Difficulty conceiving comes as a shock to many people. It’s likely that for a large chunk of your life, you have been using contraception to avoid pregnancy, so the idea that you can’t, now that you want to, may feel even more frustrating.
That's not to say that everyone has this experience. For some of you, your journey will have been different. You may have been diagnosed with fertility issues or a women's health concern earlier in your life, you may have realised that natural conception would not be an option, due to being in a same sex relationship, or you may have undergone cancer treatment or surgery.
Regardless of your starting point, protecting your mental health during your fertility journey is important. So, how can you do this?
Signs your mental health is suffering
Acknowledging that you are struggling and that you need help is the first step. Feelings of anxiety and depression, mood swings, psychological distress, struggling to sleep, inability to focus and stress are signs that your mental health may be suffering due to your fertility diagnosis. It is important to take care of your emotional wellbeing through the fertility treatment because psychological symptoms may have a negative impact on fertility.
Mental health problems affect around 60 % of infertile patients, yet only 44 % of them seek out mental health services and support. Fertility Network UK has research which shows that an overwhelming 90 % of people who were experiencing long-term infertility have felt depressed and some have also felt suicidal.
Communicate your feelings and needs
Communication is key for protecting our mental health. There are ways that you can make sure that your needs are met, by keeping lines of communication open throughout your fertility journey. Open communication can help to prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretation, and can reduce potential depression and anxiety.
Unfortunately, many people feel a stigma and taboo around discussing infertility, which makes it difficult to give them the mental health support they need.
Fertility treatment patients will often take hormone medication to improve the chances of conception through an IVF cycle. However, this same medication can leave infertility patients feeling anxious and overwhelmed and it can also cause hormone imbalances and feelings of PMS . Ask your fertility clinic if you can receive mental health support and emotional wellbeing services from them.
Communicate with your partner
You are in this together. Emotions may be running high, but rather than treading on eggshells around each other for fear of causing upset, talk about your feelings, it is much better to be open and honest about what you are experiencing. If you are aware of each other’s thoughts and feelings, you can support each other and reduce tension.
Make opportunities to have fun
Making time to do things together that you enjoy, can be a great distraction and give your mood and energy levels a boost. The psychological impact of infertility can cause people to push away...
