While having an abortion doesn’t automatically mean a woman will face mental health effects, they are possible. One study found that “abortion directly contributes to mental health problems for at least some women.” It’s critical to understand these problems before making a pregnancy decision.
Next Step Pregnancy Decision and Support Services knows you have many options when seeking information. We’ll give you the facts to move forward confidently. Keep reading to learn more about abortion and mental health.
What Mental Health Effects Could Occur?
As mentioned previously, abortion can contribute to mental health problems for some women. Moreover, certain risk factors, like preexisting mental health issues, a history of abortion, and having faced pressure to abort, can increase the chances of developing these problems.
Possible mental health effects include:
- Sadness
- Grief
- Feelings of loss
- Depression
- Anxiety
While these don’t happen for every woman, if they do occur, they might appear days or weeks after an abortion. For some women, mental health struggles don’t surface until years afterward.
Every woman will have a different experience. What she’s thinking and feeling is valid, and if she’s struggling to cope with her past abortion, help is available.
What We Offer
Next Step Pregnancy Decision and Support Services will walk alongside you after an abortion. Though you may want to bury any mental health challenges deep inside, they can prevent you from finding healing and peace.
We provide non-judgmental abortion recovery support to help you process what you’re experiencing. One-on-one and group support is available, so you can select the option you feel most comfortable with.
We aren’t here to shame you or make assumptions. This is part of your story; we’ll help you find healing and support.
Schedule a free and confidential appointment today. No matter what, you are not alone.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.