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There is no known definitive cause(s) for a pseudocyesis. Currently there are several competing theories which are listed here:
The Chemical Imbalance Theory
This is the theory that states that chemicals in the body have fallen out of balance and affected the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is responsible for regulating; growth, blood pressure, functions of the sexual organs, thyroid glands, the body’s metabolism, the body’s water concentration, the body’s salt concentration, the body’s temperature, the kidneys, pain relief and aspects of the pregnancy cycle.
The Dual-Diagnosis Theory
This is the theory that simply classifying pseudocyesis as exclusively a physical health condition and exclusively a mental health condition is too simplistic and that there may be a dual-diagnosis of physical health and mental health components at work which complicate the forming of a clear set of diagnoses.
The Physical Mis-Diagnosis Theory
This is the theory that a woman is actually suffering from a physical illness that is presenting itself in an unusual way which serves to confuse both the sufferer and the clinician. Examples of this include fibroid tumours, ovarian cancer and urinary tract infections.
The Psychological Desire Theory
This is the theory that a woman wants to be pregnant so much, for various personal and/or cultural reasons, that a certain amount of ‘wish-fulfilment’ occurs and a woman essentially wishes herself pregnant. This has historically been linked with the idea that menopausal women who have not borne children are more prevelant to experiencing an episode of pseudocyesis.
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