Psychological Support During IVF Treatment
The role of psychological factors in infertility treatments is well known today. Infertility is more than a simple reproductive problem. Infertility is a crisis which reflects on individual, couple, family and the whole society. This problem affects around 10-15% of couples worldwide, all societies and cultures. IVF as an Infertility treatment depends on various factors to increase the success rate of IVF. It is tremendously important to take the psychological factor in the count due to the impact brought by the psychological state. In this blog, we will start by briefly explaining infertility treatment development which will lead us to the role of emotions in the treatment.
Infertility once and now:
Not too long ago, before only 5 decades, people who faced infertility didn’t have too many options – they could adopt or accept life without children. After 1978 and the birth of Louise Brown, their chances had increased. Now, there are a lot of options for couples who face infertility problems. And while these changes have brought a lot of hope, there is also a lot of confusion and dilemmas.
Infertility and emotions:
As human beings, we like to have a sense of control. But, when it comes to infertility, the dominant emotion is losing control and the feeling that nothing is predictable. The couples who face infertility go through a mix of positive and negative emotions
which take turns very fast. That’s why we call it an emotional rollercoaster.
Infertility and psychological support:
How to get off this emotional rollercoaster? Some couples could cope with all these emotions without psychological support – they speak with friends, family, people who face the same problem, they support each other. But, sometimes, it could not be enough. Also, this is not the case with all couples with infertility. Sometimes you feel alone and like no one can understand you. You just want to feel better, but you don’t know-how.
There are a lot of studies that indicate the importance of psychological support during IVF treatment. It is well known that the psychological aspect of infertility treatment is important as the medical one. Psychological support will not only help infertile couples to feel better, but also increase the chances for treatment to be successful. That’s the reason why the best IVF centers offer psychological support to their patients before, during, and after the IVF treatment.
Speaking with a psychologist specialized to work with couples with infertility, you could learn:
- To recognize your emotions and when they occur,
- The ways to help yourself when you feel anxiety, fear or when you are under stress,
- The ways to relax (As you know, often doctors say that everything is gonna be all right and you just need to relax. Unfortunately, no one says how to do it,
- The best way to ask for a support when you need it (family, friends, colleagues…),
- How to speak with your partner about your feelings and thoughts,
- To work on the relationship with your partner – improving intimacy and sexuality, Which are negatively affected by infertility (Don’t forget, regardless of the Treatment outcome the most important thing for the family functioning is partner relationship!).
If you feel that infertility and the treatment have a negative impact on your mental health and relationships, or you feel anxiety and stress regarding the treatment, don’t hesitate to reach the psychological support. IVF Turkey is one of the least IVF clinics that offer psychological support during the treatment. Reach out to us and we will do our best to overcome the challenges together.
