Trauma of Infertility

Mental trauma of Infertility

We are always carried out by emotions and they affect a lot the way we live, think or act. Couples facing problem of infertility are always on a swing of up and down mental trauma and need a lot of help from others. Ironically, people that try to give them some kind of emotional help or assistance actually hurt unknowingly. The clinics and the doctors play a major role in managing it. Dr. Rita Bakshi, senior doctor of International Fertility Centre, New Delhi terms it as the 'most critical and important part of the treatment. According to her, medication part works on the physical level, but treating the mental trauma work at the psychological level.

The sea-saw of emotions creating mental trauma

The couple undergoes tremendous tension and pressures while going through the treatment. Infertility treatments usually last longer, typically few months or even years. This is pretty long time and it is impossible for anybody to keep the morale flags high. There are few emotions that typically given the mental status of the childless couple.

•   Fear of loss:  Infertility treatment involves many hit and tries resulting in a constant fear of loss in the mind. Every pregnancy creates new hope and abnormal termination destroys that hope completely. As every new pregnancy starts, their confidence level goes down with a single sign of abnormality. 
•  Denial and shock: This is one of the common emotions that typically prevail when the couple is made aware that they are facing the problem of infertility. The obvious reaction to this information is a denial. They are not ready to accept the fact and try to deny it.
•  Anger: Anger is the first emotion when the couple is informed about infertility. "Why us?" is the most prominent question that pops up in the mind. Anger towards fate, anger towards god, anger towards something unknown! Explaining the exact reason and object of anger is just impossible for both of them, but it is there.
•  Feeling of being worthless: All intended parents come to the infertility clinic with a problem of not able to conceive. When experts inform them about the problem of infertility, there is a feeling of being worthless. This is perhaps the most critical emotion that needs to be tackled seriously.
•   Frustration and nervousness: As the treatment of infertility starts and moves forward, there are multiple attempts and failures resulting in a tremendous amount of frustration and nervousness.  The amount of physical suffering and pain that a woman goes through these iterations is big and therefore every unsuccessful attempt is frustrating.

Coping with it!

Clinic like IFC understands the importance of emotional management very well. There is a parallel program running along with medication to handle it in proper manner. 

1. Making the couple aware: IFC believes in information sharing and each and every aspect of infertility, complications involved, chances of success and tests and treatments is told to them clearly, precisely and extensively. This helps in creating the backdrop and managing the expectations.   
2. Effective communication: The sessions by subject matter experts and counsellors give the required information effectively. The authenticity and confidence created through regular communication and awareness sessions. International Fertility Centre looks towards the treatment with a human angle and does not treat them as 'clients', but as 'patients'!  
3. Creating support groups: Apart from clinics, childless couples can form group of their own so that a feeling of togetherness is generated. Since everybody is going through the same mental and physical trauma, handling the pressures become much easier.