Phobia of the Day: Tokophobia
A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an irrational response.
A phobia is an anxiety disorder involving excessive and persistent fear of a situation or object. Exposure to the source of the fear triggers an immediate anxiety response.
Most specific phobias fall into one of four major categories:
- Fears of the natural environment
- Fears related to animals
- Fear related to medical treatments or issues
- Fears related to specific situations
Phobia of the Day: Tokophobia is the fear of pregnancy and childbirth. Women who have this phobia have a pathological fear of giving birth, and will often avoid becoming pregnant or giving birth altogether
Tokophobia is a type of specific phobia, which is an anxiety disorder in which people feel an irrational and unreasonable amount of fear about a specific object or situation. Symptoms of tokophobia can include sleep disturbances, panic attacks, nightmares, and avoidance behaviors. Other symptoms might include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Extreme fear of birth defects, stillbirth, or maternal death
- Feelings of dread at the thought of pregnancy and birth
- Insistence on a Caesarean section for their birth
SELF-CARE TIPS FOR PHOBIAS THAT BRING ON ANXIETY
- Talk to someone you trust.
- Learn to manage panic and anxiety.
- Look into joining a support group.
- Use self-help resources.
- Take a course for your specific phobia.
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