Dealing with infertility depression | Visit Birla Fertility & IVF

Introduction

Once you are diagnosed with infertility, your days and nights are filled with sadness. You begin to believe that things are not going as planned, and you begin to blame yourself for your current situation. Infertility depression causes emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, which leads to sadness and a constant feeling of anxiety.

Infertility and depression are often linked

It is shocking yet truthful that women who have struggled to conceive are more likely to experience depression during pregnancy and beyond (postpartum depression). However, just because depression is widespread among couples diagnosed with infertility, it doesn’t imply you should dismiss it or avoid treatment.

Relationship Between Depression and Despair

When you are coping with infertility, it is natural to feel depressed. While planning for a baby, a glimpse of hope is damaged when your period arrives, therefore, signalling treatment failure. When you’re aware of your fertility issues, instead of diving deep into self-blame and depression, it’s always best to consult with a fertility expert and look for IVF, IUI, ICSI, and other fertility treatment options available at the clinic.

There is a fine line between depression and despair, where despair and feeling of sadness might eventually go away, whereas depression can last longer and start interfering in your personal life.

Signs of depression

A feeling of hopelessness and helplessness
Frequent emotional breakdown
Feeling agitated and restless
Frequently angry or intolerant of others
Lack of energy and finding it difficult to complete tasks at work or home
Sleeping problems (insomnia)
Eating difficulties or a lack of appetite
Lack of interest in sexual intercourse and intimacy with the partner
Self-harm and suicidal thoughts

FAQs

What triggers infertility-related depression?

Infertility is a condition that affects your personal and sexual life, making you doubt your self-worth and interferes in your day-to-day activities. Amidst your infertility testing and treatments, you may start to feel like your entire life is revolving around fertility clinics and doctors. All these situations tend to lead to the onset of depression.

Can depression cause infertility?

Although some studies have established a link between depression and increased infertility rates, no one knows for sure whether depression can cause infertility.

Will pregnancy help in curing depression?

It is a reasonable assumption that positive pregnancy can help in fading the signs of depression. But this isn’t always the case, women who have struggled with infertility are known to experience depression throughout their pregnancy and might have a higher risk of postpartum depression.