Psychological pregnancy is a condition that continues to surprise even medical experts who have studied it for years. Hormonal and psychological factors intervene directly in this pathology, with hormones being the main responsible for the woman experiencing a series of symptoms so typical of actual pregnancy that it is hard to believe that nothing is confirmed. The women who are more likely to develop a psychological pregnancy are those who have been classified as sterile, also those women who are in advanced age and it is already impossible to conceive.
Psychological pregnancy is not a disease. It is a problem that triggers the woman’s mind, proving its power over our body since it has nothing to do with a physical or hormonal deficiency that needs gynecological care. It is simply a disorder that occurs mainly when women want more than anything to be a mother and cannot.
This condition is also more common in women who have problems expressing their emotions, anxieties, and concerns, allowing the body to project these feelings through the body. So far, the support of loved ones and psychological therapy is the only way to deal with a delicate situation. If you want to know more about psychological pregnancy: symptoms, causes, and treatment, we invite you to read this article by FastlyHeal.
Table of Contents
Overview of psychological pregnancy
- There are between one and six cases of psychological pregnancies for every 22 thousand pregnancies.
- It can occur in humans and animals, and the first psychological pregnancies date back to 300 BC.
- It is not an exclusively female condition. Yes, psychological pregnancy can also occur in men whose partner is pregnant. To protect and participate as much as possible, it begins to feel pregnancy symptoms.
- There is still no logical cause to explain this event, so it is considered that everything is a matter of suggestion.
What women can develop psychological pregnancy?
- Women who want to be mothers: It often occurs in women who are married for the second time and want to please their new partnership with a child.
- Menopausal women: menopause is the end of female fertility, and with its arrival, many women increase their desire to conceive because they know that it is impossible.
- Very young and single women: present a psychological pregnancy due to the irrational fear of getting pregnant.
- Women involved in the pregnancy of another woman: it usually happens with girls from the same family, for example, when one of the sisters is pregnant, and the other begins to experience similar sensations.
Symptoms of psychological pregnancy
The symptoms of psychological pregnancy can be very similar to those of normal pregnancy since the psychological situation of the woman, whether due to fear or desire to conceive, is capable of causing the body to project some or all of the symptoms of the process of gestation. The most common symptoms of psychological pregnancy are:
- Interruption of menstruation or little fluid.
- Enlargement of the breasts that can even fill up and leak milk.
- She is softening the cervix.
- Enlargement of the mammary areola and changes in its tonality.
- Increase of the abdomen.
- Weight gain is more remarkable than that of an actual pregnancy.
- Darkening of the skin
- Nausea and heartburn.
- Cravings and increased appetite.
- Lumbar spine curved inward.
- Trouble sleeping
The best way to differentiate a psychological pregnancy from a real one is to go to the gynecologist for tests that demonstrate the absence of the fetal heartbeat or ultrasounds or abdominal echoes. The lack of the fetus is evidenced. When this happens, and the doctor informs the woman that she is not pregnant, it is common for her to visit other doctors to confirm her pregnancy, which can worsen her symptoms and make her believe even more that she is. Pregnant.
In these cases, only one in 100 women with psychological pregnancies goes through a “birth” in which their body can feel the pain of contractions and, in case they still have doubts about the power of the mind, the woman can go even to breakwaters.
Causes of psychological pregnancy
Most psychological pregnancies are due precisely to psychological causes such as fear of getting pregnant or excessive desire to conceive in the woman who presents it. Personality and certain stages of life can also be triggers for this condition. In general, the most common causes are:
- The immense desire to be a mother. This is very common in sterile women with fertility problems, menopausal, who have had more than one abortion, or lost a child.
- Depression in women who are very sensitive to the topic of pregnancy.
- Relationship problems. Some women believe that having a child will be the remedy not to losing their partner or solve marriage issues.
- Fear. Young women who start their sexual life may fear becoming pregnant, which leads them to be betrayed by their fear and experience what they fear most: a pregnancy, but a lie.
- Solidarity. Men and women close to a pregnant woman may have such a desire to participate in such pregnancy that they are capable of exhibiting some symptoms of an actual pregnancy.
When a thought, fear, idea, or psychic desire causes physical symptoms, it is said that the body is somatizing the emotions through the organism. Psychological pregnancy is excellent proof of this. The mind, which is convinced that a baby is on the way, makes the body react by experiencing the symptoms of a natural pregnancy, generating an increase in estrogens and prolactin. These hormones create The following vicious cycle: If I have pregnancy symptoms, I am pregnant, and it does not matter what the echoes or gynecological exams say. This emotional chain in which the person is trapped can considerably compromise their emotional state when they finally accept that their pregnancy is unreal.
Treatment of psychological pregnancy
Treating psychological pregnancy is a challenging task because it is not a disease, nor is there a pill that makes the person see reason and understand that everything has been the product of their mind, desires, and fears. It is difficult to make a woman who has an enlarged abdomen, nausea, and breast leak milk understand that everything is a lie and that there is no baby inside her womb. Therefore the work for this condition should be more of emotional support and therapeutic help than of taking medications or special therapies.
- The first thing to do is verify that the pregnancy is not accurate. The best way to do this is through a blood test or an abdominal echo since urine tests can give positive for a hormonal alteration of psychological pregnancy. Some women hardly know the false result. They stop experiencing the symptoms and fall into resignation.
- Psychological treatment is of great help to treat the emotional problems that psychological pregnancy can trigger and help the woman understand why her mind was able to live all this and accept that nothing was confirmed. Because it is a psychological disorder, the origin of the false pregnancy can be determined in therapy: fear, depression, dependence on the partner, among others. In some cases, the person must take antidepressants to improve their mood.
- Support is essential for those who have gone through a psychological pregnancy. Talking with people who have lived the same thing, venting emotions, telling the experience, understanding why the psychological pregnancy happened, accepting the power of the mind, and feeling accompanied, supported, and loved are vital for the woman to overcome the psychological pregnancy.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Psychological pregnancy: symptoms, causes, and treatment, we recommend that you enter our Pregnancy and baby health category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.