'Having an abortion does not increase a woman's chance of developing mental health problems, according to a large study that challenges anti-abortion groups' claims that termination causes trauma and depression.
The research, commissioned by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and funded by the Department of Health, should reassure women that they are at no greater risk than if they give birth, the authors said.'
For a compilation, a veritable litany of studies ignored by the Royal Colleges and the NHS, see John Smeaton's post. For a cursory glance at what is now an open secret, since the internet has quite a few online support groups for women who suffer after an abortion, try PASS (Post Abortion Stress Syndrome), which wasn't even set up by someone who was 'pro-life'. The individual who set up the online group states, quite categorically, that the site is 'neutral' on abortion. They just recognise the often negative mental effects of it. Commending the site, one woman says...
'I found this site the day after I had my abortion--thank goodness! I was numb through all of the planning for the abortion and through the whole procedure itself, but as soon as it was over, I felt the world crash down around me and my heart deflate, and I started hyperventilating. I went to sleep for the rest of that day, and was hysterical the next day. To make it worse, I felt like nobody would understand my pain and that I wouldn't find any support because of the stigma involved in having an abortion. But then I found this site! I realized that all of my emotions had a name and were "normal" (the clinic I went to said women feel relief afterwards and didn't counsel me before or even after about PASS). The information about PASS, the individual recovery steps, the remembrance ideas, and especially the understanding and care from women on the message boards may have just saved my life. I don't know if I would have been able to work through my loss without this site, partly because I don't know if I would have thought that I was "allowed" to grieve after an abortion. And I sure wouldn't have known how to work through everything I felt in such positive, healing ways without everyone's advice. I feel like this is my stability--the thing that's always here and always understanding 24 hours a day. I browsed around other sites, but didn't find the non-judgmental and non-political environment I could get from here. Thanks to everything I've learned here, I've been able to work through the emotions I'm feeling. I still miss and love my baby and I always will, and I still have some ups and downs, especially on anniversaries or if something just triggers me, but I have many more good days than bad now. And I'm making happy plans for the future.'
Or, what about this concerned friend, who wrote to 'Net Doctor' asking for advice as to how she can help her friend who is suffering mentally after two abortions...
'My 21-year-old friend had her second abortion two months ago.
She's been seeing a psychiatrist for the past few years due to family problems and, because she didn't cope well with the first termination, she was put in a mental unit because she tried suicide this time around rather than have the abortion.
The abortion was the on the advice of her psychiatrist who, despite not diagnosing her with a mental illness, thought that she would not cope well with a baby.
Immediately after the termination, she discharged herself from hospital saying that the staff were trying to ruin her life.
She has had no support since, because she believes all the doctors are against her.
My concern is that for the two months since she left hospital she still believes that she's pregnant, going out and buying baby clothes and visiting the local maternity ward to try and see the babies there.
I've tried talking some sense into her, but she just says that everything will be okay once the 'baby' arrives in May and that I need to start coming to terms with her pregnancy.
I don't know what to do any more. I'm worried about what she'll do if this belief of hers doesn't go before May when the child doesn't come. Is there anyone I can talk to about this and get her some help?
She absolutely refuses to speak to anyone in the health sector about this because she's convinced they tried to ruin her life by putting her through the abortion.
In her eyes, the termination didn't work because she's meant to have a baby.'
Gosh. Well, that must be just an aberration. Poor lamb. Or alternatively, again on the Net Doctor site, in which GPs and psychologists receive complaints from women who have had an abortion of stress, depression, trauma and even thoughts of suicide. Take this question, as an example...
'I recently had a termination through British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) without consulting my GP.
However, I am racked with guilt over my actions and wish that I hadn’t gone ahead with this operation (I was 11-weeks pregnant).
It doesn’t help that I read that for a termination to be performed legally, two doctors must assess me. Only one doctor saw me for a few minutes a week before the operation.
I feel distraught over my actions and feel that I was not offered enough support with my decision. No one asked me if I was sure about my actions.
I realise that the above is of little concern now, but I feel my mental health is deteriorating rapidly.
Please could you let me know where I can receive some kind of help, support or counselling?'
But, of course, all these women or their friends who write into net forums desperately asking for help after their abortions are lying or mad or something, because the Academy of Royal Colleges and the NHS are totally impartial on abortion and completely trustworthy when it comes to undertaking research in this hotly disputed field. Why does the NHS spend so much money commissioning surveys and researches on such matters when a volunteer at their offices could have just looked it up on Google for free?
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