened people to turn to when they too have our questions and fears. I hope my ramblings and experience helps someone to be less attached to the fear. The anxiety is very real, but it does not need to be destructive and there are options to deal with the anxiety. Speak with a therapist about your fear. Find a therapist who will listen and is willing to help you overcome this anxiety, and feel more confident about the choices you are making with birth control, and know all of your options to do in case you do become pregnant. The greatest power is knowledge.

Learn all you can from accredited sources. :-) And most of all, Take care of yourself, and don't fall into being resentful. There is reason and good in everything that seems out of our control. ~All the best! Guest over a year ago I am nearly old and I have suffered with tokophobia all my life as far as I can recall. I doubled up and tripled up on birth control, and I lost several really good relationships because I just couldn't bring myself to have a child. I would tell the men I didn't want children, which was a lie, and I would lose the relationship or in some cases would not even be asked out. I am now in a position that when my mother dies I will have no relatives to speak of. I am single, not a date in sight, and she is over 80. When she dies, I am literally alone and so desperately sad. I am seriously considering finding a therapist to deal with the grief of being alone and being menopausal, meaning that I will never have a child. I knew I could never do it, never have a child. I would have had to commit suicide, I even planned the suicide once when I thought I was pregnant.

Mercifully I was not. I was pregnant one time and had a miscarriage, it was such a bad experience I would never even consider pregnancy and childbirth. That experience ended any thought of even attempting to consider looking for a therapist for the phobia. I was a disaster after that miscarriage. The experience was so bad, so hellish, that I thought I was going to have nightmares forever after it. There is no way I could get through a pregnancy or childbirth, obviously. But the sadness is awful now. I always thought I could find a husband, someone would want me, but nobody did. I lost the love of my life twice due to not being willing to have a child, and since I could never tell people the truth, they just thought I was some tough girl who didn't like children. I couldn't tell them the truth because I am certain I would have been forced into a pregnancy in some way or another, and then I would either have to have an abortion or commit suicide. There is no other option for me, and it is so sad at this age. cupcakeface108497 over a year ago I am 25 and recently married. All my life I have wanted to be a mother.

I even want 4 kids and somehow, someway I plan on giving birth to each and every one of them. Yet, I am terrified. I am not scared of labor at all but I am scared of something growing inside of me. I don't want to feel it kick and I don't want it to make me sick or cause me to have mood swings. My mood is already fickle enough. I have generalized anxiety disorder and many other phobias to go along with it. I am afraid that all of these things are going to make me a horrible mother or worse yet, that I will be one of those mothers who suffers from postpartum psychosis. My husband tells me that this is nonsense. That I am maternal and a natural born mother, but this doesn't make me any less afraid to be pregnant. I wish I could just skip the whole pregnancy and get our baby. Surrogacy maybe, but who can afford that? Not me. I am determined to find a way to do this. I want it too badly to keep myself from doing it. However, I am too scared to just jump in and do it. I don't think I could go forward with getting an abortion once I got myself pregnant.

I am afraid that I would end up being miserably depressed and anxious for 9 months. I don't want else to say other than I am so terrified. Has anyone been in this position before, went through with the pregnancy and had a good experience? I need to hear some hopeful stories to give me reason to believe that I can do this. Thanks for your help :-) CTRN: Change That's Right Now | Tocophobia · Add Comment Trusted, Effective Treatment for Tocophobia. Feelings of dread? Overwhelming thoughts? Rapid heartbeat? Tunnel Vision? Or worse? Since 2002 we have worked with countless folks from all walks of life and we know that – for anyone who is determined – tocophobia can always be overcome. Our goal at CTRN is to help you overcome this fast and fully: Significant progress overcoming tocophobia in just 24 hours Complete confidentiality and privacy We’ve helped people from 70+ countries vanquish their fear How Do You Get Started? There are two programs we offer to help you overcome tocophobia fast.

We have the Home Study program (where you can go at your own speed), or you can work with a board-certified expert practitioner in our one-on-one program : or Compare the Two Programs How the Program Works: Getting Over Tocophobia Re-’wiring’ your unconscious mind is the key to this program – and its safe and surprisingly easy to do. On the surface, you know that this business with pregnancy or childbirth doesn’t make sense. The reason the fear continues is because the subconscious has connected it to a wave of dominant negative feelings which occur automatically when you even think of pregnancy or childbirth. Getting rid of those automatic feelings isn’t hard – you just need the right techniques for changing your reaction to your personal set of pregnancy or childbirth-related triggers. We’re here to give you give you what you need to take back control. Interested in putting these techniques to use? Contact Us Now Contact Us Now > The Only Real Solution to Your Fear Unlike other solutions, we don’t promise you a cure for your fear. As much as we’d like to wave a magic wand and ‘cure’ you, it’s actually up to you to change how you feel.

