Psychoanalysis and Infertility Myths and Realities

Abstract

Psychoanalysis, long interested in infertility, and a valuable treatment for men and women suffering with this affliction, has also helped to create and support a myth of psychogenic infertility. Multiple causes of infertility exist across the physiological-psychological spectrum. There is no simple psychodynamic causality. Advances in assisted reproductive technologies provide treatments that create emotional stress and outpace psychological preparedness of patients and analysts. This paper is based on the experience of a unique study group in Boston. An analytic case illustrates some of the ways analysis can be a treatment of choice for people using assisted reproduction. In fact, analysis offers a unique opportunity to elaborate fully the complex realities and dilemmas faced by people and their therapists throughout the infertility experience. More generally, this study of the concept of psychogenic infertility explores a valuable role for psychoanalysis in the treatment of medical conditions.

How Older People Position Their Late‐Life Childlessness: A Qualitative Study

“…Psychological explanations of infertility have been debated (Apfel & Keylor, 2002), and attributes by type of childlessness sought, for example, to establish that voluntarily childless people may be less religious (Tanturri & Mencarini, 2008) or that the involuntarily childless are more distressed (McQuillan, Greil, White, & Jacob, 2003). But findings are equivocal, and, furthermore, the “postponement” phenomenon highlights the inadequacy of the simple voluntary – involuntary dichotomy.…”

On procreating today

“…A research project on the topic of infertility was recently submitted to the attention of the International Psychoanalytical Association which has found it noteworthy. The favourable judgement of the IPA was also motivated by the current disregard for the topic, unaccounted for by the role psychoanalysis played in the past: as Apfel and Keilor (2002) note, 50 years ago psychoanalysis used to be either the treatment of choice or the last resort for men and women with fertility problems. Today, the field of assisted conception has opened up in order to treat the same problems, and forms of both individual and group psychological support have emerged to help men and women cope with the experience of infertility and the equally arduous experience of assisted conception when this is undertaken.…”

Reproduction disruptions: an exploration of personal and social meanings of conception difficulties

“…As recently as 1998, Human Reproduction, one of the leading journals in reproductive endocrinology, published an article which used three case studies of professional women seeking psychological counseling in relation to their conception difficulties to suggest a link between ambivalence about parenthood and unexplained infertility (Christie 1998). Although psychogenic causes are no longer seriously considered to be linked to infertility in most medical literature, and it is now widely accepted that any increase of psychological disturbances manifest by infertile women are likely to be consequences rather than causes of infertility (Seibel and Taymor 1982;Morse and Van Hall 1987;Sandelowski 1993, 72;Greil 1997;Apfel and Keylor 2002;Wischmann 2003;Monach 2005) 20 , there remains, nevertheless, an undertone of blame towards infertile women in discussions about the causes of infertility. This is especially true where infertility may be assumed to be related to women's own choices (Sandelowski 1990b;Woods, Olshansky et al 1991).…”

“…Support groups such as RESOLVE are frequently recommended for infertile people to help ease isolation and counter feelings of depression and worthlessness and to help reintegrate themselves with former support groups of family and friends (Butler and Koraleski 1990). These support groups simultaneously keep hope alive and counter the painful sense of loneliness and defectiveness felt by people experiencing conception difficulties (Apfel and Keylor 2002). They are also said to normalize, validate and empower their members (Apfel and Keylor 2002) and reduce distress (Slade, O'Neill et al 2007).…”

“…These support groups simultaneously keep hope alive and counter the painful sense of loneliness and defectiveness felt by people experiencing conception difficulties (Apfel and Keylor 2002). They are also said to normalize, validate and empower their members (Apfel and Keylor 2002) and reduce distress (Slade, O'Neill et al 2007). More recently, individuals are likely to search for information and support to seek to ease their isolation on the internet (Cousineau and Domar 2007).…”