There are a variety of reasons for seeking infertility counseling from a mental health professional. It may be that your reproductive specialist recommends or requires you to see a counselor before certain treatments, such as when deciding to use an egg or sperm donor. Egg and sperm donors themselves are typically required to see a mental health/infertility counselor before they are allowed to donate.
Seeing a counselor, therapist, or other professional who has specialized training in the medical and psychological aspects of infertility often helps many people cope with the emotional stress or struggle of infertility. Research shows that the emotional pain women experience when going through infertility is similar to those dealing with cancer, HIV, and chronic pain. Coping with infertility is hard, and needing help is 100% normal.
There are many reasons why individuals and couples choose to seek help through infertility counseling. Some of the more common reasons for seeking assistance are listed below:
It Seems Like Infertility Has Taken Over Your Day-to-Day Life
While infertility is never easy for anyone, some couples cope fine on their own. Oftentimes, however, coping with infertility seems overwhelming. If you feel like your infertility is taking over your life, it is probably time to consider counseling.
If your sadness, anxiety, or depression is prolonged and impacting other areas of your daily life, then it is important to seek professional help. A therapist can help you develop coping skills and strategies to help alleviate some of the depression or anxiety.
Sometimes Infertility Can Cause Stress In A Relationship
Many relationships are put under tremendous stress when going through infertility. Infertility is complicated. It can trigger so many different emotions. Experiencing infertility can cause sudden acute psychological pain or grief, especially after initial diagnosis or when making a difficult decision about specific treatment plans.
Infertility brings on the kind of stress and strain that can bring a couple closer together at certain times and then push you apart at other times. The effect infertility can have on your sex life also adds extra tension to a relationship.
Misunderstandings between each other can also make things more difficult. Often couples handle stress in different ways. Stereotypically, women express emotions more freely and need to talk through their feelings and their thoughts. Men often focus on problem solving and may not let themselves feel each monthly loss. Often, men just don’t want to talk about it.
Infertility is hard, but it’s even harder if you don’t have the support of your partner or spouse. On the other hand, you may feel that your partner should understand everything that you are feeling, or that your partner is the only one who can really understand what you’re going through. Counseling can help you better understand and support each other.
Sometimes You May Not Be Sure What to Do
A counselor who is specially trained in assisting couples with infertility can help you sort through your options. When any couple is at a crossroads in terms of treatment decisions, a counselor can help them make a truly informed choice. Working with a counselor can help you consider, and work through, what your treatment options may involve, including the financial and emotional stresses of those choices. In addition, if there is a disagreement about what the next step should be, having an objective third party can help.
Beginning IVF treatment is a common time that couples need and seek help. In fact, some reproductive specialists strongly suggest that their patients see an infertility counselor before or during treatment. Many people are not prepared for the additional stress that is often experienced during the IVF process.
If You Are Considering an Egg Donation, Surrogacy, or Adoption
Most infertility doctors advise a couple or an individual to consider working with a therapist familiar with infertility issues when they are considering using third party reproduction or adoption to expand their family. When considering the use of an egg donor, sperm donor, or embryo donation, counseling is very helpful and often required before treatment. The same is true when considering surrogacy and adoption. The emotional impact of making choices like these can be intense; couples often underestimate the stress related to making these choices on their own. In addition, there are significant losses that must be acknowledged and grieved when moving from IVF using your own gametes to third party donors, surrogates, or adoption.
Unfortunately, some people consider seeing an infertility counselor as a sign of weakness. Many couples feel like they shouldn’t need help in coping and that they just need to be strong as they take this journey to create or expand their family. You should know that you don’t have to go through this infertility journey alone and without help. There are many trained, professional counselors who are available to help and support you. So, if you need or would like some extra support, reach out for it.
The doctors and nurses at the Center for Reproductive Medicine understand that extra support is often needed when you have not been successful in your attempts to conceive. At CORM, our professional staff is committed to providing the highest quality reproductive medicine while ensuring the best care possible is given to every patient undergoing infertility treatment.
If you have been unsuccessful in your attempts to conceive and you are looking for an understanding and dedicated reproductive specialist, the Center of Reproductive Medicine helps individuals and couples dealing with infertility in the southeast Texas area with two full-service fertility clinics in Webster and Beaumont. Please contact us today…