Dealing with infertility struggles can be a frustrating and devastating experience. It can also have a significant impact on an individual’s mental health. Individuals struggling with this concern can
experience a variety of emotions such as:
Anger
Depression
Self-blame
Anxiety
Stress
Shock
Frustration
Feeling betrayed by your body
Decreased self-esteem
Grief
In addition to the roller coaster of emotions an individuals experiences infertility can also lead to problems in other areas of life. When struggling with infertility an individual may experience
relationships problems as they may be feeling guilty regarding the struggle to conceive or one partner may blame the other. It can also impact a couple’s sex life as trying to conceive may cause sex to feel more clinical and can decrease the joy and emotional connection experienced by the couple.
Sex may even become associated with a feeling of frustration or failure. Another area of life that can be impacted is the individual’s social life. For example, it may be difficult to be around friends or family members who are pregnant or have children, as a result individuals may choose to withdraw from these supports to protect themselves from pain.
Infertility treatment can also be difficult for couples as there is often a back and forth between hope on the one hand and sadness and anger on the other hand.