HOW INFERTILITY AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH

Why this resource is helpful:

Infertility can be a mentally, physically and emotionally challenging road. With all the ups and downs that come along with the journey, those facing infertility are often more prone to experiencing heightened depression and anxiety along the way.
Quoted From: https://ormfertility.com/fertility/how-infertility-affects-mental-health/

"Infertility can be a mentally, physically and emotionally challenging road. With all the ups and downs that come along with the journey, those facing infertility are often more prone to experiencing heightened depression and anxiety along the way.

An Unexpected Journey
When you dreamt of becoming a parent, you likely didn"t visualize needing a team of doctors, embryologists, genetic counselors, or donors to help you achieve that goal. From an early age, many of us have even been taught that as a woman or someone with eggs, being a parent is imperative to our identity, and not achieving that milestone can create feelings of inadequacy or imperfection. Despite this being categorically untrue, these antiquated ideas can deliver a significant blow to one"s confidence, self-esteem, emotions, and overall mental health.

In addition to learning that you might not become a parent in the ways you had envisioned, you have also become a fertility patient. Although conversations around fertility and increased awareness that 1 in 8 struggle to conceive, this is an identity that historically has been stigmatized and can, in turn, induce some negative feelings. The first steps in seeking fertility treatment can cause fear, panic, anger, and bewilderment. You may hurriedly seek out answers online or experience anger towards medical staff who delivered your news. But the truth is, it"s no one"s fault, and know that you are not going crazy or overreacting. These reactions are common as the stress experienced due to infertility is on par with those who have experienced a heart attack or cancer.

How Fertility Affects Your Everyday Life
How Infertility Affects Mental Health

Fertility treatment can spill over into all areas of your life. Your social life, family, leisure, and work activities are all competing with your doctor appointments, medication, and injection schedule. Your dominating thoughts surrounding all things fertility has likely come to occupy an overwhelming amount of space in your brain and at the expense of activities you previously enjoyed. Add hormonal medications to the mix, which are known to impact mood and anxiety, and it"s no wonder so many people receiving fertility treatment feel like they are on a rollercoaster of emotions!

There are also a number of other factors that may increase mental health issues during fertility treatment such as:

Coping style
Strain on relationships
Minimal social support or discomfort in sharing your journey with your support system
Financial strain
Medication side effects
World view
Identity formation or crisis
Prior miscarriages or unsuccessful treatments
And constant reminders of your desire for a child"

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