Understanding the Emotional Impact of Infertility
1 in 8 couples will face infertility in their reproductive years. The emotional impact of infertility is a complex, and can be devastating. Research indicates that couples deciding to stop infertility treatments typically cite the emotional impact as the main reason. Whether you are facing infertility yourself or wanting to understand so you can best support someone in your life, here are some common emotions individuals and couples will experience when experiencing infertility:
Grief
There are many losses that individuals and couples may need to grieve along their infertility journey. It is common to grieve the dream of how or when you hoped to have children, grieve unsuccessful treatments, grieve loss of embryos, grieve pregnancy loss and miscarriage, grieve a loss of innocence, etc. No one dreams of their journey to pregnancy being long, complicated or full of heartbreak.
Anxiety
Much along the infertility journey feels high stakes, often it feels harder each step of the way, leaving couples feeling more pressure and more anxious. People often feel hyperfocused on each step of the process, worrying about each outcome. Anxiety is one of the most common emotional side effects of infertility.
Stress
The compounding nature of the many emotional impacts, the hope & disappointment cycle, doctors appointments, financial pressures, relationship strain, and continued waiting to become parents creates a very stressful season. On top of that, many couples feel pressure to reduce stress in the hopes it will help achieve pregnancy, which of course only increases stress.
Guilt
The causes of infertility are typically split evenly between male factor infertility, female infertility and combined or unknown factors of infertility. Sometimes an individual may feel guilty if the cause of infertility is within their own body. It is also common for women to experience guilt or responsibility after pregnancy loss, even when there was nothing that could have prevented it.
Anger
Infertility may shake someone’s worldview about how the world “should” work. People may experience anger towards themselves, towards their partner, towards God, towards their doctors, towards friends and family who don’t understand, and towards others who have had an easy time conceiving.
Depression
Depression is one of the most common emotional impacts of infertility. The repeated experiences of loss, prolonged unmet longing, feeling out of control, isolation, and an unknown end date to the suffering all contribute to depression.
Getting Help for the Emotional Impacts of Infertility
Infertility can have major emotional impacts on individuals and couples. While this can be an emotional turbulent and even traumatic experience, getting support for infertility through therapy can be hugely helpful. There are many tools that are successful in coping through the emotions brought on by infertility. Relief and support is possible - reach out today for your free 15 minute consultation call to start therapy for infertility and reproductive trauma in Dublin, CA or online counseling in California today.