Get Connected for Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month, but don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you to “just relax.” This year’s theme is “Get Connected.” Let’s talk about that.

In celebration of the event, I want to remind my readers that in addition to their online resources and forums, the National Infertility Association RESOLVE actually offers two different types of “real life” support groups – one led by mental health professionals and a more informal peer-support group often known as “coffee and conversation.”

RESOLVE understands that,

Making the decision to join a RESOLVE group can be difficult for some people. It may be the first time you have ever been in a group and you may wonder if you will become overly emotional in the group and too vulnerable to others. Remember that most people feel insecure about joining a group! But, keep in mind that a group, whether it be professionally led or peer led, will help you feel less isolated, empower you with knowledge and validate your emotional response to the life crisis of infertility. Also, a recent study found that attendees of RESOLVE support groups had higher pregnancy rates.

If you’re looking for some one-on-one advice, you can find a mental health professional who understands the psychological and emotional aspects of reproductive health through American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s Mental Health Professional Group. Why go see a mental health professional? ASRM’s 2-page FAQ sheet talks about the why and what a MH professional might be able to help you do.

But if you’re still feeling a little shy, I invite you to find support as you work through your fertility issues online. Or, perhaps you just need to know that you are not the only person trying to navigate what should be a simple path towards parenthood: Cyclesista is a great place for that.

When we first started to explore assisted reproductive options, what was important to me was to know that we weren’t just spinning our wheels and that there were people out there who were now proud parents with a little help from some friends (and good reproductive endocrinologists). And I can’t thank Melissa enough for leading me to them. No matter which stage you are in on your journey, you can bet you will find someone to connect with on Stirrup Queen’s Completely Anal List of Blogs that Proves That She Missed Her Calling as a Personal Organizer.

So, what are you waiting for? Get Connected!