Select Page
October is National Depression Education and Awareness Month.
 
 
Are You Suffering from Post-Abortion Stress?
 
1. Do you find yourself struggling to turn off feelings or memories related to your abortion(s)? Do you need to keep reminding yourself to just forget it or put it behind you? Do you become uncomfortable around reminders of the abortion, such as being around babies or pregnant women, being in a doctor's office, or when hearing news reports about abortion?
 
2. Do you feel nervous or anxious at the idea of telling a loved one about your abortion? Is your abortion a secret that is holding you back from greater intimacy with others? When you do choose to share your abortion experience with others, are you overcome with strong feelings such as anger, grief, or guilt? Is there an increased distance between you and your parents, siblings, or partner because of the past abortion(s)?
 
3. Do you have trouble talking about the abortion issue as a political issue? When you do talk about it, do you find it hard to respect opposing views, or do you become overly emotional, either in support of or in opposition to it?

4. Do you tend to look at life in terms of "before" and "after" the abortion(s)? Are there traits about your "self" before the abortion that you lost but would wish to regain? Has the abortion changed the way you look at yourself? Have you lost interest in taking care of yourself? Have you tried to become less attractive to avoid the risk of becoming involved in a relationship, love, and sex?

5. Do you become angry or depressed more easily?

Have you experienced "reconnectors" to your abortion, such as nightmares, flashbacks, or hallucinations, such as hearing a baby cry?

6. Was there a period after your abortion when you experienced an increase in the use of alcohol or drugs? Have you experienced other forms of emotional deadening? Have you experienced any suicidal thoughts? Do you take risks that put your life in danger? Have you developed any eating disorders?

7. Do you have trouble finding, building, or maintaining good relationships with people of the opposite sex? Do you have trouble with issues of trust and control? Do you get involved in hurtful or abusive relationships? Do you tolerate abuse because you feel you don't deserve any better?

 
8. Do you experience periods of depression or heightened anxiety during certain months of the year, particularly during the months that would correspond to the month of your abortion or the due date of the aborted pregnancy?

If you have answered yes to three or more of the previous questions, post-abortion counseling may help. Skilled and understanding people, many of whom have been through the same things you are going through now, want to help.

 
To learn more about post-abortion counseling resources, go to
[Elliot Institute, 11Oct04,
www.afterabortion.info/healing/index.htm]
Consider sending this Post-Abortion Stress Quiz to your local print and/or broadcast media, with contact information for your local post-abortion healing organization.
 
 
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The Decline of Partner Relationships in the Aftermath of Abortion, Winter 2007, vol 20, no 1, Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Changehttp://www.abortionresearch.us/images/Vol20No1–2007.pdf