Psychological infertility: features of the condition, who is susceptible to it

What is psychological infertility?

Infertility refers to the inability of a couple to conceive a child within a year. If physiological causes are excluded, psychological infertility is assumed. It is expressed:

• a woman's inability to conceive a child;
• inability to bear a fetus, miscarriage;
• inability to conceive a second child.

Often the ability to get pregnant is determined by a complex of factors: physiological and psychological. Minor changes in the functioning of the body complicate conception, and the presence of mental blocks increases a woman’s unpreparedness to become a mother. Psychological infertility is a difficult diagnosis to establish. It often becomes a diagnosis of exceptions.

Factors influencing conception

In addition to physiology, the process of conception is influenced by many factors:

1. Tensions between spouses. Frequent quarrels, showdowns, sexual contacts devoid of passion significantly reduce couples’ chances of conception and successful pregnancy.
2. Unpleasant associations. If a woman is the eldest child in the family and was forced to care for a younger brother or sister as a child, she may be afraid of becoming someone else’s nanny again and losing freedom and independence.
3. Excessive focus on pregnancy. Pressure from relatives and constant reminders of the need to have a child as soon as possible prevent the couple from relaxing and focusing on their desires. Sometimes the inability to get pregnant is a kind of rebellion of newlyweds who are not ready to become parents.
4. Fear of judgment. Often it has a connection with the difference in age, social status and other factors that are significant for a particular couple. A woman, fearing the reaction of family and friends to pregnancy, is constantly nervous and subconsciously avoids pregnancy.

For many women, these factors remain unconscious. Only long-term work with your own childhood experiences and traumatic moments will help you find out the true cause of infertility.

Focusing on a problem prevents pregnancy

If you have already passed all the tests, taken all the tests, cured all possible and impossible ailments in yourself and your spouse, but pregnancy still does not occur, and you continue to do something special to achieve pregnancy, then this only aggravates the situation. All couples who have encountered this problem will tell you as one - that as soon as they let the situation go to the wind, everything worked out immediately. Of course, this does not apply to infertility for physiological reasons in a woman or man. In other words , try to move away from the topic of conception and switch to something else:

• Trips
• Vacation
• Hobby
• Spending time with husband or family
• Sports leisure, fitness, swimming pool

To the point that there are cases when a family that has adopted a child suddenly becomes pregnant with their child. When the expectant mother is overwhelmed by the emotions of caring for the child and inner peace and calm sets in. Psychological torment subsides and pregnancy occurs.

Causes of female mental infertility

The causes of infertility are many and varied. The work of physiology and psyche is closely connected, so often a woman suffering from infertility is treated for a long time and unsuccessfully for a non-existent pathology. Among the psychological causes of infertility are:

1. Fear of complications, painful childbirth. Horror stories about childbirth from relatives and friends can create a real phobia of pregnancy and childbirth.
2. Psychological immaturity. In fact, the girl may not be psychologically ready to become a mother. Her body, obeying a subconscious desire, blocks the possibility of conception.
3. Fear of changes in health and figure. Pregnancy often causes excess weight, stretch marks, varicose veins and other noticeable changes that a woman avoids in every possible way.
4. Inability to make a choice between family and career. Subject to modern life demands, a woman is afraid that during pregnancy and maternity leave she will lose her working qualifications and lose the chance for normal employment.
5. Personal complexes associated with motherhood. Growing up in a family with authoritarian attitudes could give a woman a false understanding of the role of parents. Subconsciously afraid of becoming like her parents, she avoids pregnancy.

A correct diagnosis can take years. Therefore, a woman, suspecting a mental reason for her inability to conceive, has the right to independently turn to a psychologist for advice and get rid of the problem.

Causes

The psychological causes of infertility are very diverse. These fears are slightly different for men and women. Women have slightly more psychological complexes that prevent them from relaxing, enjoying sexual intercourse and allowing the gametes to merge into a single organism. Perhaps because they are the ones who have to bear the baby. Although psychologists insist that women are more susceptible to the influence of emotions than men. And therefore, their psyche more actively influences the physiology of the body than that of men.

