Rachel Ministries
Hope and Healing after Abortion
Abortion Hurts
You may not understand why you're feeling the way you do. The initial feeling of relief has given way to darker emotions. The ripple effect of pain may now be negatively affecting your life, your marriage, your parenting, and your job. Like an infection, it hides under the surface and will not get better with time.
Many who've had an abortion feel a great sense of loss. This loss is very real, regardless of whether or not your family, friends, or society recognize the loss. Your abortion has left you with a wound -- emotional, psychological, spiritual -- that won't heal. You try to push it down, or self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or punish yourself with self-destructive behaviors. But nothing works for very long. You don't even like to talk about it. It's difficult to even say the "A" word. Besides, even if you wnated to talk about it, who would listen?
We are here to listen.
The passage of time does not seem to heal this wound. Many struggle with their abortion grief for years before they finally realize that they need helkp to conquer it. It doesn't matter if your abortions occurred fifty years ago or last month. You can reach out for help and find hope again.
How do you know if you need help?
Although no one exhibits every symptom of post-abortion trauma, if you are experiencing at least 3 of the following symptoms, you may be suffering because of your abortion loss.
Many who've had an abortion feel a great sense of loss. This loss is very real, regardless of whether or not your family, friends, or society recognize the loss. Your abortion has left you with a wound -- emotional, psychological, spiritual -- that won't heal. You try to push it down, or self-medicate with alcohol or drugs, or punish yourself with self-destructive behaviors. But nothing works for very long. You don't even like to talk about it. It's difficult to even say the "A" word. Besides, even if you wnated to talk about it, who would listen?
We are here to listen.
The passage of time does not seem to heal this wound. Many struggle with their abortion grief for years before they finally realize that they need helkp to conquer it. It doesn't matter if your abortions occurred fifty years ago or last month. You can reach out for help and find hope again.
How do you know if you need help?
Although no one exhibits every symptom of post-abortion trauma, if you are experiencing at least 3 of the following symptoms, you may be suffering because of your abortion loss.
- Guilt
- Depression
- Anger, rage
- Intense grief or sadness
- Nightmares, flashbacks
- Anxiety, panic attacks
- Feeling emotionally numb
- Spiritual divorce from God
- Inability to forgive yourself
- Eating disorders
- Suicidal thoughts and feelings
- Suicide attempts
- Intense feelings of grief or depression around the anniversary date of the abortion or what would have been the delivery date
- Low self-esteem
- Substance abuse
- Self-destructive behavior (cutting, excessive risk-taking, etc.)
- Sexual dysfunction (either promiscuity or no interest in sex)
- Marital and relationship difficulties
- Problems with intimacy
- Multiple abortions
- Desire for "replacement baby"
- Avoidance of babies, children and pregnant women
- Problems bonding with other children (over-protective but emotionally distant)