Identifying Post Abortion Stress (PAS)

For many women the initial feelings of relief and freedom experienced after an abortion are replaced months or years later with unexplained feelings of loss, guilt, and confusion.  Life seems to be a roller coaster of emotion for no apparent reason.  

Specifically, Post –Abortion Stress is a stress reaction experienced by some women after their abortions.  Much like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Post – Abortion Stress is caused by a woman’s inability to express her feelings surrounding her pregnancy and abortion.  In addition, the woman is not able to resolve her losses and come to a place of inner peace.  

Following is a list of common PAS symptoms. This composite list of symptoms is from a survey given to post-abortion women. Not all women experience all the symptoms; some women experience only a few; others identify with many of them. The alphabetical list starts with common PTSD symptoms and then lists those more specific to Post-Abortion Stress. Do you identify with any of these symptoms? 

General PTSD and PAS symptoms

• Alcohol and/or drug abuse
  (to dull painful emotions or escape reality)>
• Anger
  (often generalized or specifically aimed at those involved in the experience)
• Anxiety
  (probably non-specific or in the form of a panic attack)
• Brief psychosis
  (loss of reality lasting for a few days)
• Denial/repression
  (the “pushing down” of intolerable emotions)
• Depression
• Deterioration of self-concept
  (Self-worth, self-image)
• Disruption in relationships (increasing inability to be intimate or social with friends and family)
• Disturbance in sleep patterns (sleeping more or less than usual)
• Feelings of helplessness or powerlessness
• Grief (specific or non-specific)
• Guilt
• Isolation (staying alone more than usual)
• Nightmares or flashbacks
• Panic (sense of being out of control)
• Psychological numbing (a diminished ability to experience any emotion)
• Regret
• Remorse
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts

 Specific PAS Symptoms

• Anniversary syndrome
  (an increase of symptoms around anniversary dates: the abortion and/or due date of the aborted baby)
• Anxiety over infertility
• Avoidance behaviors
  (avoiding any person or situation – pregnant friends, infants, vaginal exams, etc. – which could trigger abortion-related emotions)
• Eating disorders
  (becoming overweight or underweight to “protect” oneself against a possible futures pregnancy; expression of self-hatred)
• Inability to bond with your children
• Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again
  (an attempt to replace the aborted baby)
• Psychosexual disorders
  (inability to engage in sexual activity or sexually acting out)
• Sudden, uncontrollable crying

**The information shared here was taken from “A Season To Heal” by Luci Freed & Penny Yvonne Salazar. 

If you have one or more of the listed symptoms you may be experiencing Post-Abortion Stress and may benefit from talking with someone about how to begin healing. Please contact us at the ABEL Center or call our abortion-recovery facilitators:  Pam at 276.210.5154 or Rebecca at 276.963.0676. We believe:

                             There is hope,

                                      There is help,

                                                & There is healing.