Tragic life lessons. Post-abortion syndrome in men. What are the symptoms of post-abortion syndrome? Can a man suffer from post-abortion syndrome?

The liberalization of abortion has already caused great harm to the family and society, and even more harm from it will be in the near future. And these consequences are irreparable. Often women suffering from the consequences of an abortion complain: "Why didn't anyone tell us about this before?" During an abortion, not only the baby is killed at the beginning of its development, but the woman herself becomes a victim due to the consequences of this intervention. Abortion is always death, irreversible and irreparable. Mental and mental disorders in women after an abortion have especially increased in our time. Spouses of women who have had an abortion experience similar effects. Depressive guilt develops into real grief. As the experience of other countries shows, the legalization of abortions increases their number.

What is post-abortion syndrome?

Abortion is a tragedy. This is an unnatural act that, in addition to physical complications, causes numerous mental disorders, internal devastation and personality changes, called POST-ABORTION SYNDROME (PAS).

Post-abortion syndrome is a combination mental symptoms and diseases that may result from abortion. This applies primarily to women who have had an abortion, as well as men and doctors who took part in it. The main symptom of the disease is the constant pursuit of the experience in the woman's subconscious. Sometimes the symptoms of PAS can be observed for a long time after an abortion and their possible consequences can be seen much later. PAS is known all over the world. The emotional wounds of the post-abortion syndrome are equated to a time bomb that can explode at any time. Psychotherapy is not able to solve the problem of guilt. That is why the relationship between psychotherapy and concern for the salvation of the soul is so necessary. Abortion is a violent intervention in the natural processes of the female body, so a woman after it can experience various psychosomatic or even mental disorders. Professor Bernard Nathanson, MD, former head of the world's largest abortion clinic, said in the impressive abortion film Silent Scream: "The second victim of an abortion is a woman, but who takes her pain seriously? Hardly anyone even thinks about it ".

Why is abortion so hard to forget?

At a consultation, a woman is not told what to expect after an abortion, that is, about all its possible consequences. Few women knew about the consequences of abortion, even fewer were those who were warned against it. If counseling centers claim to defend the personal freedom of a woman during an unwanted pregnancy, then they must tell her the whole truth about the post-abortion syndrome. There can be no half-truth or silence here.

Few women are able to talk about their pain after an abortion. When a woman says, "Abortion didn't mean anything to me," one must understand that this phrase is just a mask to hide her suffering. Women who talk about "relief" after an abortion don't call a spade a spade. What kind of relief can we talk about if a woman feels constantly, all her life, personal guilt for what she has done? Abortion advocates, in advocating "liberalization" of the abortion law, often refer to bleeding women who have abortions from hacks in unsuitable places. Indeed, there is no doubt that there are women who will get rid of a child at any cost, just to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy, even risking their own lives. But it is the responsibility of both pro- and anti-abortion parties to warn women about PAS. The talk about "women's self-determination" is a mockery and an understatement of the issue, because women are simply not informed about the consequences of abortion. A doctor who undertakes even the "simplest" operation and does not warn about possible risk, are held liable if the operation has Negative consequences for the patient's health. The surgeon, even before the usual operation, gives a written certificate that he has given the appropriate explanations. As for the so-called legal abortion, the risk here is extremely high. And it consists, first of all, in the psychosomatic and social consequences for a woman. They are, at first glance, subtle, but they can not be silent /

Symptoms of Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS)

A woman is called to be a mother. The ability to grow a new life in oneself gives fullness and value to the female soul. Even if at the level of reason a woman considers abortion acceptable and inevitable, in the depths of her soul it causes a feeling of severe pain, guilt, irreparable loss. In other words, the conscious decision in favor of abortion coexists with its complete denial in the subconscious. It is much easier to remove a baby from a mother's womb than to erase the memory of a child in her soul.

Psychologists most often note such symptoms after an abortion:

• DEPRESSION WITH GUILT.
• Grieving and resentment, turning into aggression.
• PERSONALITY CHANGES.

These symptoms manifest themselves in various physical and mental disorders ah, observed for a long time.

Feelings of emptiness, loss, grief and pain are what PAS usually starts with. Both the woman who had an abortion and those who were related to him can mourn the lost baby. Most women after an abortion become apathetic, fearful, tense, impressionable and tired. Often fall into depression, which lowers immunity against various diseases. PAS can have all the features of major depression up to and including psychosis.

The conception and bearing of a child is a mystery of being, and a woman in her motherhood is included in this mystery in a special, deep way, regardless of whether she is aware of this or not. A being called to eternal life grows under the mother's heart. This endows a woman with greatness, and the destruction of this state becomes her personal tragedy. Feelings of guilt are associated with the loss of a sense of self-worth. By destroying a child, a woman destroys something great that was brought to the altar of lower goals, conveniences. Guilt is exacerbated by factors such as infertility due to abortion, miscarriages, premature birth the birth of a sick child.

If you do not admit guilt and not be treated, this often leads to the abuse of alcohol and drugs, excessive intensity of life, unnecessary activity. Their motto is to be constantly busy so that the feeling of guilt does not appear again. If you drive the guilt deeper, then you will be able to convince others more than yourself that everything is supposedly going well with you. If you take all the blame on yourself, then depression will only increase, which can even lead to suicide. According to American studies, suicide after an abortion is gradually becoming a frightening phenomenon. Such women in number began to take second place after alcoholics. Guilt can also be waived: "I'm not guilty. I didn't do anything wrong." Either partially get rid of it by watching horror films (against the backdrop of terrible crimes, your abortion is simply nothing), or take a fighting position. Feelings of guilt are predominantly inherent in sensitive people. Sometimes they panic, they want to save someone, help others. This leads to the fact that, while solving other people's problems, they cannot solve their own, and their morbid condition worsens even more. If a woman tries to suppress her guilt with anger, she will transfer it to someone else: a husband, a lover, in the abstract, to all the men whom she considers to be the culprits of abortion and the misfortune of women, to her parents, who treated her badly in childhood. Then they say this: "I would not have done this. He (they) forced me." Objectively, this is understandable, because the man participated both in the conception of the child and in the decision to have an abortion. There are even cases when a partner forces a woman to make this decision, often against her will. But even if the initiator of the abortion is a woman, her previous desires after the abortion are sharply reversed. If earlier she thought that she did not want a child, then at this time, on the contrary, she wants one. And nothing can be changed. This makes her suffer greatly; and she blames both herself and the man for this.

