Remember when you were a little girl who dreamed about growing up and changing the world?
Maybe you wanted to be a doctor, an author, or the first in your family to attend college. Maybe you dreamt of traveling the world, becoming a volleyball star, or owning your own home.
Maybe one of those reasons contributed to your abortion. You wanted to do something bigger than you felt continuing a pregnancy would allow.
You may not have known there would be any emotional repercussions after your abortion and find yourself struggling now.
Whatever your childhood aspirations were, having emotional trauma after an abortion was probably not on your bucket list.
But here you are now. And maybe you don’t know how to process the emotional rollercoaster you are on.
You can’t go back and undo the procedure. But you can move forward with hope and healing.
Talk to Someone About Your Abortion
Stuffing down your feelings and hiding your reality will not help you heal. Like an untreated disease, your hurt will fester until it consumes you.
Many women think they can’t talk about their abortion because people won’t understand. But as many as 42 million women have had an abortion. So the odds are pretty good that others will understand and have experienced the same thing.
So tell a trusted friend, a counselor, or a mentor. Admit what you experienced. Be willing to be vulnerable and honest. And you will feel a weight lifted off because you won’t have to carry this burden alone anymore.
Allow Yourself to Grieve
It is ok not to be ok.
Even though it is not commonly talked about on social media or in our culture, many women who have abortions have experienced emotional trauma in the aftermath. You are not alone in your feelings.
One study found that up to 39 percent of women had Post Traumatic Stress issues after their abortion.
Many post-abortive women do not allow themselves to grieve because they feel they don’t have the right to grieve for something they chose.
We are here to tell you that is a lie.
It is good and healthy to recognize the loss you are experiencing and walk through the stages of grief.
If you do not process your hurt, your heart will likely become hardened by your experience. Putting up walls to protect yourself will actually lead only to more internal damage.
Processing in a journal, with a counselor, or a mentor will help you to walk through the valley of grief and come out on the other side with hope for a bright future.
What Other Things Can You Do?
After you have shared your story and processed your grief, there are a few other ways you can heal emotionally after an abortion.
One of those is to find stories of others who have found healing after an abortion. Find out what helped them to find freedom and hope. A quick google search can offer up some stories of how others have begun their healing journey.
One way you can heal is to forgive yourself and others who played a role in your abortion.
And lastly, give our center a call. We have helped many women in your shoes. We have empathy for you and can help you face what you are walking through. You are not alone!
Your childhood dreams may not have included a painful abortion experience, but that doesn’t mean your future will be forever ruined. There is hope for a life lived with passion through a soft and forgiven heart full of new dreams.