Tik-Tokophobia
Tik-Tokophobia
Podcast Description
Unpacking the hidden epidemic of Reproductive Anxiety Disorder — through the lens of tokophobia, fear, and female mental health.
This isn’t just a podcast about pregnancy and birth fears.
It’s about the anxiety no one talks about — the kind that wraps itself around your identity, your relationships, your career, your future. And the kind that gets misdiagnosed, dismissed, or missed entirely.
Tokophobia — the extreme fear of pregnancy and childbirth — is just the tip of the iceberg.
What lies beneath is something bigger: Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD).
It’s an unrecognised condition that affects millions of women. And most of them don’t even know it.
So why Tik-Tokophobia?
It’s a nod to the relentless ticking of the biological clock — that internal panic women feel when society says “it’s time” but their nervous system screams “no.”
This podcast is about what happens in that space.
And how we can break free from it.
Hosted by Alexia Leachman, world expert on tokophobia, creator of the Head Trash Clearance method, and former sufferer who healed her own fear. Alongside JJ Stenhouse, a veteran broadcaster who lived with tokophobia for over 40 years without knowing it.
Together, they explore what unhealed reproductive fear really costs:
Anxiety. Depression. OCD.
Relationship breakdowns
Fertility struggles and ambivalence
Creative and sexual shutdown
A lifetime of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me”
Through honest conversations, healing insights, and lived experience, this podcast illuminates the two paths of tokophobia:
🔹 Door on the left: healing, clarity, self-trust, and choice
🔹 Door on the right: fear-led decisions, isolation, and emotional shutdown
We’re here to change the conversation:
To show why fear is quietly driving the fertility crisis
To challenge the way mental health misunderstands birth trauma
To name what women have always felt, but never had language for
Whether you're a woman who's lived it, a partner trying to understand, or a professional who wants to do better — this podcast is for you.
It’s time we gave reproductive anxiety the recognition it deserves.
It’s time to name it.
It’s time to heal it.
Welcome to Tik-Tokophobia.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores the hidden epidemic of Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD), including topics such as tokophobia, the effects of reproductive trauma, and the often overlooked intersection of mental health and reproductive anxiety. Episodes delve into personal narratives and expert discussions, covering key subjects like the unrecognized costs of reproductive fears, the journey of healing, and the societal misconceptions surrounding women's reproductive choices.
Unpacking the hidden epidemic of Reproductive Anxiety Disorder — through the lens of tokophobia, fear, and female mental health.
This isn’t just a podcast about pregnancy and birth fears.
It’s about the anxiety no one talks about — the kind that wraps itself around your identity, your relationships, your career, your future. And the kind that gets misdiagnosed, dismissed, or missed entirely.
Tokophobia — the extreme fear of pregnancy and childbirth — is just the tip of the iceberg.
What lies beneath is something bigger: Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD).
It’s an unrecognised condition that affects millions of women. And most of them don’t even know it.
So why Tik-Tokophobia?
It’s a nod to the relentless ticking of the biological clock — that internal panic women feel when society says “it’s time” but their nervous system screams “no.”
This podcast is about what happens in that space.
And how we can break free from it.
Hosted by Alexia Leachman, world expert on tokophobia, creator of the Head Trash Clearance method, and former sufferer who healed her own fear. Alongside JJ Stenhouse, a veteran broadcaster who lived with tokophobia for over 40 years without knowing it.
Together, they explore what unhealed reproductive fear really costs:
Anxiety. Depression. OCD.
Relationship breakdowns
Fertility struggles and ambivalence
Creative and sexual shutdown
A lifetime of “I don’t know what’s wrong with me”
Through honest conversations, healing insights, and lived experience, this podcast illuminates the two paths of tokophobia:
🔹 Door on the left: healing, clarity, self-trust, and choice
🔹 Door on the right: fear-led decisions, isolation, and emotional shutdown
We’re here to change the conversation:
To show why fear is quietly driving the fertility crisis
To challenge the way mental health misunderstands birth trauma
To name what women have always felt, but never had language for
Whether you’re a woman who’s lived it, a partner trying to understand, or a professional who wants to do better — this podcast is for you.
It’s time we gave reproductive anxiety the recognition it deserves.
It’s time to name it.
It’s time to heal it.
Welcome to Tik-Tokophobia.
In this groundbreaking episode of Tik-Tokophobia, Alexia and JJ introduce a term you’ve probably never heard before — Reproductive Anxiety Disorder (RAD).
Going far beyond the usual discussions of tokophobia, this episode digs deep into the world of persistent, visceral anxiety around anything related to reproduction.
Alexia and JJ shine a fierce light on why so many women’s experiences are mislabelled, misunderstood, or flat-out ignored — and why having the right language matters.
If you’ve ever felt a hidden panic about pregnancy, birth, or even just being around babies, this episode will help you realise: you are not broken, just unheard — until now.
Key Discussion Points:
Why “Reproductive Anxiety Disorder”? – What RAD is, why it needed a name, and how it’s different from a simple “phobia” of birth.
Not Just in Your Head: – RAD is a full nervous system experience, not just a matter of “thinking differently” about pregnancy or birth. – How anxiety around reproduction shows up physically and shapes behaviour — from avoidance all the way to relationship breakdowns.
The Cost of Misunderstanding and Dismissal: – How the lack of language and awareness among health professionals leaves women unsupported. – The ripple effects on mental health, fertility journeys, and identity when these fears go unrecognised.
Trauma Roots and The Life Spectrum: – Why trauma isn’t always about birth itself — puberty, menopause, and even our own birth stories can plant seeds of reproductive anxiety. – What avoidance looks like in daily life and how it’s often the giveaway.
Tokophobia vs. RAD: – The difference between classic tokophobia and the deeper anxiety profile of RAD. – How other conditions like OCD and generalised anxiety can be tangled up with reproductive fears, and why addressing tokophobia can cut through layers of other symptoms.
Why Naming It Changes Everything: – The power of moving RAD “out of the unconscious and into the conscious,” so you can start to heal. – The urgent need for research, better care, and new questioning from both professionals and those living with this invisible weight.
The Path to Healing: – Why this kind of anxiety can be healed — and what hope and possibility look like, even if you feel unsure where to start. – A call to action for listeners, partners, professionals, and researchers to recognise and respond to RAD.
Who is this episode for?
Women (and those assigned female at birth) who feel an intense, unexplained dread or avoidance about anything related to pregnancy, childbirth, family planning, or even being around babies and children.
Anyone who’s ever been told “it’s just fear” or “you’ll get over it” — and is sick of not being understood or supported.
Those struggling with reproductive decision-making, unexplained infertility, or years of quiet panic around their body’s milestones (puberty, periods, menopause).
Listeners searching for language, validation, and a roadmap to finally start understanding (and healing) what’s been holding them back.
Birth professionals, therapists, and anyone interested in women’s health who want to truly “see” and support people experiencing reproductive/birth anxiety.
What might they be looking for? Hope, clarity, a sense of belonging, and practical avenues to start healing. Most of all: real language, understanding, and evidence that anxiety around reproduction is real, valid, and possible to move beyond.
WANT TO GO DEEPER? For resources, the white paper “The Case for Reproductive Anxiety Disorder,” and trauma-aware storytelling guidelines, visit fearlessbirthing.com or tiktokphobia.com.
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If this sounds like your hidden story or someone you care about, this episode will finally give you a language — and a path forward.
Disclaimer
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