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The physical, emotional and financial strains of infertility treatments can
often cascade into depression and anxiety.
"Some infertility patients get really beaten down by everything they
endure," says Cleveland Clinic infertility specialist Cynthia Austin, M.D.
"I don’t think stress causes infertility, but I know infertility causes
stress." That is why Dr. Austin and her Cleveland Clinic colleagues often
refer their infertility patients for psychiatric or psychological care.
Jennifer Tucker Rosenberg, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist in private
practice in Cleveland who specializes in women’s health issues, especially
infertility and pregnancy, and who works with many Cleveland Clinic infertility
patients. She says that women and couples most often need her services after
about a year of infertility therapy. "They have so many issues of loss and
failure—the ‘why is this happening to me?’ questions. Talking about it
really helps many of them," she says.
"Infertility can cause problems in relationships because men and women
cope with these struggles differently. I work to get couples back on the same
page," says Dr. Rosenberg.
Dr. Austin says some patients initially resist the suggestion to see a mental
health professional. "But we believe it is important for patients to deal
with the stresses they’re facing," she says. "Usually their
resistance fades after the first appointment."
All Cleveland Clinic patients who are considering donating or receiving eggs
or sperm, being surrogate mothers or undergoing in vitro fertilization
are referred for psychiatric or psychological care. "We want everyone using
donor material to be comfortable with the decisions they are making," says
Dr. Austin.
Cleveland Clinic psychologist Dana Everson, Psy.D, says that using a donor
egg has many implications that people need to sort out before they begin the
process. "Will they tell their families? The child? If the donor is a
relative, what will that person’s relationship be with the child?" says
Dr. Everson, who has expertise treating a range of infertility and general
psychological matters. "We try to make sure everyone is equipped to deal
with these issues."
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