Does Post Abortion Stress Affect You?
If you’ve had an abortion…
- Do you find yourself struggling to turn off feelings connected to your abortion(s), perhaps telling yourself over and over again to forget about it?
- Do you find yourself avoiding books, magazines and television programs that deal with the subject of abortion?
- Are you affected by physical reminders of your abortion (babies, pregnant women, etc)?
- Are you uncomfortable around children?
- Are there certain times of the year you find yourself depressed, sick or accident-prone, especially around the anniversary date of the abortion or would-be birth date?
- Are you resentful and unforgiving toward anyone because of his or her involvement in your abortion(s)—parents, boyfriend, abortionist, friends, husband, or even yourself?
Post-Abortion Stress is a type of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which develops when a woman is unable to work through her emotional responses resulting from the trauma of an abortion. The grief she may feel after an abortion is seldom acknowledged but often repressed or denied.
Post-Abortion Stress happens when the grieving process is not completed. It may occur within a few months following an abortion, or it may surface many years later.
Symptoms of PAS/T
Symptoms of PAS/T do not always appear together nor will each woman experience every one of them. Nonetheless, if you find that you are experiencing five to seven of the following emotions following your abortion, you might consider seeking help for PAS/T. (Again, remember that these symptoms may not surface until many years after the procedure.)
A listing of the most common feelings and emotional symptoms of PAS/T are given here (in alphabetical order):
Alienation
Anger/rage
Anguish
Anxiety
Betrayal
Bitterness
Confusion
Degradation
Depression
Despair
Distrust
Exploitation
Fears about losing a child, God's punishment, another pregnancy, inferiority, infertility, or failure
Flashbacks, nightmares, or sleep disorders
Frustration
Grief
Guilt
Helplessness
Hopelessness
Horror
Isolation
Loneliness
Lowered self-esteem
Numbness
Panic
Preoccupation with anniversary date or due date
Regret
Rejection
Remorse
Resentment
Self-condemnation
Self-hatred
Shame
Sorrow
Unable to forgive self
Uncontrollable crying
Unworthiness
Along with these predominantly emotional symptoms, researchers have also noted behavioral changes that women report in their daily lives. They include (also in alphabetical order):
Abusive behavior
Alcohol and/or drug use
Avoidance of baby reminders (like baby showers, baby stores, etc.)
Changes to relationship/marriage (70% of relationships/marriages break up within 1 year of an abortion, 90% within 5 years)
Control issues
Crying spells
Desire for atonement/replacement child
Difficulty in all types of intimacy
Division of time into "before" and "after" the abortion
Eating disorders
Failure to bond with subsequent children
Loss of interest in sex
Loss of normal sources of pleasure
Marital stress
Need for financial success
Over-protective of living children
Promiscuity or sexual frigidity
Reduced motivation
Secretive behavior
Self-punishing and/or self-degrading behavior
Sexual dysfunction
Sleep disturbances
Strained relationship with living children
Suicidal impulses
Toleration of abusive relationships
Withdrawal
A woman experiencing Post-Abortion Stress needs to complete the natural grieving process. We offer counseling to guide her through this process. All our counseling services are free and confidential. For more information on Abortion Recovery Counseling and to Contact Us, click here.
