What is Post-Abortion Syndrome?
Post-Abortion Syndrome is a form of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). PTSS is the result of having suffered an event so stressful and so traumatic that the person is taken beyond his/her ability to cope in a normal manner. Victims of PTSS are unable to simply resume their lives where they left off before the traumatic event. Instead they experience a variety of reactions that do not go away merely with the passage of time. Although the symptoms of PTSS (and PAS) are varied, and although they may not surface for years after the trauma, they are nonetheless real and need to be dealt with.
Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS) is not officially recognised as a psychiatric condition yet, however psychologists who have researched this area have discovered much about this syndrome, including that there is a common pattern of dysfunctional behaviour found in some women who have undergone an abortion.
In fact, many psychiatrists are now rethinking their position on the effects of abortion, as shown in the following newspaper article on 17th March, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia:
" Psychiatrists Rethink Abortion Effects"
Women may be at risk of developing mental health problems as a result of having an abortion, a leading group of doctors has warned. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has changed its position on how terminating a pregnancy affects women. Until now, the college said the risk of psychological problems that came from following through with the pregnancy outweighed those of having an abortion. But after a major review, it now acknowledges there may be mental health consequences of terminations.
The events leading up to and including the abortion itself are frequently of such a traumatic nature that Post-Abortion Syndrome is often the result. Some of the symptoms of Post-Abortion Syndrome are:
- Depression
- Sad moods
- Sudden and uncontrollable crying
- Deterioration of self-esteem
- Disruption in interpersonal relationships
- Sleep, appetite, and sexual disturbances
- Reduced motivation
- Thoughts of suicide
- "Anniversary Syndrome" (An increase of symptoms around the time of the anniversary of the abortion and/or the due date of the aborted child.)
- Re-experiencing the abortion
- Preoccupation with becoming pregnant again
- Anxiety over fertility and childbearing issues
- Disruption of the bonding process with present or future children
- Survival guilt: ...the decision boiled down to a sorrowful conclusion: "It's me or you, and I choose me."
- Development of eating disorders
- Alcohol and drug abuse
- Other self-punishing or self-degrading behaviors: abusive relationships, promiscuity, failing to take care of yourself medically or deliberately hurting yourself emotionally and/or physically
- Brief reactive psychosis: an episode of drastically distorted reality within two weeks of the abortion
If three or more of the symptoms listed above describe what a person has recently experienced in relation to an abortion, it is likely that they are experiencing Post-Abortion Syndrome.
In a study of post-abortion patients only 8 weeks after their abortion, researchers found that 44% complained of nervous disorders, 36% had experienced sleep disturbances, 31% had regrets about their decision, and 11% had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. This is very significant because some women show no evident effects from their abortions until years later.
A 5 year retrospective study found significantly greater use of medical and psychiatric services among women who had undergone an abortion. Most significant was the finding that 25% of abortive women made visits to psychiatrists. Women who have had abortions are significantly more likely than others to subsequently require admission to a psychiatric hospital. At especially high risk are teenagers, separated or divorced women, and women with a history of more than one abortion.
Since many post-abortive women use repression as a coping mechanism, there may be a long period of denial before a woman seeks psychiatric care. These repressed feelings may cause psychosomatic illnesses and psychiatric or behavioral issues in other areas of her life. As a result, some counsellors report that unacknowledged post-abortion distress is the causative factor in many of their female patients, even though their patients have come to them seeking therapy for seemingly unrelated problems.
Women need to be more adequately informed of the psychological, emotional and physical effects of having an abortion before they proceed. If they were more informed of the risks associated with abortion and given well-informed support and counselling, then there would be a higher chance of them looking at the other options available, such as continuing the pregnancy and receiving help from local support services so they feel better equipped to raise their baby, or considering the incredible gift of adoption.
Post-Abortion Syndrome seems to have a ‘hush’ around it. The fact that it is not a well-known issue is probably because of the shame, guilt and denial involved for many abortive women, and also because of the denial by many medical practitioners and psychiatrists that PAS even exists – abortion is a multi-billion dollar industry after all. However, the reality is that it does exist and many dedicated researchers and medical practitioners have clearly shown this through numerous studies and statistics of post-abortive women.
This is an issue that needs closer attention and wider public education so that women can make an informed decision about their pregnancies, understanding beforehand the traumatic and damaging effects of abortion, and being aware that help is available if they have had an abortion and are suffering with Post-Abortion Syndrome. This will help bring the truth of PAS into the light and break the silence that surrounds it.
For immediate assistance dealing with depression please call
Beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 131 114
