 |
||
 |
||
        |
After Abortion - Now What? Are you in need of healing from a prior abortion(s)? You are definitely not alone! Read Toni's Story Approximately 1 in 4 women have had an abortion, and 9 out of 10 of these women will suffer emotional effects from these abortions. Can you identify any of the following symptoms in your life?
Some women try to replace the baby by having another one right away; others have a difficult time being around babies, children or pregnant women Some psychologists refer to these symptoms as PAS (Post Abortion Stress). And time does not usually erase these symptoms. But there is hope! We have trained post-abortion leaders who can help, either in a small group setting with other post-abortive women, or one-on-one. Our services are free, confidential, and offered by caring, compassionate people. For support call Debbie at 239-242-4220 Not in our area? Contact the national CareNet hotline at 1-800-395-HELP It was over 21 years ago that I had my first abortion. I thought I was choosing the solution that would make my problem go away and stay away. Never did I imagine, nor did anyone warn me, I would still be dealing with the psychological pain of my abortion decisions so long after the fact. Living with such guilt and shame and self-condemnation left lots of room in my life for me to act out and not care about myself, which only perpetuated my poor self-esteem. My healing process has been long and slow and only by the grace of God. Thankfully, several years ago, I had worked through allowing God to forgive me and I was daily working on forgiving myself because a true test of faith came when my husband and I decided to try to start a family. I became pregnant right away. We were so excited. We announced it to everyone. Eight weeks later, I miscarried. Just a few days prior, I saw the heart beat on an ultrasound, and I knew the baby was alive. Since both of my abortions were at 8 weeks, I made the connection between the baby that I lost and the “fetuses” that I aborted. Fortunately, my pathway to healing had already begun and my struggle to believe that God wasn’t punishing me was not as difficult as it could have been. But, that experience revealed to me that I needed more healing from the lasting affects of my abortions. After the birth of my second child, a PACE class (Post Abortion Counseling and Education) was being offered at my church. I made arrangements with the leader to work through the study with her individually. All I can say is I wish I had known about this PACE study sooner, because it has been life-changing for me.
|
|
|
||
