1. Grief. “If not grieved, the abortion has twice the effect then regular non-abortion pregnancy loss. Women are less likely to be able to mourn the loss with acceptance from family/friends because society says you cannot talk about it.” (NEY)

 

2. Anger. Hostility to many around you and to yourself.

 

3. Depression. Some have suicidal thoughts, self-destructive behavior, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, emptiness, and lower self esteem. Preoccupied by the subject of death or dying and frequent thoughts of the aborted child.

 

4. Bad relationships. 80 to 90% of all relationships break down after an abortion and relationships following the abortion deteriorate, or struggle to survive.

 

5. Fear. “I did something bad and something bad will happen to me, or my surviving family”. Sometimes there are nightmares and phobias.

 

6. Guilt. Sense of feeling estranged from God, cannot forgive self, repeated sacramental confessions, self-punishment, trying to undo what was done.

 

7. Addictions. For some, there is increased incidence of addictions to drugs and alcohol, food, eating disorders, sexual addictions, work-addiction (keeping busy in order not to feel pain, sadness).

 

8. Physical Disorders. Abdominal pains (especially on anniversary dates of abortion, date of would-be-birth). Backaches, sexual disorders, menstrual disorders, infertility, stillbirths, premature births, frequent miscarriages, tubal pregnancies, pelvic inflammatory disease, breast cancer, etc.

 

9. Difficulty parenting. Impatient and abusive, or over protective and smothering of surviving children. “An abortion may truncate the initial mother-infant bond, diminishing future mothering capabilities. Dr. Philip Ney, MD, FRCP(C)