Abortion Recovery

The Decision Felt Right at the Time, but Now You Aren't Feeling Good

60 Second Read by Leslie Cochrane, LPC at CochraneCounseling.com

Something convinced you at one time and place that you were just not ready to carry a child to term. Maybe it was school, a bad relationship, finances, your age, or career, but it was just not the right time to have a baby. This certainly was not a decision you took lightly. You took time to consider what you thought was best. You certainly were not alone in seeking an abortion. Guttmacher Institute reported that in 2020 there were 930,160 abortions across the fifty states, with 58% of the women having their first abortion. The number of abortions increased by 1.5% from 2019 showing it is still a popular choice in family planning. (1)

These are some of the startling facts of what first-pregnancy post-abortive women experience:

• Three times more likely to commit suicide. (2)

• Increased risk of anxiety and depression. (3)

• Increased risk for sleeping and eating disorders. (4)

If you made your decision but now you are experiencing unforeseen grief and a sense of loss you should seek counseling with a licensed professional. When these feelings are left untreated, they can escalate to suicidal thoughts and self-harming through substance abuse.

Some people can experience anxiety and depression that will progress to disbelief, anger, regret, trauma or acute stress leading to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In the past most women were expected to 'get over it' and did not seek help for anbortion recovery until after their mental health was at risk, often years after an abortion. Thankfully women are now much more likely to seek help within weeks and months afterwards, and not wait years. A professional counselor can help you with processing through grief, loss, and any other negative symptoms. Recovery is a process and women should be patient with and kind to themselves during it.

Contact Leslie Cochrane, LPC at Dayspring Center for Christian Counseling, (256) 878 - 3809, or schedule with another of their other excellent counselors to start your abortion recovery.

CochraneCounseling.com By Leslie Cochrane, LPC is where you can find information about myself and my practice. Through experience, education, and faith I developed my personal approach that I call Wise Science – Big Heart. That approach brings the four corners of cutting edge psychology, wisdom of our forefathers, love of neighbor, and love of something greater than yourself into helping you to build a joyful, balanced life.

1. Wind, R. (2017). Abortion is a common experience for U.S. women, despite dramatic declines in rates. Guttmacher Institute. Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/abortion-common-experience-us-women-despite-dramatic-declines-rates.

2. Cougle, J.R., Reardon, D.C., and Coleman, P.K. (2003). Depression associated with abortion and childbirth: A long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort, Medical Science Monitor, 9(4):CR157.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.