While not always openly discussed, infertility affects millions of people worldwide. The dream of starting a family can quickly turn into a nightmare when things don’t turn out the way you planned. Physical challenges can cause heartaches and take a toll on mental health. Navigating assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and treatments can lead to feelings of sadness, frustration, and despair.
Understanding the Link Between Infertility and Depression
The physical condition of infertility doesn’t immediately cause mental health issues. However, the diagnosis can profoundly impact emotional well-being, triggering a range of responses such as having an identity crisis, questioning self-worth, or developing anxiety or depression.
Additionally, infertility treatments can be a constant cycle of hope and disappointment and may come with stigmas, shame, pressure, and feelings of inadequacy. The emotional rollercoaster of infertility treatments can strain relationships and permeate other aspects of your life, diminishing your overall quality of life.
Research demonstrates that there’s a high occurrence of depression while receiving infertility treatment. There are several reasons for this reaction:
- Fertility treatments can cause intolerable levels of stress.
- Individuals with a history of major depressive disorder are more likely to experience depression during infertility treatment.
- Certain conditions that contribute to infertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometriosis, Thyroid conditions, and other autoimmune diseases, can also increase your risk for depression.
- Specific infertility medications for ovarian stimulation can trigger depressive symptoms.
The bottom line is that anyone can experience depression because of infertility, especially when undergoing treatments for it. It’s important to watch for symptoms of depression.
Recognizing Depression Symptoms
During trying and stressful times, it can be difficult to identify when symptoms of depression are creeping in. Here are some symptoms that should put you on alert:
- Difficulty sleeping, excessive daytime sleepiness, or general fatigue
- Frequent headaches, stomachaches, or body aches
- Feeling uncontrollably irritable, anxious, or angry at small non-events
- Brain fogginess, confusion, trouble concentrating, making decisions, or remembering
- Feelings of guilt, low self-worth, hopelessness, or sadness
- Significant changes in your appetite or weight
- Decreased libido or interest in activities you enjoyed
Seeking Treatment for Depression
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should speak to your provider about the potential of depression and treatment options. Unfortunately, many leave depression untreated while undergoing infertility treatment because of fears that antidepressants may reduce their chances of getting pregnant or impact their unborn baby’s health.
However, the Mayo Clinic explains that leaving depression untreated can worsen the experience of physical symptoms during pregnancy and can affect the health of the birthing parent and their unborn child. It can also interfere with infant bonding before and after birth.
Are There Pregnancy-Safe Alternative Depression Treatments?
You may be searching for “alternative depression treatment near me” but have no idea if the top results are safe during pregnancy. While many come with risks, one therapy is safe during infertility treatments, pregnancy, and even postpartum if you’re breastfeeding. It’s called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
What is TMS?
TMS is a non-invasive type of brain stimulation for depression. It doesn’t involve surgery, anesthesia, medication, or anything entering your body. This is why it’s so safe and well-tolerated for patients undergoing infertility treatment who may become pregnant.
TMS works by delivering targeted magnetic pulses to your brain to encourage activity in regions responsible for mood and emotion regulation. This allows for effective treatment of infertility-related depression without the risks associated with invasive procedures or systemic medication.
TMS also has minimal side effects. The most common side effects are a minor headache or scalp discomfort during the first few weeks of treatment. However, these symptoms can be relieved with any over-the-counter pain medication your fertility or antenatal physician clears you to take.
TMS is also an excellent complementary treatment because of its non-invasive nature and minimal side effects. You can use it as a standalone treatment for depression or anxiety or together with medication or counseling. TMS can offer additional support and relief, boosting the effectiveness of other treatments at the same time.
Empowering Mental Health Amid Infertility
Like any simultaneous health conditions, infertility and depression form a complex and intertwined web of challenges. The heightened emotions that come with this heart-wrenching diagnosis and treatment road will impact your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
While fertility clinics acknowledge this problem and many offer counseling to allow individuals to speak to someone about the challenges and emotions that come up during treatment, exploring alternative safe treatments like TMS can provide hope and peace of mind.
Addressing depression in infertility treatment is crucial for overall well-being and successful outcomes. TMS offers a path to reclaim your mental health and well-being, potentially reducing stress levels, improving overall health, and enhancing the chances of successful infertility treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression due to infertility difficulties, consider exploring TMS treatment as a compassionate, effective, and safe solution.