Many women say they can no longer love the man who caused them to lose their child. With the death of a child, love also disappears. A woman loses confidence in her partner, does not feel protected next to him. My husband is also experiencing the same problem. The conflict between partners deepens, it is very difficult to overcome it. As a result, reproaches to a man can turn into real hatred. 70% of married and unmarried couples out of a hundred interviewed separated within a year of an abortion that made their relationship unbearable. It is known that 90% of divorced marriages had an abortion in their history.

A woman whose biological nature contains love, the ability and desire to give birth to children, has destroyed this new life in herself. Her feminine identity has been destroyed. She no longer believes that she is tender, able to love and educate, believes that she does not deserve true love. However, she still tries to be feminine or, conversely, believes that it is impossible for her to be gentle again, and therefore becomes a militant feminist. And hence violations in the intimate sphere are natural. Women who become pregnant before marriage and terminate the pregnancy under the pressure of a partner, in most cases, break off all relations with him.

Many women after an abortion show anger and aggression towards the doctor, rightly believing that he was obliged to warn about possible consequences abortion.

During pregnancy, hormones cause strong physiological changes in a woman's body. Termination of pregnancy leads to a hormonal breakdown, which is one of the causes of depression that occurs after an abortion. Women become melancholic, sad and suffer from insomnia. Terrible dreams, obsessive memories, lack of appetite or, conversely, increased appetite, disturbance of the biological rhythm, causeless crying, drastic changes moods, fits of rage - all this is typical for women after an abortion.

The constant desire to return the lost child is intertwined with the imagined difficulties of raising the next child. Because of this, a woman pulls in every possible way with next pregnancy, or trying to "fix" the abortion with a second pregnancy.

Often, after an abortion, men and women try to avoid everything that somehow reminds them of children. It happens that a terrible antipathy develops towards everything that concerns the baby. They avoid pregnant women, children in every possible way ... Even in stores, such women hastily go through the department for babies.

Scientists involved in wave genetics believe that after an abortion, an informational trace remains in the uterus - the memory of a child that was "deleted" before birth, and this trace affects the psyche of subsequent children and their relationship with their parents. Women who have had an abortion have much big problems with their next child are often not ready to breastfeed. If the baby cries, they are helpless, cowardly or aggressive. The less the mother is attached to the child, the more the child encounters anger and careless attitude towards himself. Therefore, such children "cling" to their mother for fear of losing her, and this causes even more irritation and fear in the mother.

Usually, those who terminate a pregnancy have few children and show either strange aggressiveness towards them, or, conversely, they turn into a type of extremely protective (so-called "echolocation") mother, whose caring is so insatiable that it borders on aggressiveness.

A woman who has had an abortion tends to be cynical about herself and others. An attempt at self-justification can make her an active advocate of abortion by advising others to have an abortion. At the same time, women are distrustful of people. They are afraid that they will again be manipulated, as they have already done, by advising abortion.

The character of a woman after an abortion changes radically. They admit that they cannot cry, "something" has stopped in them. Instead of the tenderness inherent in the mother, callousness and intolerance appear. The aggression with which the abortion began continues to live in them. These character traits cause conflicts with others and, ultimately, the breakup of the family. A special form of aggressiveness is the attitude of such women towards pregnant women who keep the child. It's kind of like envy. Conversely, the realization that many women have abortions brings them an imaginary relief (“I'm not the only one”, “everyone does it”).

Negative character traits acquired after an abortion are inherent in a woman for a long time and can remain forever. Neither drugs nor psychotherapy will help here. They are powerless against the pangs of conscience. Only the repentance and forgiveness of Almighty God can help in such cases. Medicine must here give way to theology.

Realizing that conflicts after an abortion cannot be resolved, a woman is inclined to repeat this tragedy again. It is also likely that by having an abortion, she is recreating the cruelty and indifference from her childhood. Perhaps she inherits her mother in resolving her own conflicts that arise from her past experiences; destroys children, preventing his mother from becoming a grandmother.

The mothers and grandmothers of women who have had abortions have also artificially terminated their pregnancies, often for the same reasons. Therefore, abortion can be considered a form of tragic domestic violence.

That's far from full list consequences of abortion, collected by the Munich Consulting Group on the basis of data from American therapists (David Reardon, Susan Stanford and others).

PAS definition - 1985 achievement

In Germany, post-abortion syndrome was described by Dorothe Elbruch in her book "The risk of abortion and trauma after that." D. Elbruch notes that for the first time the definition of PAS was developed in 1985 by an American psychologist and family therapist, Dr. Anne S. Specgard in her dissertation. She notes that information about PAS is often deliberately suppressed as harmful to women who have already had an abortion, and to those who are about to do so. D. Elbruch rightly asks: where a woman after an abortion can "hide" from her grief. After all, many lured her into this trap, portraying abortion as a simple denouement, even sarcastically remarking that this, they say, is in the interests of the child. The human narrow-minded mind, of course, sometimes allows such "jokes". However, instinct, psyche, conscience will sooner or later make themselves felt. D. Elbruch considers unjustified such self-confidence that, they say, post-abortion syndrome can be prevented by holding several conversations, and then boldly continue work on the liberalization of abortion. These questions are much more problematic than some interested people who earn a lot of money in this business imagine. So, for example, they assure that if women suffer after an abortion because of excessive guilt, then you need to get rid of it as decisively as possible, while breaking with the religion that "imposes" it on them. We are talking, they say, about the "acquired", completely unnecessary sense of guilt.

