Any experience can affect our mental health, positively or negatively. How will abortion affect you mentally?

What Is Mental Health?

Our mental health is such an important part of our well-being and is often overlooked. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and act while also determining how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.

According to the Mayo Clinic, some signs your mental health might be negatively impacted are: 

• Feeling sad or down
• Confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate
• Excessive fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt
• Extreme mood changes of highs and lows
• Withdrawal from friends and activities
• Significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping
• Detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations
• Inability to cope with daily problems or stress
• Trouble understanding and relating to situations and to people
• Problems with alcohol or drug use
• Major changes in eating habits
• Sex drive changes
• Excessive anger, hostility or violence
• Suicidal thinking

If you feel that you are currently experiencing or find that you experience any of these symptoms after an abortion, you should see a trusted primary care provider or a mental health professional right away. 

If you have an abortion, you may experience a range of emotions, including guilt, sadness, or even relief. 

The National Institute of Health has found that “at least some women do have significant mental health issues that are caused, triggered, aggravated, or complicated by their abortion experience”. 

Women may feel a negative mental health impact after an abortion due to feeling pressured into an abortion or choosing an abortion without enough attention to the woman’s desires or moral beliefs.

If you experience any of these, it is important to contact a trusted healthcare provider or mental health professional as soon as possible. 

Questions? Need Help?

If you’re thinking about abortion or have had an abortion and need someone to speak with, reach out to us today. It’s free and confidential. 

You’re not alone. We’re here to walk with you on your journey providing you with the resources you need and the care you deserve.