Infertility And Ptsd

Infertility affects one in eight couples, causing widespread grief, anxiety, and stress affecting both men and women. One-third of infertility is attributed to male factor; another one-third to female factor; and the remainder from both and unexplained factors. Increasingly, research indicates that certain experiences during infertility can trigger or exacerbate posttraumatic stress disorder. PTSD alters how people view themselves, the world, and their future. Insomnia, flashbacks, acute anxiety, avoidance, triggers, and other symptoms of PTSD create significant physical and psychological challenges to manage, in addition to the everyday complexities of infertility. No book can replace the help of a qualified trauma counselor, but Infertility and PTSD offers validation, explanation, and a roadmap for those suffering. Trauma-informed therapist Joanna Flemons explains the complex relationship between PTSD and infertility, and offers proven techniques and strategies for reducing trauma symptoms and loosening the powerful grip of PTSD. An insightful examination of a complex issue only just being recognized, Infertility and PTSD is an invaluable aid for men and women experiencing infertility-triggered PTSD and for family and friends who want to help them navigate what seems like an uncharted storm.

Infertility Stress Syndrome is a formal statistical study of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder experienced by pre and post adoptive parents. This population's PTSD symptoms were significantly in excess of trauma norms for rape and loss of significant other. There were highly significant gender differences in PTSD scores due to different gender-specific styles of perceiving and coping with trauma and loss. This publication provides researchers and adoption counselors data on the many complex environmental stimuli that trigger pain and avoidant behavior for infertile adoptive parents. The questionnaires used in the study are included in the publication and can be used to assess clients' symptoms and experiences. When couples are assessed with these measures they are often relieved to see they aren't alone or atypical in their perceptions. They often see how stressful events were made more stressful because women's responses are typically very different than men's...women talk and emote more; men often shut down when overwhelmed by their spouses' emotions. The pain these couples experienced was found to decrease over time, but was shown to be restimulated by experiences that triggered memories of prior infertility or adoption losses. Adoption counselors trained in these dynamics have postulated that memories of this pain cause most adoptive parents to react with anxious and often phobic behavior toward birthparents whenever adoptees or birthparents state they feel they need to establish contact with each other. This is less likely to happen when there has been adequate preadoption counseling that provided the birthparents and adoptive parents an opportunity to work through their concerns and fears with a skilled counselor/mediator, so they are able to establish a more comfortable relationship. If this process has been incomplete or if the parties kept feelings hidden out of fear the adoption wouldn't happen, then the post adoptive relationship between birthparents and adoptive parents has a higher probability of failing once the adoption has been legalized. Adoptees and birthparents often choose to sacrifice the value of a relationship with each other because they fear the judgment or disapproval of the adoptive parents, or because they want to protect the adoptive parents from anxiety or pain they may feel about the adoptee and the birthparent having an open relationship. Most adoptees report they have a need for the sense of genetic continuity that contact with genetic ancestors can provide. Most birthparents report they want the opportunity to provide medical and ancestral information directly to the adoptee, and want reassurance the adoptee is alive and well. Biologists agree that the most powerful human instinct is personal survival, the second most powerful instinct is to reproduce, and the third tier instinct is to nurture one's offspring in order to maintain their survival. Birthmothers feel this instinctual drive as powerfully as any other mother, yet to have no reassuring contact with that child often causes a chronic grief syndrome that damages healthy personal development. Phobic behavior toward birthparents also telegraphs a message of classic prejudice and discrimination, for the birthparents know they are not being judged by the content of their actual character, but by the irrational perception that their presence will threaten the bond that exists between the adoptee and the adoptive parent. Adoptive parents strongly desire to have "normal" developmental stages of parenthood, including the role of grandparent. Although they state in counseling that they would be heartbroken if they were denied the right to have a relationship with their grandchildren. The adoptive parents rationale is "contact would confuse my child/grandchild. I want to protect them" The adoptee/grandchild gets branded 'likely to be confused', instead of the adoptive parent owning his/her confusion. More communication needed here.

Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, 2nd edition, is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary textbook for all health professionals providing care for individuals facing reproductive health issues. It is the most thorough and extensive book currently available for clinicians in the field of infertility counseling, providing an exhaustive and comprehensive review of topics. It addresses both the medical and psychological aspects of infertility, reviewing assessment approaches, treatment strategies, counseling for medical conditions impacting fertility, third-party reproduction, alternative family building and post infertility counseling issues. Each chapter follows the same format: introduction, historical overview, literature review, theoretical framework, identification of clinical issues, suggestions for therapeutic interventions, and future implication. This edition also includes extensive appendixes of clinical tools useful to the clinician, including an Internet database of resources and an extensive glossary of terminology.

"This excellent book contains many different scripts, applicable to a number of special populations. It takes a practical approach and walks therapists step-by-step through the EMDR therapeutic process. [Readers] will not be disappointed." Score: 93, 4 stars --Doody's Praise from a practicing EMDR therapist and user of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Scripted Protocols: "Kudos to...everyone who contributed to this important volume....[It] is an indispensable resource. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" --Andrea B. Goldberg, LCSW EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist EMDRIA Consultant-in-training Bloomfield and Newark, NJ This book serves as a one-stop resource where therapists can access a wide range of word-for-word scripted protocols for EMDR practice, including the past, present, and future templates. These scripts are conveniently outlined in an easy-to-use, manual style template for therapists, allowing them to have a reliable, consistent form and procedure when using EMDR with clients. The book contains an entire section on the development of resources and on clinician self-care. There is a self-awareness questionnaire to assist clinicians in identifying potential problems that often arise in treatment, allowing for strategies to deal with them. Also included are helpful past memory, current triggers and future template worksheet scripts. Key topics include: Client history taking that will inform the treatment process of patients Resource development to help clients identify and target their problems to regain control when issues appear overwhelming Scripts for the 6 basic EMDR Protocols for traumatic events, current anxieties and behaviors, recent traumatic events, phobias, excessive grief, and illness and somatic disorders Early intervention procedures for man-made and natural catastrophes EMDR and early interventions for groups, including work with children, adolescents, and adults Written workbook format for individual or group EMDR EMDR to enhance performance and positive emotion

Bioenvironmental Issues Affecting Men's Reproductive and Sexual Health is structured into two parts related to men’s reproductive and sexual health with eight sections designed to enable a logical flow of such knowledge. The book is focused on the biology of key organs involved in male reproduction and the environmental influences affecting their functions with particular emphasis on clinical aspects. Individual chapters within the book range from basic to translational aspects, but all hold clinical relevance. This is an essential reference for those working and learning in the field of human reproduction, reproductive toxicology and environmental influences on reproductive and sexual health. Brings together the leading authorities working in the field of male reproduction and sexual health and how the environment affects these issues. Provides guidelines and reference values of various reproductive hormones, semen parameters, inclusion/exclusion criteria for clinical trials. Discover the most efficient methods by which to design clinical protocols for sperm safety studies and reproductive toxicology trials.

A comprehensive guide for the clinical practitioner. The authors draw from a wealth of empirical research as well as numerous case studies to provide a deep understanding of the experience of infertility and how to help guide patients through the process.ùMary P. Riddle, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University, World Campus --

Flipping the Script on Infertility is a self-therapy immersion for women coming to whole and peaceful terms with their infertility or their challenging journey to motherhood. Dive deep with Kezia Okafor, mother and infertility warrior, counsellor and coach, as she takes you on a journey of understanding into what it means to be a mother and how this is key when we are striving to become mothers again or for the first time. Guiding us to become responsible and accountable for our own lives, as well as for the lives of any children we may bear. With insights into the mental health implications of infertility and its treatment, Flipping the Script explains why it's important that we do not ignore our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health on this journey. Within these pages you will be inspired to leave behind envy, jealousy, guilt and shame with eight key Fertility Mindset Principles.No matter what the outcome of your fertility challenges, a fulfilling life is yours for the taking.