Causes of female infertility

The main female psychological blocks include:

• Reluctance or fear of losing your career.
• Fear of losing a slim figure and the love of the opposite sex.
• Fear of losing my husband's support and being left alone with my child.
• Preoccupation with possible problems with children.
• Lack of harmony in family life.
• Childhood complexes.
• Excessive desire to have a child.
• Reaction to pressure from family (older generation).
• Fears associated with discussing society.
• Fear of pregnancy and pain during childbirth.

The modern labor market accustoms women to constant race, competition and rivalry. When hiring, women with small children are not in demand. Many young women fear that a replacement will be found for them during maternity leave. The replacement may be younger, more aggressive and not inferior in professionalism, plus she does not have a small child who requires attention. The fear of being left without a well-paid job minimizes the chances of conceiving.

Current realities dictate an image of a woman that has nothing to do with motherhood. Slim figure and style come first. And many, realizing that hormonal disturbances can lead to stretch marks, cellulite, and weight gain, which will then be difficult to get rid of, simply do not want to get pregnant. After all, “men love slim people.”

Ladies' magazines are full of stories about husbands who left their wives, exhausted by the first year of raising a child. And there are many such examples in life. Young women are also afraid of problems that may arise with the baby’s health. Especially if she herself has some serious illness.

She may also subconsciously fear that she cannot bear the fetus. Or that he will have serious developmental abnormalities.

Other causes of female psychological infertility:

1. Constant marital quarrels, tension between the couple, and sexual contacts in the form of “fulfillment of marital duty” and not due to mutual attraction greatly interfere with conception.
2. Some women have unpleasant memories of childhood, when they were forced to actually raise a younger brother or sister. And children's grievances prevent them from having their own baby.
3. No matter how strange it may sound, the excessive desire to get pregnant, which dominates everything else, blocks reproductive function in women. Sometimes the parents of one of the spouses or both ask at every meeting when they will be able to rejoice at their grandchildren and enjoy their cooing. This can cause a backlash, a complete reluctance to give them such joy. Opposition can be either conscious or unconscious.
4. Social condemnation is usually associated either with the age of one of the spouses or with the financial side of the issue. If a woman is older than her partner, she may be afraid of condemnation from friends and relatives for deciding to give birth at an adult age, and feel embarrassed that her husband is much younger. If the man is much older, she may also be shy about her partner.

Some women feel disgusted even imagining that a new life is developing inside them. This is a serious block for conception. Others are simply afraid of the pain that accompanies childbirth. The fear of pain can be so great that it blocks fertility.

Another important reason that is worth mentioning separately is a situation in which a woman was subjected to sexual violence or an attempt at it, and did not get rid of psychological trauma. But many physically healthy women lose the ability to bear children after acts of violence. It is difficult to recover from such a disaster throughout your life. In this case, you need qualified help and the sensitive attitude of loved ones.

Causes of male infertility

Psychology also knows about male infertility, which is not associated with physiological problems. The depth of the problem has not yet been fully revealed.

This issue causes a lot of controversy both among psychologists and among their clients. But most experts agree that psychological infertility in men is also possible.

The main reasons for blocking fertility in men are:

• Fear of a measured family life.
• Inability to provide for the family.
• Some infantilism.
• No desire for change.
• Fear of losing attention.

There is a category of men who crave accomplishment. Some practically, some only theoretically. Thus, the reluctance to tie oneself to one place and to one woman can cause a block in the reproductive function. This category usually includes dreamers who long to conquer peaks, fly into space, etc.

The inability to provide for a family for many men becomes a stumbling block in the process of conception. Usually these are responsible people who are able to clearly understand the difficulties that they will have to face when having a small child in their arms. They cannot brush aside problems that do not yet exist, but which they foresee. And this leads to a psychological block.

There is a category of men who remain teenagers forever. They retain teenage hobbies throughout their lives. They need care and attention, they require attention. These are big children, they don’t need another child in the family.

