Fertility treatments can feel like an emotional roller coaster, causing mental strain. Throughout a treatment cycle, a woman may experience emotions ranging from elation to sadness, confidence to worry, frustration to relief, hope to despair, and even guilt and blame. Moreover, the treatments can put a strain on relationships. Psychological difficulties are often the primary reason for discontinuing treatment. Since in Israel fertility treatments are generously covered by the health funds, a dilemma arises as to when it is appropriate to stop treatment, in view of the high availability.
The mental stress associated with fertility treatments can significantly impact the patient's quality of life and overall well-being, and the approach of the medical team plays a vital role in mitigating this stress. The team must be attentive, understanding, sensitive, and approachable. Providing adequate medical information using appropriate technologies is our duty, as it helps patients understand the process and alleviates the mental burden. Treatment decisions should be shared between the staff and patients. Managing expectations, clearly communicating the chances of success, and avoiding false hopes are all essential. In some cases, difficult decisions need to be made, such as discontinuing treatment or exploring alternative options. Mutual respect, tolerance, openness, non-judgment, sympathy, and compassion should guide our interactions.
In addition to the medical process, there are support systems available to help patients cope with the emotional and mental burdens. Yoga workshops have proven effective in reducing mental strain and have been successfully implemented in various fertility centers. Focus groups or individual peer support, such as peer mentoring, can also be beneficial. Each fertility unit should have a psychosocial professional available to provide assistance tailored to patients' needs. This professional can aid in communication with the medical team, offer decision-making tools, address loss and grief, and provide marital or sexual therapy if necessary. Support is particularly crucial when patients have decided to end treatment.
In conclusion, infertility presents significant physical and emotional challenges. By prioritizing effective communication between patients and the medical team and integrating complementary services as mentioned above, we try to alleviate the difficulties faced by patients, increase their satisfaction, and enhance their overall quality of life. Ultimately, these measures are intended to contribute to the success of their treatment.