For some women, abortion is something they feel they have come to terms with, but for others they feel that it is a painful part of their lives - something that affects them deeply, even if they felt they were making the right decision at the time.
If this is you, support is available.
Are my feelings about my abortion normal?
If you had an abortion recently or a long time ago, you may initially have felt relief but now feel numb or be experiencing emotions like guilt, grief or anger. Coupled with that, you may also find it difficult to be near other babies or pregnant women. Or find it hard to sleep without having disturbing dreams. Or be preoccupied with the whole experience. These kind of feelings are common following an abortion.
Post-abortion stress has been recognised as a distinct set of symptoms. As well as the above, you may have experienced other symptoms such as:
- Feeling the need to 'replace' the baby.
- A feeling of distance from or, conversely, over-protectiveness of existing children.
- Inability to maintain normal routine.
- Depressed feelings stronger than 'a little sadness'.
- Sleeping problems.
- Flashbacks.
- Tearfulness.
- Relationship tensions or breakdown resulting from the abortion.
I had an abortion a long time ago...
If you had an abortion a long time ago, maybe you have experienced something in your life recently that has brought it all back again for you and you're finding it hard to shake off as you did before. Perhaps this is the first time you've allowed yourself to really think about what happened and what your abortion meant.
What help is there for me?
CareConfidential advisors can put you in touch with a centre that runs 'The Journey' recovery programme.
This is a sensitive one-to-one or, if you prefer, a group programme that supports you and equips you to deal with the emotions involved, helping you to find the resources you need to relate to your experience more healthily.