I had an abortion. How do I know if I need healing?

An abortion affects each person differently. There are women who seemingly do not regret their decision and appear unaffected emotionally. On the other hand, I have met many women who are hurting emotionally after an abortion. The question I receive quite frequently from women who have had an abortion is “How do I know if I need to seek healing?”. The questions below are based on the experiences that many women went through after an abortion. As you answer these questions honestly, your physical and emotional responses would give you an insight into how abortion has affected you. If you identify with any of the questions below, I would like to encourage you to seek help.

1. Do you try to ignore or block out your emotions connected to the abortion, while attempting to convince yourself to forget about it and move on with life, only to find that it is very difficult to do so?
2. Are you affected by physical reminders of your abortion? Does being around pregnant women, children or babies make you feel uncomfortable?
3. At the mention of the word ‘abortion’, either by friends, television programmes or even in books or magazines, do you experience a physical reaction such as a tight clenching in your gut or a drop in your heart?
4. Do you find it hard to forgive the people involved (or lack of involvement) in your abortion decision? Eg. spouse, boyfriend, parents, friends, medical personnel, yourself
5. Do you try to rationalise that you are better off without the child in your life?
6. Do you experience a sense of heaviness, sadness or emptiness within you after the abortion?
7. Are there certain times of the year when you find yourself particularly depressed, especially around the anniversary date of the abortion or the expected date of delivery?
8. Is there a change in your lifestyle after the abortion, such as drinking, exercising or sleeping excessively?
9. Has the way you view yourself, such as your self-worth or self- esteem, changed after the abortion?
10. Do you think about your aborted child?

We would love to journey with you as you embark on your healing journey. This journey may not be easy, but I would like to assure you that healing is possible. You can walk out of this pain one day and be set free from the pain of your abortion experience. If you would like to embark on this healing journey, please contact us.