Has abortion left you feeling hurt and/or empty?

Remember you're not alone. You need a chance to be healed emotionally, physically and spiritually - a chance to find and accept forgiveness. Ignoring the root cause of a disturbing condition can only make it continue or become worse. Seek healing and forgiveness from people who want to care for your needs.

There are services being offered in order to meet the needs of women who are dealing with emotional, spiritual or physical pain of abortion. The services are free and confidential and run by caring people who are equipped to help you. They want for you to find peace and healing.

GRIEF AND GUILT

These two emotions are perfectly normal. Sometimes a woman will become quite depressed during the months following an abortion. Abortion may have seemed the only way to prevent a loss of social, school career or income standing. Afterwards the aborted mother may feel injured or robbed with no obvious outward focus of her anger.

Denial is also common. She may say that she feels nothing, yet smoke or drink unusually heavily, or consume many tranquilisers. Disappointment in career or love life for which the child was sacrified can bring about a sense of loss. Some women strive relentlessly to achive the goal for which the child was sacrificed; yet they end up feeling empty inside.

Guilt may be triggered seeing a baby or photos of an unborn child. The aborted mother may feel that she abandoned her child to be "killed by an abortionist."

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Grief and guilt must be allowed to surface so that they can be resolved. Unresloved pain partly explains the "anniversary phenomenon" whereby some women become despondent or attempt suicide on the expected delivery date of the aborted child or on the anniversary of the abortion.

Well meaning people may say "Forget it" or "don't blame yourself." This approach prevents grief or guilt from being worked through. Others say "Have a good cry." This is closer to the mark because she does need to express her feelings about what has happened.