However, Ms. Elbruch refers to the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber: "Real guilt comes when human relationships are broken." If we proceed from such a definition of guilt, then we can say: a woman understands very well that by abortion she violated human relations, arbitrarily destroying life. This does not mean at all that women who have had an abortion should be pilloried, the first stone thrown at them, but, according to D. Elbruch, they should realize their responsibility for what they have done. Only in this way, having understood what an abortion is, and deciding never to repeat it again, can a woman partially get rid of a strong sense of guilt. Discussions about PAS are called "confrontations" by therapists. According to them, women who suffer from PAS do not need any therapeutic or church help. However, experience shows the opposite. Conscience cannot be experimented with. She is neither feminist nor anti-feminist, she cannot be silenced, she is incorruptible. No topic concerning abortion is such a strong taboo as the fact that the unborn child, at whatever stage of development he may be, is "human from the beginning", and also the one that after the abortion comes retribution for the "mother" - remorse and boundless guilt.

The mental consequences of abortion are a closed and complex topic. It is very difficult to study it because of the large number of abortions. In addition, women who have had an abortion are mostly left with their problems alone, outside medical supervision. The doctor who performed the abortion does not follow the condition of his patient in the future. Hence - different estimates of the consequences of abortion. Objectivity overall picture It is also complicated by the subjectivity of doctors, who, along with abortionists, often argue that a “properly” abortion does not have any harmful consequences for a woman. But in practice, everything is different: the negative consequences of an abortion can appear much later, sometimes even after many years. All women who terminated pregnancy, for various social or family reasons, were in depressed state. Abortion seemed to them the only way out of this situation. This state is characterized by infantilism. Before a therapeutic operation, the patient wants to know about its consequences. On the eve of an abortion, a woman usually closes her eyes to everything. She does not want to see anything or anyone and wants to quickly forget everything.

Doctors and nurses involved in abortion also feel guilty

Under the heading "What Doctors Feel When They Have an Abortion," an American newspaper reports the mind-boggling mental consequences for doctors after abortions: "He left his job. His colleagues and nurses were treated by psychiatrists. The working conditions in the clinic were excellent, there was no overtime, etc. But the doctors and nurses, feeling guilty, began to abuse alcohol, were nervous in the operating room." The chief physician describes his terrible experience as follows: “One of my colleagues had hallucinations during each abortion. It seemed to him that the fetus was trying to prevent the abortion. With his small nails, he seemed to cling to the walls of the uterus, fought to stay in shell ... Other doctors sweated during abortion, their hands trembled. Between operations they drank alcohol. They were tormented by terrible dreams. Some dreamed for months only of blood. " Today, this chief physician runs a clinic for the treatment of children with physical disabilities. He regained his peace of mind.

Mental consequences of abortion

The statement that the mental consequences of abortion are not frequent or short-lived is incorrect. Psychosocial questionnaires of women after a legally performed abortion confirm the severity of this operation. There is no abortion without risk. On the one hand, we are talking about the death of an unborn child, and on the other hand, a pregnant woman does something that is diametrically opposed to her femininity and maternal instinct. Since abortion is an unnatural act that contradicts the nature of a woman, her purpose, she falls into a psychological conflict with herself, the people around her and the world. A woman loses her baby during an abortion, not the embryo. Therefore, in a psychosocial consultation during conflict pregnancy she rejects alternative proposal about the adoption of her unborn child, arguing as follows: "I will not give own child, their own flesh and blood, for the upbringing of strangers. I'd rather have an abortion." A woman's psychological crisis caused by abortion is much more severe than, for example, breast loss. After all, this is only a part of a woman's body, and an unborn child is the only uniqueness of its kind that her own mother took her life. Mental consequences of abortion (this is confirmed by 80% of the hundred women surveyed) are much harder than physical ones, because they are almost impossible to treat.

Women are oppressed by the very memory of having an abortion. They try to find ways to protect them from guilt, remorse, and depression. For the most part, they imagined abortion as a necessary remedy for depression, which came as a result of an unplanned pregnancy. And it happened the other way around: women only after an abortion learned what real depression is. Intelligent women are harder, more consciously experiencing an abortion conflict. At consultations during unwanted pregnancies, they are sensitive, motherly and more responsible. They are much more likely to deliver a child. Show more judgment and understanding of psychological arguments than less spiritually mature women. If they still terminate the pregnancy, then they take the abortion very hard. An unintelligent or spiritually infantile (immature) woman is insensitive to the point of stupidity, is not responsible for her words and deeds. She is either hysterical or sad. During the consultation, it is striking that such a woman very rarely treats her unborn child well. Therefore, she is more likely than a spiritually mature woman to have abortions. After an abortion, she is more inclined to forget all problems, and reduce the conflict to vegetative-neurotic disorders.

Men and conflicts with them due to women's pregnancy

If the father of the child, having learned about the pregnancy of his partner, remains on the sidelines, the woman finds herself in a hopeless situation. If a man is happy with the pregnancy, the woman goes for an abortion in rare cases. But when he says to a woman: "Pregnancy is only your problem," then abortion becomes the only way out for the woman. Experience shows that the union of a man and a woman often breaks up after an abortion, which is incompatible with a perfect partnership. Often a man leaves a woman just because he cannot bear her pangs of conscience. I don't know a woman who could on your own overcome the negative consequences of abortion. Many experts on this issue agree with this idea, for example, Susan Stanford, who described the post-abortion syndrome in great detail, Karin Struk and others. We came to the conclusion that the only possibility to overcome the consequences of abortion is Christian forgiveness. And we speak frankly about this to women, encouraging them to trust the shepherd, so that through God's forgiveness they can start life anew. About how much trouble PAS can bring, studies conducted in Germany show: 80% of women suffer from the mental consequences of an abortion! Each modern man must know that human life begins at conception and is inviolable from that moment until natural death. We have no right to kill a person. The Lord forbids us to do this in one of the Ten Commandments given through Moses to all people who have no equal in the moral directives of mankind. It is these commandments that people need to be guided by in their sexual relations in order to avoid numerous abortions.

