You are not alone
More than a million abortions are performed each year, and many women who have experienced an abortion report unresolved emotions afterward. Difficult emotions may arise shortly after the abortion, or 10, 20, or even 30 years later. Regardless, your feelings are real and important to work through.
Post-Abortion Compassion & Encouragement
Struggling after a past abortion?
We know abortion can hurt. Whether it's been a week or a decade, we are here to offer confidential counseling and help you find hope and healing.
What is post-abortion stress?
The intensity of a woman’s emotional reaction to having an abortion can come as a surprise. After all, it was something she chose. However, a woman’s reasons for aborting and the circumstances surrounding the choice don’t always indicate what her emotional reaction will be. Many women experience a need to mourn, a feeling which is often be repressed or denied. Post-abortion stress occurs when a woman is unable to process negative feelings like anger, guilt, sadness, and shame surrounding her abortion experience.
Do any of these sound familiar?
Pain from a past abortion can affect a number of things, from relationships to physical health and mental well-being. Answering yes to any of these questions may indicate a need for emotional healing.
- Have you told yourself to forget about the abortion, or continue to deny painful memories?
- Do you tense up, clench your jaw, hold your breath, or respond in physical ways when abortion is mentioned, whether in conversations, in the media, or in church?
- On the anniversary date of the abortion or would-be birth date, are you accident prone, sick, depressed, or have suicidal thoughts?
- Do you feel unable to forgive parents, a boyfriend/husband, friends, or doctors for influencing your decision?
- Have you avoided intimate relationships or become overly dependent?
- Have you abused your body with drugs or alcohol, or have you struggled with eating disorders?
- Have you had nightmares or flashbacks? Are you afraid of being unable to have children?
- Do you overprotect or have trouble bonding with the children you have now?
If the questions above resonated with you, we are here offer confidential and compassionate assistance designed to help you resolve these emotions. Contact us for more information through the link below or by calling or texting our dedicated PACE line at 312-9009.