Had an Abortion?
If you have ever had an abortion, you probably feel very much alone with the memories of your experience. Did you know that 44 percent of all American women will have an abortion at some point during their lifetime? More than a million American women will have an abortion this year, but hardly any of them talk about it. Why is that? Most women who choose abortion are going against their own moral code, which causes intense feelings of guilt and shame. This keeps women from talking about it or getting the emotional help they deserve. A number of counselors who have explored this issue in-depth have identified a condition which they call “post-abortion syndrome” or PAS.
Click here to take the Post-Abortion Distress Test
Symptoms of PAS
• Guilt: results from violating one’s own sense of right and wrong
• Anxiety: headaches, dizziness, pounding heart, abdominal cramps, muscle tightness, difficulty sleeping, etc.
• Avoidance behaviors: of anything remindful of pregnancy and children
• Psychological “numbing”: the unconscious vow to never let anything hurt this badly again can hamper the ability to enter fully into an emotional intimate relationship
• Depression: sad mood, sudden and uncontrollable crying episodes, deterioration of self-concept, sleep and appetite disturbances, reduced motivation, loss of normal sources of pleasure, thoughts of suicide
• Re-experiencing events related to the abortion: persistent thoughts and flashback memories or nightmares involving themes of lost or dismembered babies
• Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again: representing an unconscious hope that a new pregnancy will replace the baby that was aborted
• Anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues: being convinced that God will punish by withholding future pregnancies
• Interruption or disruption of the bonding with present and/or future children: under-bonding or over-bonding with other children, whether born before or after a woman has an abortion
• Self-abuse/self-destructive behaviors: eating disorders, alcohol and/or substance abuse, cigarette smoking, abusive relationships, promiscuity, failure to take care of one’s self medically
• Anniversary reactions: an increase in symptoms around the time of the anniversary of the abortion, the due date of the aborted child or both
• Brief psychotic disorder: a psychotic break with reality lasting for a short period of time within two weeks of the abortion
Hope for Healing
Healing is possible. We offer a confidential 10 week post-abortion Bible Study that will allow you to find healing and closure. Grace House has a staff of compassionate, trained volunteers to help you work through the feelings that you are experiencing.
Please call or use our online contact form to set up an appointment. If you are not in our area, look in the yellow pages for organization found under “Abortion Alternatives”. Most centers provide post-abortion counseling or can refer you to the right place. In addition, you can also connect with one of our related ministries.