Women destroy children in their womb because they feel abandoned by their partners. This is the result of a study by the Institute for Psychosomatic Medicine, Psychotherapy and Medical Psychology and the Technical University of Munich. In most cases, men feel relief after a woman has had an abortion. Mostly they do not realize at all what consequences an abortion has for a woman, and try to forget about it as soon as possible. Here is the result of surveys conducted by psychologist Helga Reder: in 80% of all cases, the initiator of an abortion is a man who does not want to tie himself to a child. Men also indirectly influenced a woman's decision through "avoidance of problems associated with pregnancy, evasion of responsibility and emotional distancing from a partner." For women, this is, of course, an insult that entails a loss of self-confidence. In such a situation, abortion seems to them the only way out. Men "comfort" women with the fact that they can have a child later.

Consequences of post-abortion trauma for family and society

Link between violent behavior and abortion

Women who have had an abortion tend to be abusive towards their children, and people who have been abusive are more likely to agree to an abortion. Abortion and abuse are cause and effect, not always concentrated in one person, but most likely in one family. The root of sin is selfishness. To kill a child is to kill something in oneself (self-abuse). We should not be surprised that abortion increases the likelihood of child abuse. The consequence of an abortion is depression, which does not contribute to inner peace, communication with other people, including children. It should be noted, however, that one of the arguments in favor of abortion is that the artificial termination of unwanted pregnancies, they say, will reduce the incidence of child abuse. After all, it is believed that just unwanted children are abused. Statistics show the opposite: with the increase in the number of abortions, all kinds of bullying increase! A distinction should be made between PAS (Post-Abortion-Syndrome) and PASS (Post-Abortion-Survivor-Syndrome). PAS are physical or mental disorders in women after an abortion. They differ among themselves depending on the number of abortions performed, the intensity of conflicts and the time of the last abortion. Children who have missed an abortion, or siblings of a child who was not born as a result of an abortion, may suffer from post-abortion survivor syndrome (PAPS) and feel fear for their existence, guilt and feelings of inferiority.

Dysfunctional parenting escalates into hatred of society

There are children who know: they live only because they were desired (desired children), otherwise they would be got rid of. This is a difficult realization for the psyche of a child. Most children probably know when their family decides to have an abortion. What kind of experiences await a child when it becomes known that his parents killed a brother or sister just because these children were not desired or could be born with defects, one can only guess. How terrible motherhood becomes, which has taken upon itself the right to dispose of the life and death of its child! The relationship of such children and parents is fickle and uncertain. These children are mostly passive, cowardly, or, conversely, already at an early age are hostile to their parents or "explode" when they grow up. They are characterized by malice, violence, suicidal tendencies, hatred of society (which does not protect them from the cruel intentions of their parents), anger and resentment against their parents. Psychiatrists believe that in such a society it is not difficult to legalize euthanasia. Because children have never trusted their parents, they will not trust themselves. In the future, they are afraid of parental responsibilities. It is important to note here that those born under such conditions do not experience much happiness from the fact that they live. Those people who survived natural disasters or concentration camps forever have a fear for their lives. They feel guilty and ask themselves if they are not living just because others died in their place.

Conspiracy of Silence

Abortion is the greatest tragedy in the history of mankind, an incurable wound for the family and society. The therapeutic practice of post-abortion syndrome shows that it is necessary to clearly distinguish between victims of abortion and those who have experienced abortion. The victims are always small, silent and weak creatures. They die for our sins: selfishness, the degradation of motherhood and the whole society. Children who are still born into a society or family where abortion is practiced or approved are crippled children. They understand that they were born by accident. We all bear the blame for this, for where life or death is at stake, there are no mere observers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 40-60 million abortions are performed annually in the world. Destroyed more people than died during World War II. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a massacre. When 60 million children are killed every year, this means that 60 million men and 60 million women are directly involved in mass terror. To these 120 million, it is necessary to add their parents, friends, as well as doctors, nurses who performed or assisted in the abortion. Consequently, every year 240 million people are directly or indirectly involved in abortion. To kill someone, you need to destroy something in yourself. Killing an innocent creature is a curse for the next generations. If we do not listen to the cry of a defenseless child, we will lose humanity.

Consequences of abortion

...for social structures

• Passive perception of human tragedies.
• Violation of a long-standing immutable principle - the protection of a helpless child.
• Emotional indifference to murder and violence.
• There is a discrepancy between what they say and what they do.
• The trend towards euthanasia and eugenics.
• Birth control.
• An increase in the number of divorces.
• The increase in patients with alcoholism, drug addiction.
• Rising suicide and violence

... for medicine

• Distrust in the relationship between doctor and patient.
• Medicine does not serve ethics and morality.
• Persecution of doctors who protect life.
• Distortion of the truth, removal of publications that criticize abortion.
• The growth of diseases.

... for legal and economic spheres

• The law is no longer a moral directive.
• An unfair condemnation of those who are fighting for life.
• Weakening the protection of the weak.
• Spreading dishonesty and mistrust.
• A complete loss of confidence in these structures.
• Financial "benefit" from abortion.

...for demographics

• tension in the world; increasingly tangible division of countries into rich and poor.
• The aging of nations.
• Genocide.
• The unresolved question of guilt leads to an aggravation of enmity.
• The collapse of the institution of the family.

Abortion is one of the main causes of the crisis that Russia is going through.

