Abortion & Post-Abortion Stress

When a woman chooses to have an abortion her initial reaction may be one of relief, however at some point, whether sooner or later, the full impact of that decision can affect her in a negative and painful way.

Post Abortion Stress (PAS) is a recognized condition that affects many women who make the choice for abortion. The development of PAS over time may mean that the symptoms fail to be directly attributed to the abortion experience.

Abortion is a loss - the loss of a child - and loss is usually accompanied by grief. For the woman who has chosen abortion the initial relief and subsequent need to grieve can become so entangled that the grief remains unresolved leading to unexpected and confusing feelings and behaviors. It is this emotional roller-coaster that can cause her to experience unexplained physical, emotional and spiritual pain and suffering i.e. uncontrollable crying; outbursts of anger; depression; suicidal thoughts; self-hatred; addictions; to name a few.

Being allowed to acknowledge her feelings of loss and grief, talking openly about her experience and how it has affected her life, accepting her role in the loss, and receiving forgiveness, is a very large part of the healing process.

The spiritual aspect of abortion can cause untold anguish for the post-abortive woman - churched and non-churched. Because she cannot forgive herself she finds it impossible to believe that God would ever forgive her. But God does forgive. Even for a woman who has never been to church or does not attend on a regular basis the spiritual consequences of her decision can weigh very heavily on her mind.

There are several stages of grief which need to be worked through for the grieving process to be complete and lasting healing to take place. The more time that elapses between the abortion experience and grief management the more coping methods the woman will put in place to handle her pain.

New Beginnings is a ministry that offers one-on-one sessions to the post-abortive woman so that she can share her thoughts and feelings in a safe environment, where she will not be judged or rejected but accepted unconditionally. The basis of the ministry is a 10 week Bible Study called "Forgiven and Set Free" created by Linda Cochrane specifically for the post-abortive woman. By studying and discussing her loss from a biblical perspective it allows her to better understand the significance of post-abortion stress and the effect it has on the whole person - spirit, soul, and body. When the lie of unforgiveness is replaced with the truth of God's forgiveness it is possible for her to begin her journey toward healing and freedom through faith in Jesus Christ.

Abortion is a very emotive subject and everyone seems to have an opinion about it, but it is legal and many, many women choose this as an answer to an unplanned pregnancy. We are told that every woman has the right to choose but what does she do when that choice then causes her pain, shame and regret. There are many women who suffer in silence because they are afraid to tell anyone that they aborted their unborn child. It is time for us to make it easier for every woman to find help when she is overcome by post-abortion stress. It's time to let her know that she will not be judged, condemned or rejected but embraced and accepted unconditionally as she strives to heal from her pain.

Love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) -

it's time for us to 'love' these women back to wholeness again.