Some men, quite mature and courageous, experience almost panicky fear of changes in their home. They are used to coming home as the ship enters the harbor. And the appearance of a screaming creature, a baby diaper, is perceived by them as a monstrous violation of their way of life. Psychological infertility is easily formed under the influence of such a view of life.

There are others that require priority attention under any conditions. They may fear, looking at married couples they know, that the appearance of a child will relegate them to the background in the woman’s eyes. If they do not want to put up with this, this may also very well become a reason for blocking fertility.

If you do not have serious physiological pathologies, but at the same time you cannot conceive a baby or carry it to term for a long time, contact a family psychologist. Perhaps the reason lies in a psychological problem.

Male psychological infertility

In psychology, male psychological infertility is a controversial topic that requires detailed study. Most experts believe that the mental block leading to reproductive dysfunction in men is the real problem. Manifestations of reproductive function are expressed:

1. Fear of family life. Men accustomed to a bachelor lifestyle resist the need to change their usual way of life. The presence of a child in the home and the accompanying changes are perceived as an encroachment on personal territory.
2. Fear of losing a woman's attention. Using the example of friends who already have children, men notice that wives grow cold towards their spouses, becoming completely absorbed in caring for the child. Subconsciously, they perceive the future baby as a rival and resist his appearance.
3. The inability of a man to accept the role of head of the family. For some men, family life is akin to imprisonment. They feel depressed, forced to stay in one place with one woman. Their main passion in life is change, achievement, adventure. A child and family will become an obstacle, so such men resist the opportunity to become a father for a long time.
4. Financial insolvency. If a responsible man is unable to fully provide for his family financially, a psychoblock is formed in his subconscious that prevents conception. The man does not give up the role of a father, but seems to postpone it until better times.
5. Infancy, inability to bear responsibility. Some men, having reached physical maturity, remain psychologically teenagers. They cannot become a father or take care of a child, since they themselves are children.

In the absence of physiological pathologies, a man should definitely undergo a psychological examination together with his wife. It will reveal the true reason for the impossibility of conception and suitable ways to solve the problem.

Psychological problem

Psychogenic infertility implies the presence of unresolved internal conflicts and fears that negatively affect a person’s reproductive health.

Psychological infertility can develop along with other pathologies associated with the inability to conceive naturally. And this is precisely what can distract the doctor’s attention when finding out the reasons why pregnancy does not occur.

Numerous and, most often, uncomfortable studies, multi-stage therapies and even surgical intervention - these are the procedures that partners can go through when finding out the true cause of infertility. While being in constant stress, fear and exhausting procedures that are meaningless for the patients themselves is a negative experience, which becomes another reason for childlessness.

Along with moral torment, the psychological factor can increase endocrine system disorders and, in the vast majority of cases, sometimes becomes the cause of their occurrence.

Female factor

Women are more susceptible to the psychological factor of infertility.
Causes of female infertility against the background of psychosomatics:

1. Fear of being alone. Some women who are unsure of their own abilities fear that their husband will leave them after the birth of a child. This situation is described in many newfangled publications and is confirmed by unsuccessful examples from the lives of friends and acquaintances. Therefore, many are almost sure that a man needs a child only as long as he has an interest in the woman.
2. Fear of bearing a child, childbirth. Again, women draw only the most negative information from unsuccessful examples. As a result, some are terribly afraid of getting better, some are afraid of toxicosis, and some are afraid of the process of childbirth - pain, suffering and the danger of an incorrectly performed procedure, which may subsequently harm both the mother and her unborn baby.
3. Fear of being left without work and losing your existing reputation and position. In enterprises with unofficial registration, this phenomenon occurs very often - a younger employee takes the place of a maternity leaver, who, having proven himself better than the previous employee, can take her position.
4. Problematic relationship with a partner. We are talking about the reluctance to have a child from this particular man. Consequently, a complex of being left alone with a baby in your arms may develop.
5. Bad pregnancy experience. If a woman was already pregnant, but was unable to give birth to a child, this may become one of the main reasons for the development of infertility due to a psychological factor.
6. Fear of not being able to get pregnant, and, as a result, losing a partner for this reason.