Healing Is Impossible Without Sorrow

In the medical literature, it is almost impossible to find information about both the consequences of abortion and the treatment of PAS. A doctor, an expert, an insurer, and at times all three of them, may say to a patient who has suffered from an accident that his cervical spine had already been damaged before, and even more so to a woman after an abortion: “You were already unbalanced and nervous before the abortion. you don't have depression and bad dreams from the abortion. The reason is you, not the abortion."

In addition, women themselves sometimes do not want to recognize abortion as the cause of their suffering. They do not even understand that they are sick, they just want to get rid of depression at any cost, looking for a way out of it, without understanding what it is caused by. And without the root cause, without an accurate diagnosis, no disease can be overcome.

It is impossible to get rid of depression without giving life a new direction. There is no need to repeat again and again in memory the motives that led to the murder of the child, only decide for yourself not to repeat what happened in the future. And the most important thing is to get rid of the basis of the conflict, learn to think and behave in a new way.

The mental consequences of abortion are much worse than the physical ones, also because they are almost untreatable. For healing, it is necessary not only to admit oneself a participant in the murder of one's own child and experience the grief of loss, but, most importantly, to seek forgiveness from God in the sacrament of Confession.

According to foreign experts who have been dealing with this problem since 1985, the only way to alleviate one's suffering is sincere repentance for one's deeds.

Dr. med. Georg Gjotz, Stadbergen, near Augsburg

How to help women who suffer after an abortion? Many of them seek help from a psychologist. But if the doctor does not know anything about PAS, he will not consider abortion the cause of the disease: "Is it a loss - an unborn child?" "Yes," we affirm, and it is natural that a woman mourns, mourns the loss and repents. On the contrary, it would be bad if she did not feel it or hid her sadness. “It’s good,” you need to explain to such a woman, “that you realized your mistake, your sin. This will help you not to repeat it in the future, to live on in harmony with your conscience, because it is far from an abstract concept, as it seemed before, and the real is a strict controller within us." The truth is that life is created by God. And we are responsible to Him for our lives and the lives of our children. By this we do not exaggerate the guilt of the woman who had the abortion. It is extremely important to show her the real path to healing.

Dr. Susan Stanford, USA, Psychologist, Experienced Abortion

The truth is that only God can make you completely healthy! The Lord created the life of man, and man is man from the beginning. A woman needs to know this. I don't want to add to the already enormous guilt of the woman who has had the abortion. Not! The only reason I am talking about all this is to show her the true path to recovery. In addition, I am often asked if a woman can recover from the consequences of an abortion only with the help of psychotherapy, without religion. My answer is no!" I do not believe that you can get rid of the post-abortion syndrome without healing power faith. Only the Creator of life can cure the loss of life as well. God is the only Healer. I don't know of any people whose hearts are so wounded as the hearts of women after an abortion. We must help them heal their souls, encourage their wounded hearts. To do this, it is necessary to say publicly: "Abortion is a drama, a tragedy, a sin for which you need to ask for forgiveness from God." Only after this will a woman be able to see her child in the arms of the Lord, to gain complete recovery real peace and forgiveness.

With deep, sincere repentance, the Lord is able to forgive any repentant sinner, to give support and comfort. And send courage not to forgive yourself, because only He can forgive the sin of infanticide.

Based on books:
Pultavskaya V. Influence of termination of pregnancy on the psyche of a woman. - M., 2002.
Willke D., Willke B. We can love them both. Abortion: questions and answers. - M., 1994.
Mariam... why are you crying?

O negative impact abortion on women's health has long been known. Yet in recent decades, abortion has been a routine medical operation. Both women and doctors went to him “in the order of things” ...

And only at the end of the 20th century, scientists sounded the alarm about the irreversible psychological consequences of abortion. Doctors started talking about him as a strong mental trauma that leaves an imprint on the woman's future life.

The concept of PAS (post-abortion syndrome) was introduced in America only in 1985. And for a long time information and research were closed to the public, supposedly to protect those who had an abortion, and those who are just going to, from being hit. Doctors said that not knowing about PAS would save women from its symptoms. It was a huge mistake...

PAS is a condition that occurs after an abortion. And it manifests itself in varying degrees severity, regardless of the cause and initiators of the abortion. But PAS always occurs. Its peculiarity is this: the more time passes, the more pronounced the symptoms.

Symptoms of PAS:

• Frequent depression, apathy, chronic fatigue syndrome - “no strength, no energy”
• Low self-esteem - “I am not worthy of happiness”
• Heartache - sorrow, longing, inner emptiness, the horror of the fact that "the train has already left" ...
• Guilt, remorse
• Unwillingness to live, suicide attempts, the desire to punish oneself
• Refusal to talk about childish or abortion topics
• Nightmares, visions, hallucinations
• Resentment and hatred towards those who took part or “helped” with the decision (husband, parents, doctor)
• Separation from the world, alienation
• Fear of new relationships, rejection of men
• Indifference to other children, rudeness or even cruelty
• Divorce or strained relationship with the father of the unborn child
• Outbursts of anger for no reason, irritability
• Addictions (sleeping pills, tranquilizers, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, gambling, workaholism)
• Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, obesity)
• Amnesia (forget about the fact of abortion) or denial - “it doesn’t matter, everything is for the best”
• Miscarriage, infertility, imbalance of intimate life
• Obsessive thoughts about abortion and the unborn baby, re-experiencing abortion

From the list of symptoms, at least 3-4 appear. Some worsen over time and on sad dates - the expected birthday of the baby and on the day of the abortion.

Often PAS is characterized by denial - a woman does not admit that her life was destroyed after an abortion.

Indeed, together with the unborn child, a piece of the soul comes off, and the woman feels inferior. The joy of being, lightness is lost, and hysteria, anger, nervousness appear.

Abortion is a powerful ordeal. By nature, every woman is a mother. She gives life. And after an abortion, a woman cannot forgive herself, even if she does not realize it ...

Often 15-20 years pass after an abortion, and the woman still suffers and continues to mourn for the unborn baby ...

