| Book Excerpt |
Abortion is a traumatic experience to the physical body. There are oftentimes physical side effects even from “safe” procedures. Punctured uterus, infection, and scarring are just a few of the possible side effects. However, very few abortion clinicians will explain the emotional trauma associated with abortion to their potential clients. The fact is whether the emotional side effects occur immediately or sometime in the distant future, there is emotional trauma.
Below are a few symptoms women have reported following an abortion. Circle any that you are currently experiencing or have experienced since your abortion(s).
Guilt
Regret
Sadness
Depression
Crying spells (sometimes uncontrollable)
Flashbacks
Anger
Rage
Shame
Eating disorders
Drug Abuse
Fear of men
Fear of future pregnancy
Strong desire to become pregnant soon after abortion
Psychosomatic pregnancies
Fear of being found out
Separation/Isolation (from God, Husband, Boyfriend, Friends, Family, Babies, Others)
Promiscuity
Self punishing
Sleeping problems (Nightmares, Night terrors, Insomnia)
Not bonding with own children
Emotional numbness
Dishonesty
Mental blocks of abortion
Lowered self esteem
Anniversary reaction
Avoid thoughts/discussions of abortion
What is wrong with me? The answer to this question is: nothing! There is nothing wrong with you. You are not alone in your experiences. The symptoms you identified on the previous page are to let you know that you are not losing your mind! There is hope. The symptoms may appear immediately or years later. In my personal experience, I had symptoms such as rage, promiscuity, low self esteem, alcohol abuse, psychosomatic pregnancies, night terrors and insomnia immediately following the abortion.
Because I did not know these were possible side effects, I never considered my personality change was due to the abortion I had had.
Two things led me to seek help from a Crisis Pregnancy Center. First, I believed I was pregnant, even though I had not had sex. This had occurred more than a dozen times since the abortion. Second, after never considering the child I aborted, I burst into uncontrollable tears one day at work and said, “My daughter would have been four years old this month.”
“I aborted my child in December 1990. I was fully informed of all the possible physical repercussions of my decision. Not at any time did anyone mention that I would have emotional challenges. In the case of abortion, ignorance is not bliss. Would knowing the emotional effects have changed my mind? I doubt it. But it would have spared me the period of my life where I was certain I was going insane. “ Joneen