Reclaiming Control During Fertility Treatment

"The longer you are on your family building journey, the more likely you are to be in survival mode, trying to limit the problems that may come your way. In the beginning, you may have had an expansion mindset, hopeful that treatment will work and excited for the prospect of raising children with family or friends. Although fertility treatment is typically successful, the process can be difficult emotionally, physically and financially, and sometimes it takes longer than expected."

"You may be thinking, "this doesn't make sense, I am healthy, do the right things and have spent my entire adult life trying not to get pregnant. It simply does not add up." After all, when you study, you often improve your grades, when you work hard, you have a better chance of getting a raise. Up until this moment, many people experiencing infertility may have seen life through the lens of, you do the right things and life works out."

"This combination of feelings, the intrusion on your life and schedule, the hormones and the lack of control over the process and the outcome can cause you to feel anxious or depressed. In this state, many shift into survival mode. When we are in survival mode, our bodies hyperfocus on the problem. That may have worked on a final exam, but it can mak"

Fertility treatment often triggers shock, overwhelm, and a shift from an expansion mindset to survival mode. The process can be emotionally, physically, and financially taxing, and outcomes may take longer than expected despite health and effort. People may experience cognitive dissonance when outcomes contradict prior beliefs that effort guarantees success. Hormonal changes, scheduling intrusions, and lack of control increase anxiety and depression risk. Survival mode narrows attention and hyperfocuses on problems, which can be counterproductive. Effective stress-reduction strategies may be counterintuitive. Engaging in enjoyable activities that produce visible results can restore a sense of agency and stabilize emotions.

Read at Psychology Today