How to survive PAS?

In fact, there are NO pills, no injections, no procedures that could get rid of suffering. It is almost impossible to heal your own soul.

And it is also difficult to drop the load in one or a couple of days.

Here is a step by step work:

• Release the soul of the unborn baby
• Release the pain that has accumulated all these years
• Heal your hurting soul
• Forgive yourself, forgive others who "had a hand in this"
• Understand how to live on and how to bring happiness back into your life

Post-abortion syndrome is a strong psychological and mental trauma. Especially for the study of this and many other injuries, I created an online course . It will be held from 11 to 23 June 2018. The group is almost filled, but you still have time to sign up:

What transformations will happen to you during the course:

• you will stop replaying all the details of the traumatic situation in your head
• you will stop blaming yourself and others for what happened, accept the situation as it is
• you will be free from anger, fear and aggression
• you will let go of the traumatic situation and forgive everyone who has hurt you
• you will regain self-confidence, a sense of integrity and inner joy
• you will feel a surge of strength, inspiration and desire to live

Today, despite all the openness and availability of various information, even the most intimate topics, abortion is a "forbidden" topic. It is not customary to talk about this at all, and even more so to discuss personal experience termination of pregnancy.
Therefore, even if a woman decides to tell about her abortion, she will do it carefully and very "dosed", as if probing the ground under her feet. That is why, with the millions of abortions performed in Russia, we so rarely hear about the post-abortion syndrome.

So what is post-abortion syndrome?

This is a psychological, emotional, physical and spiritual trauma caused by an abortion and takes a person beyond the boundaries of the usual state. At its core, this is one of the types of post-traumatic stress. Manifestations of post-abortion stress can range from malaise and depression to deep trauma. In the latter case, stress is called post-abortion syndrome (PAS).

Causes of post-abortion stress

When a woman becomes pregnant, the physiology of her nervous system begins to work in such a way that attachment to the child develops from the very first days. These are evolutionary mechanisms reinforced by the influence of hormones that maintain pregnancy. At the same time, various complex life circumstances that go against these changes. They can be difficult relationships within a couple, career interests, domestic difficulties, and many other circumstances. And the circumstances are pushing a woman to have an abortion. Thus, her deep maternal feelings come into conflict with reality. And the seeds of post-abortion stress, or PAS, are sown at the decision stage.

It turns out that the post-abortion syndrome is a reflection of the restless state at the time of the abortion. Women who regret their decision and, nevertheless, going for an abortion, as well as women who are forced to have an abortion, are at increased risk. Subsequently, a woman cannot grieve over the loss of a child, since the recognition of the loss will cast doubt on the “correctness” of her decision. Instead, she comes up with strategies to deal with emotional pain: guilt, shame, anger and sadness, which also hinders recovery.

The main signs of post-abortion stress.

Women who have an abortion experience similar physical and emotional effects. Feelings of guilt, pain and loss are the consequences of all abortions: voluntary and involuntary. These consequences may pass unnoticed and disappear on their own or manifest themselves in long-term psychological disorders that form a group of symptoms that make up the post-abortion syndrome.

Mental symptoms:

• depression
• hopelessness and apathy
• unreasonable feeling of loss
• unreasonable desire to cry
• inability to make decisions
• bad dream
• nightmares
• memories of an abortion triggered by smell, sight, or information
• misplaced anger
• self-flagellation
• loss of personal dignity
• painful thoughts and feelings on significant dates
• guilt over surviving her own child

Behavioral symptoms:

• avoidance of newborns, children and pregnant women
• As a result of alienation, problems arise in relationships that lead to their rupture and isolation.
• promiscuity and relationship abuse
• coldness in sexual life, avoidance of intimacy or affection
• physical tension when mentioning or remembering an abortion
• avoiding movies, magazines, or photos with unborn children
• alcohol or drug abuse
• desire to have another child immediately (redeeming children)
• panic attacks

Symptoms may appear immediately after the abortion or later, sometimes years later. Guilt is the main symptom of post-abortion syndrome. A woman may experience constant remorse. There are women who associate bad events in their lives with abortion. Religious women consider this act as a sin and consider subsequent failures in life as a punishment from God.

Hatred and anger can be manifested towards the husband and relatives who influenced the decision to have an abortion. All this can affect the attitude towards future children either in the form of excessive guardianship, or even aggression aimed at compensating for the loss of an unborn child.

Psychological detachment can be dangerous symptom. Psychological alienation of thoughts, places, actions associated with abortion may develop. A woman begins to avoid all moments that remind her of an abortion, which may be the first sign of an inability to cope with grief. It is difficult for a woman to maintain or start a relationship. A woman can unnaturally isolate herself from society. The onset of the date of abortion can exacerbate the manifestation of post-abortion syndrome. A woman can even imagine a child alive and calculate its age.

Treatment of post-abortion syndrome

The only way to manage a post-abortion symptom is with the help of a psychologist who can help recognize and address emotional problems before they become clinical depression. An experienced psychologist will help to cope with the feeling of grief and hatred, with the pain that is inside, and forgiveness of oneself becomes a frequent result of this work.
Communication with a psychologist before the upcoming abortion can significantly reduce the consequences of trauma, and, consequently, the post-abortion syndrome. A woman should openly express all her doubts in a personal conversation with a psychologist without feeling embarrassed or embarrassed. Friends and family can also contribute to solving the problem.

The best way to prevent post-abortion syndrome is to seek psychological help as early as possible, without suppressing depressive emotions and without waiting for them to disappear on their own.

Psychologist Valeria Rysaeva

Even the most "stone" woman will worry about the unborn child. Can happen in life various situations and it is possible to justify a woman who has had an abortion, but she will never forgive herself for this. In this case, a difficult period begins - post-abortion syndrome. Someone says that this is an experience of the soul, someone is sure of a mental breakdown after an abortion.

