Post-Abortion Counseling Resources- Care for Women
Almost a million abortions are performed each year. That means many of those women walk away from that procedure having complicated feelings of loss and trauma about what their body has gone through. The mental ramifications can be even worse. Some of these women with wounded hearts suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress-induced trauma that can be hard to recover from on their own. Post-abortion counseling resources can help.
Knowing where to receive those services can be a big boost to a woman’s recovery and beneficial mental health. Feeling sad and alone after an abortion is common. Grief, anger and sometimes regret can also be a part of the picture, which can be tough to deal with on your own. Know that you don’t have to suffer in silence, making it worse in the long run.
Caring Network is here to help. We are a pro-life organization that provides healing and post-abortion counseling resources to women in the Chicagoland area. Let’s look at more facts about the benefits of post-abortion counseling, and how it can help to prevent depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and more mental health issues. Your road to healing is on the way with the right post-abortion counseling that we are more than happy to share at Caring Network.
What Is Post-Abortion Counseling?
Restore After Abortion is a service that we offer at Caring Network. The program offers post-abortion support, either individually, or in a group setting. This post-abortion recovery program is not only offered to women, but men as well. They are often the silent sufferers when their partner undergoes this procedure. Similar feelings of guilt, regret, and shame may come up that affect men’s mental health too, making it hard to go about daily life.
Restore is provided free of charge for those with post-abortion stress, who are struggling to cope. There are both in-person and virtual options that are available and work with your comfort level. During these confidential sessions, you’ll learn hope to cope with the trauma of your abortion experience, often with others who have experienced firsthand. The Restore group leaders will be able to help you walk through the emotional toll that the experience has taken on you, and find beneficial ways to cope and move forward in a healthy way.
Some of the emotional and mental health side-effects you may have from your experience of having an abortion may include the following:
- Feeling isolated and alone
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Suicidal feelings or ideation
- Shame or guilt
- Trouble communicating
- Regret and sadness
All of these feelings are common and troublesome to go through, but need to be dealt with so that the spiral of hurt doesn’t continue for longer periods of time and interfere with your quality of life, work, or taking care of your family.
How Can I Help a Woman After an Abortion?
Friends and family may wonder how they can help someone that has gone through an abortion. This is a tricky situation for anyone to deal with, because when you love someone, you want to be there for them, but you might be at a loss for words about what to say or do.
One thing that may be helpful is just offering a listening ear. Take that person out for a meal or coffee to chat, and let them know that you are there for them, no matter what. Check in on that person over the coming weeks and months to make sure they are okay. Even if you don’t know exactly the right words to say, often any kind of compassionate contact helps. That lets the person know you care.
One of the most important things you can do is encourage them to seek post-abortion counseling. Direct them towards our resources at Care Network and the Restore After Abortion services. Encouraging them to call or text, 630-599-0043, to receive these beneficial services may be something they didn’t even think about doing. It can help them in so many ways.
How to Overcome Guilty Painful Feelings After Getting an Abortion
This is one of the hardest parts. Many women experience feelings of guilt, pain, and overwhelming sadness after getting an abortion. That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, but know that you aren’t alone. There are millions of women out there that have been through the difficult task of ending a pregnancy. Be gentle with yourself and know that it will take time for these feelings to go away. The journey may not be easy, but there are resources and support available to help you move towards a place of healing.
Take care of your body and mind. Get the right amount of sleep each night, eat a healthy diet, and get some moderate exercise to boost your mental health. Explore activities and hobbies that you like to do, which will not only help your mood, but will make you happy in the process. Go to the park, get outside, and spend some time in nature. Getting out of the house will naturally boost your mood by spending some time in the sun and getting that good old vitamin D.
It may be nice to spend some extra time with family and friends who love you, because that can help the healing as well. Sharing your story with them could be the key to dealing with your grief the right way. Above all, know that it will take some time, so be kind to yourself throughout your healing and experience after.
Hope and Healing After an Abortion
There is hope and healing after an abortion for everyone involved. This is especially easier for a person if they take the time to explore everything post-abortion counseling can offer. If you or someone you know could benefit from post-abortion services, give us a call or send us a text message today. We at the Caring Network are more than happy to give you all the information you need to set you on a path to healing from your post-abortion stress and trauma.
