•14% of women in the UK have Tokophobia –the extreme fear of pregnancy or childbirth
•Tokophobia can have devastating consequences including relationship breakdowns, severe anxiety, and avoidance of childbirth.
•Harley Street hypnotherapist Adam Cox reveals why women with Tokophobia suffer during publicly celebrate births.
February 2019
The impending birth of the new royal baby is attracting vast amounts of media attention, hype, and public anticipation. While this is a celebratory time for royal enthusiasts and fans, for 14% of women in the UK, the anticipation of a new royal arrival is the source of severe anxiety and fear.
Harley Street hypnotherapist Adam Cox, also known as the Phobia Guru explains how Tokophobia occurs and how high profile births can amplify symptoms for suffers:
“Phobias are an unpleasant emotional reaction caused by a stimulus. Tokophobia is an autonomous fear of pregnancy or childbirth, this is normally a consequence of hearing distressing painful labour stories as a child or due to family members also having the fear. The implications of this phobia can cause women to become serial daters and avoid committed, long term relationships. They also, very early on in a relationship, communicate the desire of never wanting to have children. Most female Tokophobia suffers are exceptionally secretive and ashamed about their condition, due to women being stereotypically identified as maternal, caring and nurturing figures.”
Adam explains, “Since this is Meghan’s and Harry’s first child, there is heightened media exposure as opposed to if it was the birth of their second or third child. {{For suffers of Tokophobia, pregnancy and in particular childbirth are highly sensitised topics and induce unwanted thoughts or memories.}} For most Tokophobics, the main source of their anxiety is triggered by the concept of childbirth. The intense media coverage of Meghan Markle’s approaching labour encourages Tokophobics to think about bearing a child, which is exceptionally distressing and can induce panic attacks."
The key signs to look out for to identify if someone is suffering from Tokophobia.
• Avoidance: They never talk about pregnancy or childbirth and will avoid baby showers or conversations surrounding future children.
• Disinterest: They are not interested in celebrity pregnancies and will shut down or deflect a conversation about babies or pregnancy, even from a close friend or family member.
• Defensiveness: They will become defensive when asked about future children even if they are in a long term, committed relationship.
• Anxiety: They show signs of anxiety when the topic of pregnancy is discussed and will often leave the room if a TV show or movie is showing a childbirth scene.
Adam continued. “As a hypnotherapist based in Harley Street, many people aren’t able to afford my therapy.To make my services accessible, I’m currently offering a free video download that will give women tips and resources to make immediate progress and improvement on their fears or phobias, when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. Given that I can often eliminate a phobia in just a single session it’s possible for suffers of Tokophobia to be free of the fear before the impending royal baby."
“All phobias can be crippling but with the help of a professional, they can be overcome and conquered. The good news is that no matter how severe the phobia is, psychological tools such as hypnotherapy, CBT and NLP can eliminate a phobia in just one or two sessions."
For more information please visit: https://www.phobiaguru.com/the-fear-of-being-pregnant-tokoph...
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Adam Cox is available for broadcast or print interviews, is available for radio ISDN interviews and can provide comment upon request. Contact amy@kincomms.com or thomas@kincomms.com or call 020 7717 9696. For more information please visit: https://www.phobiaguru.com/the-fear-of-being-pregnant-tokoph...
Notes to Editor:
Prevalence of Tokophobia: https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aogs....
Adam Cox is a fully insured clinical hypnotherapist who qualified with the LCCH, is a member of the BSCH (British Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists) and listed on the GHR (General Hypnotherapist Register) http://www.hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk/hypnotherapists/ada.... Adam has worked with celebrities and CEO’s and is often featured in the UK media.