It is especially difficult to experience such a choice for that woman who tries to believe in God, reads prayers and goes to church. How to cure the post-abortion syndrome for a believing woman who is tormented by bitter torment from the inside?

At first, a woman believes that the appearance of a child is also like falling into a trap: you can’t relax with friends, go to a club, relax, do something frivolous or spend the last money on a blouse ... So a woman decides to be free, and not a mother, and she decides for an abortion, sometimes even without a twinge of conscience. In fact, it turns out that after an abortion, a woman begins to think and think about what the baby would be like, who she would look like, what she would do, etc. It is these ideas that begin to "gnaw" her mind and no one can help her forget about the abortion. Although sometimes women realize their mistakes after many years, when their friends have children. The problem is that many women who once had an abortion can no longer have children, which means that then there was that chance to become a mother, but it was not only missed, but was trampled on.

And what can I say, a believing woman will begin to worry and get hung up on terrible sin: she killed her unborn child - it's scary. And the relief that the woman felt after the abortion for a while was replaced by horror from nightmares in which the baby appears with cries of “Mom!”. And the relief turned out to be temporary and deceptive, the woman was not facing hard labor, but happiness, and she had only to overcome her fear, just as you overcome the fear of going to the dentist, for example. The problem is also that women who have had an abortion in their youth sometimes rarely get married, they torment themselves and go to self-sacrifice.

Prayer to help a woman suffering from post-abortion syndrome.

A believing woman sometimes stops going to church and abandons her faith, I don’t understand that it wasn’t God who didn’t help her understand what needed to be done at that time, on the contrary, God gave her a child to make her life better, and the woman “spit” on this is. It turns out that she needs to atone for her sins. It is necessary to ask for forgiveness for unbelief today, for the fact that she failed the supreme forces in her actions, for killing the unborn baby. If you understand your mistakes, they cannot but forgive you, the main thing is to sincerely believe that you are wrong and apologize with all your heart. You need to atone for guilt by prayer and confession before a priest who will help you morally and light a candle for you, pray for you.

How to cure post-abortion syndrome.

However, not only prayer can help you. With prayer, you can beg for sins before God and the child you have killed, but you also need to make up for the loss that you yourself have caused. What did you lose after the abortion? The opportunity to become a mother, a mother's heart and the object of her impartial love. You need to have a baby! But remember, this should not only be your own child, whom you have already given birth to or can give birth to if the abortion did not cause you consequences in the form of infertility. present maternal love someone else's child with the force, as if it were the baby that you got rid of. So, you should go to the baby house and take any child, not the most beautiful or smart, but any! And one more thing: it is important for you to understand what mistake you made then, and if a similar situation happens again, i.e. if you get pregnant during a difficult period for you, do not repeat the past - do not have an abortion, give birth to your child!

Ya.A. Kochetkov
Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry

From questions on the forum

When I got pregnant at 18, my mother insisted on an abortion... Then I didn’t know anything at all what abortion, pregnancy, I had no idea... My parents never talked to me about these topics... It’s a pity.. I always say that my life is divided into "before" and "after" the abortion... After the abortion, I no longer lived, something happened to me, I stopped laughing... A terrible depression, the consequences of which I still feel ... I even wanted to commit suicide ...

Scientific research related to the issue of abortion is always heavily influenced by political, religious and social factors. This is also characteristic of the problem of the effect of abortion on mental health. Opinions in this area are divided - from utter denial psychological consequences abortion before the recognition of abortion as an irreversible severe stressor.

In spite of significant reduction number of abortions compared to Soviet era, Russia in recent years holds the first place in the world in terms of the number of abortions per capita. Thus, the study of the consequences of abortion, including for a woman's mental health, remains very hot topic for our country. The purpose of this article is to analyze different points of view on the problem of mental disorders after abortion and highlight possible mechanisms their development. Let's look at the history of this problem.

In 1981, the American psychologist V. Rie was the first to propose the term "post-abortion syndrome". He proposed this term to refer to post-traumatic stress disorder that develops after an abortion. V. Rie identified four main components of the post-abortion syndrome:

1. Perception of the situation of abortion as a traumatic event that is beyond the scope of ordinary human experiences;
2. Re-experiencing the situation of abortion in the imagination associated with uncontrollable negative emotions, flashbacks in memory, nightmares, grief, especially on the anniversary of an abortion;
3. Unsuccessful attempts to avoid or deny the memory of the abortion and emotional pain;
4. emergence psychological symptoms associated with abortion and did not take place before it.

Subsequently, the term "post-abortion syndrome" became widely used by opponents of abortion and caused a wave of critical publications and studies.

In 1988, US President Ronald Reagan instructed the head of the Department of Health, E. Koop, to analyze the physiological and psychological consequences of abortion in order to tighten the indications for abortion. As a result of an analysis of 250 studies on the impact of abortion on mental health, Koop noted that there is no strong evidence of the negative impact of abortion on the psyche of a woman. At the same time, Koop, who himself was an opponent of abortion, noted that most studies in this area have poor reliability and refused to officially publish his data.

Scientific psychiatric organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association. The American Psychological Association, the British Royal College of Psychiatry, refused to acknowledge the presence of post-abortion syndrome. The concept of "post-abortion syndrome" was not included in the ICD-10 and DSM-IV.

The main point of view of the psychiatric community is that negative mental changes after abortion are extremely rare and are associated with pre-existing mental illnesses, such as depressive or anxiety disorders, or a predisposition to them. Also, a role in the development of these rare, according to the authors, changes is played by the lack of support from relatives and the attitude of society towards abortion. Thus, after some time, the term "post-abortion syndrome" disappeared from the professional literature and in the medical literature is found mainly in magazines related to religious topics.

Does this mean that the discussion is closed?

a huge role in the development psychological problems after an abortion, a cultural factor plays: the attitude of society towards abortion, the religiosity of the population, and finally, the attitude of women themselves towards abortion. Therefore, the results of American studies cannot be unambiguously extrapolated to other countries.

