After an abortion, you may experience a wide range of
emotions. For many, having an abortion causes feelings of
intense loss and grief. These feelings may occur immediately
after your abortion or may occur several years after your
abortion. If left untreated, these negative feelings can
progress into what is called Post-Abortion Syndrome. It is a
good idea to seek counseling if you experience any of the
following signs of Post-Abortion Syndrome:
- Refuse to talk with others about your abortion
- Unexplained anxiety or irritability
- Outbursts of anger or rage
- Anger or bitterness with people who where involved
with your abortion
- Disturbed sleep
- Nightmares, flashbacks or hallucinations that remind
you of babies
- Irrational fear of loved ones being hurt, injured or
killed
- Withdrawal from relationships or family members
- Difficulty with relationships, particularly with the
opposite sex
- Avoidance of children
- Disinterest in activities that you once enjoyed
- Lack of desire to care for yourself
- Sexual dysfunction
- Suicidal thoughts or tendencies
- Increase in drug or alcohol use
- Eating disorders
- Depression, anxiety or physical discomfort around
the anniversary of your abortion or the due date of your
aborted pregnancy
- Personality shift, you are not the same person you
were before the abortion
STEPS TO HEALING
If you are experiencing grief after your abortion, even if
it happened years ago, emotional healing is possible.
Even though you may regret past actions, you can begin to
make healthy choices now that will help you heal and cope.
Emotional healing is a process that takes time and usually
requires assistance from a counselor or support group, but
you can get started on your healing by taking one or more of
these steps:
- Find a support group or counselor
- Admit the truth about your abortion
- Admit any feelings of remorse or guilt
- Allow yourself to grieve the loss of your child
- Talk about your experience with others
- Honestly explore your feelings about your abortion
- Honestly explore your feelings about the people
involved with your abortion
- Accept God’s forgiveness
- Forgive others who were involved with your abortion
- Forgive yourself
- Reconcile relationships that have been affected by
the abortion
- Let go of your lost child
- Find creative outlets that allow you to express your
feelings such as writing, music, drawing, etc.
- Spend time with others on the anniversary of your
abortion, don’t stay alone
- Pray
You may not be able to do all of these steps right away.
Give yourself time and start with the things that are easier
for you. Seek help from a counselor for things that are more
difficult. If you would like to talk to a caring, trained
person who will walk through these steps of healing with
you, call LifeChoices at 624-8030 or 1-800-638-1023.
Sources:
“After an Abortion: Steps Toward Healing,” Elliot Institute.
www.afterabortion.org. 1998.
“Healing,” The National Office of Post-Abortion
Reconciliation & Healing. www.marquette.edu/rachel/healing.org.
2002.
“The Spiritual and Emotional Effects of Abortion,” Minrith,
Meyer, Arterburn, The Complete Life Encyclopedia. 1995.
“Induced Abortion,” The American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists. 2001.
“Are You Suffering From Post-Abortion Stress?” Elliot
Institute. www.afterabortion.org. 2000.
“A List of Major Psychological Sequelae of Abortion,” Elliot
Institute. www.afterabortion.org. 1997.
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