Coping with Infertility

You Don’t Have to Go It Alone

As you well know, infertility can affect many aspects of your life: your relationships, your finances, your time, and especially your emotions.  Many people seek medical treatment for their infertility, but often times the emotional aspects are left untreated.   Although one in six couples struggle to conceive, many still feel that they cannot share their experiences with others, and therefore end up going through the emotional rollercoaster of infertility alone.  This does not have to be the case.

You Might Feel:

You Might Experience

• Strained relationships with your partner, family, friends, or colleagues
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Difficulty thinking of anything other than infertility
• Change in your sleeping or eating patterns
• Feelings of isolation/loneliness
• Difficulty making decisions

Topics You May Want to Discuss with a Professional Who Understands:

• Should we pursue treatment?
• How do we feel about treatments recommended to us by our physician?
• What is our view on third party assistance (sperm donation, egg donor, gestational carrier)?
• Is adoption a good option for us?
• What if my partner and I have different ideas about what direction to take?
• Are my feeling of depression, anger, jealousy, and guilt normal?
• How can we continue to enjoy life during this difficult time?
• Can we cope with a multiple pregnancy or selective reduction?
• What do the treatments involve?
• What can we do when our friends and family don’t understand what we are going through?

How Counseling Can Be Helpful

Talking with a mental health professional experienced in infertility can help you to:

• Gather the appropriate type and amount of information you need to make informed decisions.
• Understand and cope with your emotional reactions to infertility.
• Make treatment decisions.
• Reduce the strain that infertility can put on your relationship with your partner, family, and friends.
• Explore all of the family building options.
• Learn to control the stress, anxiety, and depression that often accompany infertility.
• Communicate more effectively with family, friends, your physician, and his/her staff.

Counseling Services for CCRM Patients

We are committed to helping our patients deal with the many stressors associated with infertility and encourage your to call (303) 788-8300 and schedule an appointment with a CCRM mental health clinician.