Guilt
Resulting from violating one's own sense of right and wrong.
Anxiety
Headaches, dizziness, pounding heart, muscle tightness, difficulty sleeping, etc.
Psychological numbing
The unconscious vow to never let anything hurt this badly again, can hamper the ability to enter fully into an emotionally intimate relationship.
Depression
Sad mood, episodes of sudden and uncontrollable crying, deterioration of self-concept, sleep and appetite disturbances, reduced motivation, loss of normal sources of pleasure, thoughts of suicide.
Re-experiencing events related to the abortion
Persistent thoughts and/or flashbacks. Memories or nightmares involving themes of lost or dismembered babies.
Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again
Representing an unconscious hope that a new pregnancy will replace the baby that was aborted.
Anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues
Being convinced that God will punish her by withholding future pregnancies.
Interruption or disruption of the bonding with present and/or future children.
Under-bonding or over-bonding with other children, whether born before or after she had her abortion
Self-abuse / Self-destructive behaviors
Eating disorders, alcohol and/or substance abuse, cigarette smoking, abusive relationships either physically or emotionally, promiscuity, failure to take care of one's self medically.
Anniversary reactions
An increase in symptoms around the time of the anniversary of the abortion, or the due date of the aborted child, or both.
Brief psychotic disorder
A psychotic break with reality lasting for a short period of time within two weeks of the abortion. Note: This may also happen during the process of post-abortive therapy.
2015 A Choice to Heal. A division of "A Journey to the Potter's House".