How To Deal With Burnout Syndrome During Fertility Treatment?

Parenthood is considered as one of the prime goals for couples in their reproductive years. And the inability to achieve it is seen as a failure on their social and personal front. It brings out feelings of shame, guilt, failure, anxiety and anger within them.

Thanks to modern science and increase in awareness, more and more couples are opting for fertility treatment like IVF also known as In Vitro Fertilization.

IVF is often presented as miraculous and life-altering as it has helped innumerable couples in achieving their life long dream of parenthood.

But it’s not an easy treatment. It’s time taking, expensive and often emotionally taxing. From scheduling appointment with doctor, daily hormone injections to the possibility of the scrapping of whole IVF treatment at any point if the body refuses to medication, anything can go wrong at any point.

Couples are often heard describing it as one of the most gut-wrenching experiences they have ever gone through.

Experiencing infertility takes a toll on mental health as a couple and as an individual. People often find themselves in a constant state of disappointment, anger, exhaustion, loss of interest, social isolation.

Mental health professionals describe this syndrome as burnout.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of mind. Where one constantly struggles with:

Extreme exhaustion
Irritability
Lack of self-worth
Lack of motivation towards work and life in general.
Social isolation

Burnout often mimics symptoms of depression. If not recognized on time, it can throw a person towards an extreme end.

Dealing with burnout

If you or your partner find yourself struggling with burnout or on the verge of getting one, what should you do?

Dealing with burnout requires the three “R”s :

Recognize – Watch out for warning signs. Recognize you might not be acting like your regular self. Be extra cautious and supportive.

Reverse – Reverse damage by seeking support from both personal and professional front. Talk to friends and family about feelings. Enroll for a professional counseling session together. We all go through it at some point in life.

Resilience– Build resilience to stress by taking care of one physical and emotional state. Come up with a different recovery plan along with your counsellor. Be 100 per cent honest about what is comfortable and at what pace you want to take it.

Dealing with infertility can be stressful but remember you’re not alone.

Open communication with friends, family and professional support groups can take you a long way.

The journey is long but beautiful at the end.