In addition, such a factor can develop against the background of fear of becoming fixated on the child, in the case of pressure from relatives and in the presence of childhood psychotraumas, which led to a lack of desire to have a baby.

Male factor

In fairness, it is important to note the main reasons for the development of psychological male infertility:

• fear of being left without female attention;
• psychological immaturity;
• fear of such global changes in life;
• unstable financial situation in the family;
• fear of a stable, measured and calmer life.

Symptoms

The problem of infertility can only manifest itself as behavioral pathologies, but can be combined with physiological symptoms:

1. Hormonal disorders. Disruptions in the menstrual cycle lead to improper formation of the endometrial layer in the uterine cavity. This prevents the fertilized egg from attaching to the wall of the uterus.
2. Antibody production. Antisperm antibodies are produced by the immune system and prevent conception.
3. Suppression of ovulation. A woman’s anovulatory cycle leads to the death of the formed egg or the formation of cysts that interfere with the normal development of the eggs.
4. Impaired epithelial activity in the fallopian tubes. Reduced mobility of the epithelial villi makes it difficult for the egg to move into the uterine cavity.
5. Changes in the structure of the protein shell of the egg. Changes in the lining of the egg make it difficult for sperm to penetrate.

Physiological symptoms of psychological infertility in men are expressed by erectile dysfunction and behavioral disorders.

Diagnostic methods

If infertility is suspected, the couple first undergoes a standard medical examination: tests, ultrasound, and visits to related specialists. If there are no physiological reasons for the pathology, a consultation with a psychologist is prescribed.

The reasons for the inability to conceive, which can be established using psychological techniques, are:

• low self-esteem of a woman;
• prone to hysteria
• apathy, feeling of dissatisfaction with oneself;
• clinical depression;
• feeling of loneliness, mistrust of a partner.

The mental inability to conceive a child in a man is manifested by low self-esteem, problems at work, and immaturity.

Treatment of psychological infertility

Psychological infertility can be corrected using therapeutic methods. For the treatment of psychological infertility, drug therapy is secondary and often not necessary. For most couples, attending joint sessions with a psychotherapist is enough. In the absence of aggravating circumstances or severe symptoms, infertility can be treated independently:

1. Recognize the problem. First, spouses must realize that the problem of psychological infertility is real. Denial prevents the initiation of therapeutic actions.
2. Focus on the period of ovulation. On certain days of the menstrual cycle, the chances of getting pregnant increase. You should stick to the schedule, but do not turn conception into a mandatory ritual. Being forced to follow a schedule increases nervousness.
3. Reduce stress levels. Constant worries about the inability to get pregnant prevent a woman from relaxing. Meditation, listening to relaxing music, and auto-training will help reduce the impact of a stressful situation.
4. Spend more time together. The revival of romance in a relationship will help you relax: dates, walks, shared hobbies.
5. Change the situation. Positive stress caused by a change in environment can trigger an increase in hormones necessary for conception. The main causes of positive stress: rearranging furniture, minor repairs, travel.

If self-therapy methods do not produce results within six months, you should consult a psychotherapist.

Psychological causes of infertility in men

It should be noted right away that the inability to become a father and erectile dysfunction are different conditions. A man can be a wonderful lover in bed, never experience erection problems, but still have unsatisfactory sperm quality.

Immunological infertility: what are the culprits of antibodies?

Doctors say that psychological infertility always acts as a protective mechanism in relation to a certain negative factor.

The most common reasons are a subconscious fear of paternity due to:

• Reluctance to grow up - a man wants to remain a child for his wife, jealous of her future baby.
• Uncertainty about the ability to financially provide for the family.
• Lack of own housing.
• Distrust of his soulmate - a gentleman subconsciously torments himself, suspecting that his wife lives with him only for material or other benefits.

