Counseling Regarding Fertility Treatment

 

Are you going through fertility treatment and need the mental and emotional support to help deal with all the challenges? Or maybe you’re just thinking of doing fertility treatment but want support throughout the entire process. No matter what your situation, you can find help during your journey by seeking out a therapist to help you process your emotions.

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Depending on the nature of your fertility treatment, you may find yourself dealing with any of the following problems:

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Relationship Struggles:

 

Having a child can cause a strain on any relationship, and this can start even before the child is born. While pregnancy causes a well-known surge in hormones, and thus can complicate even the best relationships, even the stress of trying to conceive can do this.

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If you are going through fertility treatment and want to keep your relationship strong, consider seeking help. A mental health professional can help you work on communication, regulating your emotions, and make sure you’re taking other mental and physical steps to keep yourself healthy and your relationship solid.

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Chronic Stress:

 

Fertility treatment, just like any emotionally and financially taxing situation, can cause chronic stress. Common symptoms of chronic stress are headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, change in sex drive, upset stomach, and sleep problems. These can seriously affect your quality of life and make it difficult to stay healthy. It’s important to stay as healthy as possible while on a fertility treatment program.

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Seeking help for chronic stress may seem silly—everyone has stress, right? That’s true, but if you’re stress is chronic (long lasting) and causing problems, a therapist can help you deal with it. They can get to the root of the problem and help you develop coping mechanisms which will turn the stress into a more positive, productive outlook.

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Self-Esteem Issues:

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If you’ve been having trouble conceiving, you may think there is something wrong with you. You may blame yourself, regret your past decision, or think you were just “made wrong”. This can take a huge toll on your self-esteem and other areas of your life.

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Treatment for self-esteem issues will focus on positive self-talk, developing habits for taking care of your mind and body, and recognizing and avoiding negative thoughts that may run through your head. It’s amazing how much the rest of your life can change if you develop better self-esteem!

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Depression:

 

Along with all the other effects of going through fertility treatment, you may be more prone to depression. Not only can this be an effect of low self-esteem and anxiety, but also the changing hormones within your body. Common signs of depression are severe fatigue, losing interest in things you once enjoyed, and a constant feeling of sadness, among other things.

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If you are showing any of these symptoms, seeking help from a professional is the best way to stay mentally and physically healthy so you can get the most out of your fertility treatment. Using things like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, and support from your partner, you will obtain the tools needed to put you in the best situation as a partner and parent.

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Anxiety:

 

Anxiety can arise from the heightened stress and pressure you’re feeling while going through your fertility treatment. It’s possible that you now worry about things you never had a problem with before, you’re that now you always feel a general sense of worry or fear. This is understandable but is not natural and can be fixed if you find help.

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Treatment for anxiety will focus on mind and body techniques to help calm you down. The therapist might also help you meditate about the fertility treatment you’re going through, and help you rationalize some of your fears. What if it doesn’t work? What if it works and I have more kids than we planned? It’s expensive, how are we going to afford it? All these are questions your therapist can help you work through and move beyond so that the fertility treatment can be a more positive experience.

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Call Dr. Clare Albright, Psy.D., CA Psychologist License PSY11660 at (949) 454-0996 at http://DrCAlbright.com

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