We are here purely to teach, and to hold your hand as you walk through the procedure that enables you to make it happen. The methods in our program will teach clear-cut steps toward gaining self-belief, peace and joy, as well as proven procedures to conquer your negative emotions. No one should have to go through the continuous suffering you are experiencing. It is time for you to stop that cycle of negative thoughts. Vanquish Tocophobia Today . Risk Factors & Causes for Tocophobia An really disturbing incident from the past, is often (though, not always) the root cause of Tocophobia. The mind will, in some situations, generate the fear without an apparent cause. By exposing the root cause, you will be able to remedy the problem by easily exchanging harmful triggers. Persons that find themselves at greatest risk: • People with a general tendency towards fear and anxiety • Someone considered to be ‘easily upset’ • Someone who deals with adrenal insufficiency Do those, in any way, represent you? Click to read testimonials from those who have been through our programs. You can also read what the media has to say.

Tests, Symptoms & Diagnosis Use our 2 minute Tocophobia Online Analysis to discover the magnitude of the problem for you, but it is pretty simple. If this phobia is having a significant negative impact on your life, its time to do something about it. By simply thinking about Pregnancy Or Childbirth, do you become woozy? Do your palms get clammy and your mouth feel like cotton? Does your heart begin to race? Do you feel as though you are unable to stand? These are only a few examples of the things one can feel. Read more on the symptoms of tocophobia . We help you with the symptoms, as well as find out the basis for them. This is what we do Pills and Medication We strongly believe that drugs are not a good solution for any Tocophobe, but you should always follow your physician’s advice with regard to drugs/meds and Tocophobia . Pills might help you cope with your Tocophobia but only in the short term – they will not, in reality, help you eliminate it forever. There is no drug specifically for Tocophobia – When looking for an answer, maybe you should think about possible side effects before turning to prescription drugs.

The good news is with our system you will vanquish your Tocophobia, without drugs.. Next Action Tokophobia – Symptoms and Facts of Tokophobia – Treatment of Tokophobia Training & Degrees Tokophobia Tokophobia is an extreme and uncontrollable fear of childbirth or pregnancy. While pregnancy is expected to be a time when women experience long bouts of anxiety , when they develop a fear of childbirth so intense that it disrupts their ability to lead normal lives or have a normal birth, they very likely have tokophobia. Symptoms of Tokophobia If left untreated, tokophobia can only become more intense and damaging. Not only can this disorder lead to an elective termination of some pregnancies because of fear, but the psychological stress attendant with the disorder can often be damaging to a pregnancy even if the woman does not elect to terminate it. Furthermore, tokophobia may only be a byproduct of other emotional and behavioral disorders such as clinical depression.

Some of the more apparent indicators of tokophobia include: Feelings of dread or panic when the idea of childbirth or pregnancy arises Refusing to go through with childbirth unless elective Caesarean section can be guaranteed An intense increase in anxiety or depression while pregnant Expressing a strong desire to have children while also refusing to become pregnant Previous terminations of apparently healthy pregnancies Intense fear that childbirth will result in maternal death , stillbirth, miscarriage or birth defects Common Facts About Tokophobia Women who have this disorder will likely refuse going through childbirth without some kind of sedative and they will often be very adamant about wanting a Caesarean section. Still, other women will avoid becoming pregnant altogether, despite their strong desire to have children. These women will often have very stringent contraceptive strategies, using several methods at once. In tokophobic women who went through normal pregnancies, as well as those who had Caesarean sections, some suffered further problems after childbirth such as postnatal depression and delayed bonding with their infants. Like all phobias, no universal and specific cause exists to explain tokophobia. Rather, there are various unique factors and experiences that contribute to such a disorder.

Some of these issues could include a previous traumatic childbirth experience, an intense fear of pain, or even childhood sexual abuse or rape. Treatment of Tokophobia It is important for someone who may have tokophobia to seek support from people who genuinely care, including an obstetrician who can work closely and cooperatively with a psychiatrist in order to ensure that the mother, the pregnancy, the infant and the postpartum relationship between the mother and child are healthy. As with any psychological disorder, the initial reasons for the development of the phobia should be addressed by a mental health professional. While much of the fear may stem from the physical pain of a previous birth or other traumatic event, a psychiatrist or psychologist should be able to refer sufferers of tokophobia to doctors that can help moderate the pain of pregnancy or childbirth if that is the best route of treatment to take. There may be some antidepressants available for pregnant women as well. Tokophobia is definitely not a factor that should hinder a woman’s desire to go through childbirth and have a family. More often than not, this phobia is rooted in irrational fears based on traumatic events that a woman can very likely overcome. If you are seeking help with tokophobia, please seek the support of loved ones and your doctor.

There are plenty of people willing to help with not only the symptoms of the disorder, but also the psychological difficulties attendant with it. If you believe your fears of pregnancy and childbirth are irrational, consider the pros and cons with those that know you best. If you think you need help deciding, you may want to ask your doctor. View Resources

Question: What is tocophobia a fear of?
Answer: CHILDBIRTH