Patients diagnosed with infertility often experience periods of anxiety and depression.  In fact, research has compared the emotional symptoms of infertility to those that cancer and heart attack patients experience. Each of these diagnoses feels like a bodily betrayal to a healthy individual.

The underlying medical aspects of infertility make it different from other psychological stressors causing depression or anxiety.   Family members don’t know what to say when a diagnosis is shared.  It may be hard for them to listen because they can’t understand the details of human reproduction or treatment.   Friends want to fix the problem by making unhelpful suggestions like “just take a vacation” or “my second cousin once removed tried this technique.”   Responses like that can be isolating, not helpful.  Feeling understood is important to successful coping during this time.

For this reason, it’s helpful to have a mental health professional who specializes in reproductive health and infertility counseling.  These are pros who know the medical aspects of care that patients endure, the side effects of treatment, and the roller coaster of hope and worry that infertility patients experience.  They also have skills to lessen anxiety and help reframe ideas and worries.

Where can a specialist be found?  Our office can recommend one. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine website (ASRM.org) also lists available members of Mental Health Professional Group.  Many are available for telehealth consultations.

Additionally, there are unique online peer groups such as Resolve: the infertility organization (resolve.org), Single Mothers by Choice (singlemothersbychoice.org), and Adoptive Parents Committee (adoptiveparents.org).  They all have experience with infertility issues and finding solutions during a quest for parenthood.

Finally, some words of caution:  Be careful with general social media groups because some are full of people who want to vent about bad experiences, promote bad advice that participants may swear by, and they may not have the privacy level you’d like.  These groups can be discouraging; when you’re hearing too much whining, leave the site.  Negativity is definitely not good for anyone’s mental health.