THE MENTAL AFTEREFFECTS OF ABORTION: THE POST-ABORTION SYNDROME
A large percentage of women who have undergone an abortion; experience serious depression, and massive feelings of guilt. This has been called "Post-traumatic abortion syndrome," "Post abortion syndrome," "Post-abortion stress syndrome," "PAS," and "PASS". PAS seems to happen primarily to women who, at the time that they had an abortion believed that the fetus was not a human being, and changed their beliefs later. Felt heavily pressured, either by family, friends, or circumstances, into having an abortion that the didn't want. Did not received adequate counseling and information before the abortion.SYMPTOMS OF P. A. S.:
Guilt,
Anxiety attacks,
Pain,
Intense fear,
Nervous disorders,
Sleep disturbances,
Regrets about their decision,
Infertility,
Permanent alert for threats of danger.
Exaggerated startle responses,
Irritability,
Child abuse,
Lowered self-esteem,
Increased risk of having additional abortions,
Self-punishment through repeated abortions,
Prescription of psychotropic medicine,
Greater use of medical and psychiatric services among aborted women,
Stress,
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Feelings of helplessness or being trapped, or loss of control,
"Flight or fight" defense mechanisms.
Disorganization,
Disconnection from present circumstances,
Abnormal behavior,
Major personality disorders,
Intrusive and overwhelming flashback experiences,
Seeking the abortion as the violent killing of their own child,
Feelings identical to rape,
Outbursts of anger or rage,
Aggressive behavior,
Difficulty concentrating,
Hypervigilence,
Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep,
Recurrent and intrusive thoughts about the abortion,
Aborted child flashbacks,
Nightmares about the abortion or child,
Intense grief or depression on the due date of the aborted pregnancy or the anniversary date of the abortion,
Inability to recall the abortion experience or important parts of it;
Efforts to avoid activities or situations which may arouse recollections of the abortion,
Withdrawal from relationships,
Avoidance of children,
Efforts to avoid or deny thoughts or feelings about the abortion,
Restricted range of loving or tender feelings
A sense of a foreshortened future,
Drug or alcohol abuse,
Sexual dysfunctions: loss of pleasure,
An aversion to sex,
or the development of a promiscuous life-style,
Increased smoking,
Alcohol and drug abuse,
Divorce or separation,
Eating disorders: bulimia and anorexia,
Depression,
Violent behavior,
Replacement pregnancies,
Reduced maternal bonding with children born subsequently,
Suicidal thoughts
Suicide.
There are hundreds of help lines in North America. Most are anonymous, confidential and staffed by trained volunteers who care. They go by a variety of names: distress lines, crisis centers, suicide prevention bureaus, etc. Even though the words "crisis" and "suicide" often appear in their names, most of their calls are from people in distress and who simply want someone with whom they can talk. In the U.S. see: