We all have expectations for the future, especially when we pass through significant crossroads in life. Maybe you discovered an unexpected pregnancy sometime in the past and decided to have an abortion. Individuals who’ve faced challenges like yours often expect to feel relieved once they’re no longer pregnant. Perhaps you do feel relieved in certain ways. But maybe you’re also working through other difficult and complex emotions that you never saw coming.
Some people tend to look at their pregnancy situations in black-and-white terms. They reason that their pregnancy is the cause of their anxiety, so if the pregnancy comes to an end, so will this fear. It’s natural to see an unexpected pregnancy as a barrier. It’s also natural to believe that you’ll experience a sense of freedom once that barrier is removed, even if the choice was a difficult one. Not everyone’s abortion experience is like this, though. A pregnancy decision and its outcomes tend to be more complex than that. Maybe your abortion has ironically triggered more sadness, anxiety, and frustration, of a similar or different kind.
Post-abortion stress is a real phenomenon that many individuals struggle with. It can develop shortly after an abortion or many years later, and can manifest itself in many different ways. Post-abortion stress is the ongoing inability to process hard thoughts and feelings surrounding an abortion. This struggle is often marked by difficulty identifying a loss and finding peace of mind. If you’re experiencing symptoms like emotional numbness, sorrow, grief, guilt, or anger after an abortion, you may be facing post-abortion stress. Sometimes, when people don’t know how to process these emotions, they turn to unhealthy coping strategies that can deepen their pain and hurt their relationships. Maybe you’ve noticed some harmful patterns forming in your own life. Know that it’s never too late to break free of these patterns.
Unmet expectations of any kind can be hard to manage, especially when the effects are the opposite of what you anticipated. If you find yourself in that difficult space after ending a pregnancy, Restore After Abortion can help. We’re a free post-abortion recovery program that’s been around for over 20 years! Our goal is to support women and men in their unique journeys of healing emotionally from painful abortion experiences.
Reach out to us today! A Restore team member is available to meet you with warmth and compassion. We’d love to hear your story and help you re-discover hope for your future.