If you are asking this question, you may be struggling with your decision to abort. Or, perhaps your emotions have taken you by surprise.
What can cause emotional turmoil following an abortion? How can you find help to bring some relief?
What Emotions Are Common After An Abortion?
The following are some of the emotions women may feel after they abort:
- Relief
- Sadness
- Loss
- Guilt
These feelings can be temporary or become stronger as time goes by. Some women feel immediate relief but develop feelings of loss and grief even years later.
Why Do Some Women Emotionally Struggle While Others Might Not?
According to a compilation of several studies, there are certain risk factors that can play a role in experiencing negative mental health impacts after an abortion:
- Pressure from other people to abort. When women feel pressure from those they love to abort their pregnancy, especially if they don’t agree, this can cause emotional turmoil as well as resentment.
- Terminating a wanted pregnancy. For instance, if a woman has maternal desires that she ignores for certain reasons.
- A history of mental health issues. If a woman already has had mental health issues, this increases the risk of experiencing negative mental health impacts after an abortion.
- Conflicting moral beliefs. It can be difficult for a woman to reconcile an abortion decision with her self-identity if she has conflicting moral beliefs about the procedure.
What Can Be Done To Recover Emotionally From Abortion?
You may need to sit with experienced professionals to discuss your situation. If you are bothered by your feelings, sharing them with a counselor might help you.
The road to emotional healing looks different for every woman, but healing and moving forward is possible.
As a first step, contact us at Willowbrook Women’s Center. We would love to talk with you about your situation and give you community referrals to assist you.
At Willowbrook Women’s Center, we care about you!
