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La Phantom pregnancy is a mental disorder that can affect some women. Persuaded to expect a child, they present all symptoms similar to those of pregnancy : absence of periods, nausea, weight gain, stomach aches. But, in reality, they are not pregnant. And even if the pregnancy test or ultrasound proves it, sometimes they may not be able to believe it.
Nervous pregnancy, pseudocyesis or phantom pregnancy: how do you know if you have one?
Mental disorders can have physical repercussions. We say then that the body somatizes. This is what happens during a Phantom pregnancy, also called pseudocyesis, or, formerly, phantom pregnancy. The hormonal phenomena which control the course of the menstrual cycle are indeed under the influence of the hypothalamus. This gland of the brain regulates ovulation in particular.
Belly swelling, chest pain, no periods, nausea …
Under the effect of significant stress, the hormones essential to the good progress of the cycle may no longer be secreted. This will cause a disruption or even an absence of the rules. Those hormonal disturbances dictated by the head then act on the whole body going so far as to produce nausea, stomach aches… All the characteristics of a pregnancy. However, pregnancy tests and ultrasounds indicate that the woman is not pregnant.
What causes this mental disorder?
There are many reasons for nervous pregnancy. Lucie Perifel, psychologist and psychotherapist, insists on the fact that there is no “typical profile” of women suffering from these symptoms: “Anyone can potentially be affected by what is called pseudocyesis and find themselves unable to believe the medical diagnosis. The important thing as a psychologist is therefore to listen to the patient in order to understand the causes of her discomfort and to support her as best as possible.«.
Multiple causes to be identified with a psychologist
This phenomenon can therefore be found both in certain young women who have a strong desire for children or, on the contrary, a phobic fear of pregnancy. Sometimes these two causes are intertwined. Pervasive pregnancy also affects more mature women. Decreased fertility and menopause are equally important difficult stages to cross. Some women dread this passage and feel the need to give birth one last time. Grieving motherhood or not being able to get through this stage of menopause can trigger symptoms of pregnancy without the person becoming pregnant.
Treatment: how to treat a nervous pregnancy in women?
A nervous pregnancy should not not be ignored. It can cause great suffering and even greater physical upheaval if it is not taken care of. And even if we can recover from it on our own, it is not excluded that this phenomenon occurs again. A woman who is having a nervous pregnancy first needs soutien.
Le treatment is overwhelmingly psychological and goes above all through the words. It’s up to the doctor to set the record straight. By proving to her that she is not pregnant, he can gradually bring her back to reality. If he deems it necessary, he mayrefer to a psychologist or psychiatrist. With him, the woman can go further: try to understand why, by working on the root causes, she invented a pregnancy. Once awareness takes place, pregnancy symptoms then regulate themselves naturally. Homeopathy may be indicated by then to reduce disorders such as nausea and vomiting.
Nervous pregnancy: can a man be affected?
We are not talking about a nervous pregnancy in a man but confusion is frequent with the convent : symptoms of pregnancy affecting about 20% of future dads while their partner is pregnant. Nausea, headaches and stomach aches, weight gain: this somatization is also completely psychological and most often develops at the end of the first trimester and subsides in the second before returning to the last… Many maternities offer groups “Become a Dad” words that can be very helpful in this situation.