When speaking about her experience with infertility and miscarriage, Courteney Cox said “I just think it’s important to get things out there so people can realize they’re not alone.” Infertility affects many, and infertility can impact a person’s mental health. In this blog, our hope is to help those facing infertility care for their mental health.
What is Infertility?
Syiem and Reddy (2013) described infertility treatment to be a journey that can impact the individual and their partner by increasing the amount of stress and anxiety levels from a cycle of hope and despair and impacting one’s well being. Thus, the journey of fertility and expanding a family can feel like a rollercoaster sometimes. For some people, their experience of entering parenthood can feel overwhelming and isolating, with many high and low points. Just know you are not alone in your journey! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 5 married women between the ages 15 to 49 are not able to get pregnant after one year of trying to conceive. Also, women are not the only ones who may struggle with fertility issues, research shows there are many male factors that contribute to infertility. There can also be many long term effects of infertility on both individuals, particularly when it comes to mental health.
The Impact of Infertility
Both men and women can go through changes both physically and emotionally when struggling with infertility. Many things may impact this including changes in hormones, sexual habits, routines and financial strain. Sometimes assistance through medical professionals is taken and individuals may utilize hormone replacement therapies. These changes can impact one’s mental health in many ways. It is recommended that professionals working with individuals struggling with infertility take into account the individual’s experience throughout their own journey as this may vary from person to person. Professionals can help support those going through the waiting periods of infertility, navigate complex treatments, provide support to process the emotional challenges or treatment burden and connect with other resources. The experience of infertility can look like many different things – depending on the person. It is important to find support and reach out to others when symptoms of anxiety and depression are present.
Caring For Your Mental Health
There are many steps you can take to alleviate the stress and anxiety that comes with the journey of infertility. Licensed Professional Counselor Sarah states “Self care is key. Not only do you need to have tools to utilize for when you are having elevated levels of anxiety or depression, but you also need to proactively take time to care for yourself.” There are many things that you can do to help improve symptoms of anxiety or depression that may come with the journey of infertility.
Tips To Practice Self Care
- Connect With Nature: Go for a walk outside, take a bike ride or hike. Whenever we are struggling with stress, anxiety or depression, getting outside and enjoying some sunshine can help remind us of the hope that lives in the world and provide us with a breath of fresh air.
- Connect With Others: Call a family member, go to dinner with a friend or take time to meet with a community member you are connected with. It is important to know we are not alone, even if others are not going through the same journey we are. At times, it can be helpful to reach out to others who love and support us. Additionally, there are many different support groups online or in person that can help connect you with others who may be experiencing similar situations.
- Re-connect With Yourself: Practice mindfulness activities, engage in breathing exercises or practice yoga. Sometimes we can get lost in the daily to-do lists or worries of tomorrow. It is important to take time out of your day for yourself. This may even mean just making sure our daily needs are met, including getting adequate sleep and eating healthy foods.
Remember To Communicate
The journey of infertility can not only have an impact on one’s own individual mental health, but also the couple’s. It is important to communicate with your partner about how you are feeling. Licensed Professional Counselor Taylor states “Make sure that you have emotional check-ins with yourself and your partner to explore and identify needs of self and each other. Remembering to date each other is important. Having a set date night or a date jar to draw from of favorite activities is a good way to keep intimacy in the relationship”. The stress of infertility can have an impact on the relationship, and setting aside time to be with one another can help reconnect the intimacy.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Whenever symptoms of anxiety and depression start to impact your daily functioning, there are professionals out there to help to navigate through this journey. Talk to your medical professional about the way you have been feeling. Make an appointment with a licensed counselor to help process the emotions that come with the journey of fertility. Here at Garrett Counseling, we strive to meet the unique needs of the individual and take time to sit down and listen to the concerns you may have. Our counselors can provide you the support you seek to improve the mental health concerns you may experience while struggling with infertility.
Additional Resources About Infertility & Mental Health
Resources For Those Facing Infertility
- Resolve: The National Infertility Association (Offers seminars & support groups)
- Fertility Out Loud
Resources For Professionals
- American Psychological Association – Trauma & Infertility Article
- Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – Infertility Article
If you are facing infertility, and you are looking for additional support to help you care for your mental health during this journey – please contact our team today at (256) 239-5662. We have trained counselors at our offices throughout Alabama, including Albertville, Huntsville, Jacksonville, & Jasper, as well as online options available.
To read more about women’s mental health, visit these blogs:
Sources:
Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. (2023). Reproductive Health. Infertility FAQs. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm
C.M. Verhaak, A.M.E. Lintsen, A.W.M. Evers, D.D.M. Braat, Who is at risk of emotional problems and how do you know? Screening of women going for IVF treatment, Human Reproduction, Volume 25, Issue 5, May 2010, Pages 1234–1240, https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deq054
Hines, Ree. (2019, March). Courteney Cox opens up about fertility struggles: ‘I had a lot of miscarriages’ TODAY. https://www.today.com/parents/courteney-cox-opens-about-fertility-struggles-i-had-lot-
miscarriages-t150827
Greil, A. L., Slauson-Blevins, K., & McQuillan, J. (2010). The experience of infertility: a review of recent literature. Sociology of health & illness, 32(1), 140–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2009.01213.x
Patel, A., Sharma, P. S. V. N., & Kumar, P. (2018). Role of Mental Health Practitioner in Infertility Clinics: A Review on Past, Present and Future Directions. Journal of human reproductive sciences, 11(3), 219–228. https://doi.org/10.4103/jhrs.JHRS_41_18
Peterson, B., Boivin, J., Norré, J., Smith, C., Thorn, P., & Wischmann, T. (2012). An introduction to infertility counseling: a guide for mental health and medical professionals. Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 29(3), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-011-9701-y
Syiem, T. K., & Reddy, K. J. (2013). The multifaceted aspects of infertility. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) 2, 168-170. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=9d111ec8515be33377de3a4f59aca51589d69372