Often the psychosomatics of infertility in a gentleman is hidden behind the fear of responsibility for his wife and child. Such a young man simply does not want to grow up, remaining a little boy at heart, despite a well-paid job and social position. According to statistics, the vast majority of men with idiopathic (no apparent reason) infertility are in a state of chronic stress and need professional help. Diagnostics

Both spouses need to fight psychological infertility together. After all, in a family, husband and wife are connected not only by a common life, but also by deep personal relationships based on mutual understanding and respect for each other. When diagnosing infertility, it is important, first of all, to exclude diseases. Women are offered:

• consultation with a gynecologist;
• a smear from the vaginal mucosa for the presence of pathogenic microflora;
• menstrual cycle analysis;
• hormonal screening;
• ultrasound examination of the female genital organs;
• checking the patency of the fallopian tubes.

For a man, the attending physician will probably advise:

• examination by a urologist;
• laboratory sperm analysis;
• rectal examination;
• Ultrasound examination of the testicles and prostate.

Sometimes it is necessary to determine the genetic karyotype. If a couple’s in vitro fertilization procedure has repeatedly failed, experts assess this fact as one of the signs of psychosomatic infertility.

Despite the fact that women perceive the problem of infertility more acutely, numerous studies have proven that a childless marriage significantly reduces the self-esteem of many gentlemen. The level of satisfaction with marriage of the stronger half of humanity in families without children is 30% lower than in those where the man became a father.

Don’t be surprised if a psychologist asks you to take many different tests or asks you to draw something. All this is included in the diagnostic program. The main task is to clarify the level of anxiety of each spouse and find the hidden reason for their reluctance to become a parent. Treatment

Childless spouses should never despair. Modern reproductive technologies can help in situations in which the onset of motherhood seemed fantastic 10–15 years ago. Infertility therapy includes two main areas:

• methods of restoring sexual function;
• use of artificial insemination technologies.

But it is important to understand that the process of conceiving a person is unique, and no one can guarantee the occurrence of pregnancy and the successful bearing of a child. Therefore, when a clinic’s advertisement assures spouses that specialists are able to restore reproductive function in 100% of cases, this is most likely done to attract more clients.

Screening and test for infertility in men

At the first stage of treatment of psychosomatic infertility, if the husband or wife does not have diseases of the reproductive organs, a conversation is held with each spouse in order to establish a picture of the socio-psychological portrait of the future parent. Clarifying the obvious ones, as well as identifying hidden fears that haunt patients, is the first step towards recovery. For this the following can be used:

• color relationship tests;
• projective graphic methods.

To carry out the first, multi-colored cards are used. The patient is asked to compare a specific color with a specific person, event, or object. Then it is unobtrusively clarified which color the subject prefers and which gives him unpleasant feelings. Based on the analysis, it is possible to identify hidden fears and grievances.

Projective graphic methods allow the patient to interpret real events using drawings according to his views, feelings, and mood. This helps reflect a person's state of mind.

Very often, after diagnosis, it turns out that a couple dreams of a child, but neither the husband nor the wife imagines the woman as pregnant. Sometimes, unexpectedly, spouses discover that they are ashamed or afraid of everything connected with the appearance of a new person in their family.

Subsequent stages of therapy include clarifying the patient’s psychological portrait and removing internal attitudes of inferiority, various fears, and negative experiences. Treatment approaches are always individual. Two types of therapy are offered:

• adaptive;
• psychotropic.

Adaptation is aimed at stimulating compensatory mechanisms and creating tolerance to the stress factor. Psychotropic includes the use of herbal medicines, trainings, educational programs. At this stage, it is important to create a positive attitude toward pregnancy.

Spouses must clearly imagine what will happen if the wife finds herself in an “interesting situation”, how the appearance of a new family member – a child – will change their life together for the better. For this, various psychological techniques are used. Psychosomatics is not a branch of medicine where you can rely on the advice of friends or the positive experience of Internet users. Treatment approaches are strictly individual.

Usually, people come to a psychologist’s office to treat infertility only when the couple has already “passed” all the specialists and tried various treatment methods. Experienced gynecologists and andrologists recommend a visit to a psychologist or psychotherapist for any type of infertility. After all, the absence of children in a family, the inability to become a father/mother, in itself can lead to depression, frequent quarrels, and divorce.

Even in the case of a somatic cause of childlessness, a specialist in relationship psychology will help partners overcome the problem and, as soon as possible, give birth to a healthy baby.