As a psychiatrist, Shulamit Glaubach, MD, helps children, adolescents, and adults deal with mental disorders and other life challenges. A private practitioner based in San Francisco, California, Shulamit Glaubach, MD, helps couples cope with the mental and emotional burden of infertility.
Infertility can be emotionally traumatizing for both men and women. People diagnosed with infertility face depression, low self-esteem, chronic stress, and stigma. Coping with infertility is not easy. Thankfully, there are ways to make the emotional burden lighter.
Occupy your free time with activities. Take up a hobby, new or old. Let go of the stress by indulging in something you love doing. Take a yoga class, go back to riding your bike, take a dance lesson, or even better, take a pottery or painting class. Creating new things is a great way to regain the feeling of control. Another option is to volunteer for a cause you feel passionately about. Not only has volunteering been linked to a lower incidence of depression, it’s a great way to find fulfillment.
Find someone to talk to about your struggles with infertility, especially should a voice inside fill you with guilt about your past choices. Be open with your partner or family members. Find an infertility group to share with, or talk to a counselor. If this isn't possible, record your thoughts in a journal. This can be truly helpful.
Treat yourself well. Eat healthy food, exercise, and keep up with your treatments. And remember to pat yourself on the back, treating yourself to a massage or a new purchase you've long been thinking about.
