Depression and Infertility: An Emotional Journey for Women and Men




For many couples around the world, not been able to conceive a child of their own can be heartbreaking and creates unnecessary tension in the relationship. Sarah and Daniel were married for six years and had been trying to fall pregnant for the latter four years of their marriage. Every month Sarah would eagerly wait for her period Not to come, when her period didn't occur on the expected date she would excitedly do a home pregnancy test. Month after month, she would come out of the bathroom with a negative result showing on her pregnancy test and cried silently. One particular evening, Sarah stormed out of the bathroom in a fit of rage and utter frustration at her situation yelling, "Why is GOD punishing us? Why won't He give us a baby?". Daniel who was relaxing on the sofa watching TV, looked up to see his wife smashing the dirty dinner plates and then collapsed to the kitchen floor sobbing uncontrollably. Daniel could not help but feel moved by his wife's plight and emotional devastation. Daniel stated that he "Felt helpless and maybe I had failed as a man because my wife was not pregnant yet".  Unfortunately, Sarah had gradually become depressed over time and now she had "hit a wall".  


Women and men, just like Sarah and Daniel can benefit from professional assistance to cope with the emotional journey of infertility. When a couple are experiencing fertility issues, it can often leave the male feeling that he is a "failure as a man", just like Daniel did. Some women have shared with me when they have attended a FertilityCare appointment at El'ohim Clinic, that "My life is not complete until I have a baby". Other women have shared that they are worried their husband will leave them if they are not able to fall pregnant soon. This is a lot of pressure and stress that is compounded to an already difficult and emotional situation and can often lead down to a dark road of depression. 
Desperate to try anything that will help them acheive their ultimate dream of starting their own family, couples invest thousands and thousands of their hard earned money into artificial reproductive fertility treatment. In some cases, couples have even re-mortgaged their house to finance their artificial reproductive fertility treatments, a lot of the time without success. Leaving them with loss of hope that their family will ever eventuate, loss of money and sadly, a loss of good well being in their emotional-mental state and sometimes in their relationship. Infertility can cause depression and depression can cause infertility, it is a vicious cycle that can be difficult to escape. Studies have shown that men and women who receive counselling and support during these difficult times, can overcome depression, grief, anxiety, restore their relationship and hence lead them onto the path of wholeness, to resolve their infertility issues and conceive naturally. 


At El'ohim Clinic, we provide professional counselling and comprehensive treatment for fertility issues, life-style assessment sessions can also be provided to look at your fertility from a natural and holistic perspective: physical, mental-emotional needs, diet and spiritual needs. This enhances and maximises your FertilityCare treatment. Daniel and Sarah commenced the El'ohim Clinic: FertilityCare journey many years ago and have since conceived two beautiful children, a 5 year old son (Christian) and a 2 year old daughter (Emily).


I wish you good health of body, mind and spirit.