For example, in a widely cited study by V. Major et al. it has been shown that mental illness develops after an abortion in less than 2% of cases. The authors believe that the likelihood of developing mental illness after an abortion and after a pregnancy that ended in childbirth is the same. According to the authors, “two years after the abortion, most women do not have psychological feelings and regrets in connection with what happened, but those who had a history of depression before pregnancy had them.” In the same study, women who had an abortion even found "positive changes in self-esteem" that disappeared over time. This study was conducted in California, a state with a liberal tradition, and included women who had abortions on paid basis. On the other hand, the study by O. Reardon et al. , conducted in the same state but with a sample of low-income women (many from migrant families) who had abortions at the expense of the state program, showed very different results.

In a recent population-based study in Norway, women who had an abortion were shown to have a significantly higher risk of developing a depressive disorder than women whose pregnancy ended in childbirth. The authors examined 768 women aged 17 to 25 who had an abortion.

In a sensational study by O. Reardon et al. the medical records of more than 56,000 pregnant women aged 13 to 49 were studied. The patients belonged to a low social class, their pregnancy ended in abortion or childbirth. Scientists have found a statistically significant correlation between having an abortion and later developing psychiatric illnesses such as depressive disorder and manic-depressive psychosis.

In Finland, on the instructions of the government, a study was carried out similar in design to the previous one. It analyzed the medical histories of women who had an abortion and women whose pregnancy ended in childbirth. The study found that the suicide rate in women who had an abortion (34.7 per 100,000) was significantly higher than that of women whose pregnancy ended in childbirth (5.9 per 100,000). Does this correlation imply a causal relationship? Often, mental illness precedes abortion.

In addition, the patients who participated in the study were in a difficult financial situation, which caused various psychological problems before the abortion. Thus, opponents of O. Reardon consider abortion to be largely a consequence, and not a cause, of psychological problems.

Other studies have shown that the development of depression after an abortion big influence factors such as the cognitive style of the individual (a stable style of thinking and perception of information), the presence of psychological and social problems, the presence of a personality disorder, in general, many factors preceding abortion, and both supporters and opponents of the concept of "post-abortion syndrome" speak about this ".

Psychological and social factors

The development of potential post-abortion mental disorders can be associated with two groups of psychological and social factors: factors that precede abortion, and factors that arise in the situation of abortion and after it. The factors preceding the situation of abortion include the cognitive style of the individual (a stable style of thinking and perception of information), conflict relations with parents, conflict relations with a partner. This also includes a low social level, a difficult financial situation.

An Australian study shows that post-abortion depression is strongly associated with conflicting relationships and partner violence. On the one hand, conflict relations and violence increase the likelihood of abortion, on the other hand, they correlate with the development of depression after an abortion. An important role in the development of depression after an abortion is played by the type of attachment and early relationship with the mother. O. Reardon systematized the risk factors for the development of mental disorders after an abortion.

Risk factors for psychiatric disorders after an abortion

Difficulties in deciding to have an abortion

1. Moral convictions against abortion;
   • Religious or conservative values;
   • Negative attitude towards abortion;
   • Guilt;
   • Negative attitude of society towards abortion;
   • Strong anxiety about keeping the abortion a secret;
2. Conflicting maternal desires;
   • Initially desired or planned pregnancy;
   • Termination of a desired pregnancy due to fetal malformations;
   • Therapeutic abortion, i.e. termination of a desired pregnancy due to a threat to the life of the mother;
   • Strong attitude towards motherhood;
   • The woman is legally married;
   • The presence of children;
   • Postponing abortion;
3. Abortion in the II or III trimesters of pregnancy;
4. The decision to have an abortion is made under duress;
5. The decision is made in the presence of biased, inaccurate or inadequate information;

Psychological limitations or developmental deficiencies

1. Adolescence, emotional immaturity;
2. Previous emotional or mental problems;
   • Insufficient use of psychological adaptation mechanisms;
   • Instability of self-esteem;
   • Trouble at work or dissatisfaction with work;
   • Traumatic experiences in the past;
   • Suffered sexual abuse;
   • Tendency to self-blame;
   • Avoidance and denial prior to abortion;
   • Unsatisfactory marital relations;
   • Negative relationship with mother at an early age;
3. Lack of social support;
   • Lack of friends, unsatisfactory interpersonal relationships;
   • The decision was made by the woman on her own, without the participation of the father of the child;
   • Poor or unstable relationship with the child's father;
   • The woman is not married and has not given birth;
   • The woman is divorced or a widow;
   • The woman receives insufficient support from her parents and friends;
   • The woman receives insufficient support from the child's father;
   • The child's father insists on an abortion;
   • The woman lives alone;
4. Abortions in the past;
5. miscarriage in the past;
6. The low level of education of women;

At the same time, opponents of the concept of "post-abortion syndrome" insist that most of the factors listed above are not directly related to the situation of abortion. Mental disorders or psychological difficulties after an abortion, in their opinion, occur in women with similar psychological characteristics and if the pregnancy persists. A common point of view among researchers - supporters of a woman's right to abortion is the opinion that women with stable self-esteem, high self-efficacy, sufficient social support and effective coping strategies (strategies of coping with stress) endure abortion without any psychological difficulties.

Thus, many questions arise. Really, wide range life situations, including pregnancy and childbirth, can cause depression and other mental disorders in women with certain personality characteristics. Does this mean that abortion is an absolutely non-specific stressor for a woman? A. Speckhard and V. Rue in their studies identified a number of specific characteristics of the "post-abortion syndrome", but the question remains open.

Is it safe to say that women who have an abortion without any psychological consequences really do not have them? One study compared mental condition women who terminated their pregnancy by abortion, and women who lost a child as a result of a miscarriage. The results showed that women who have lost a child in a miscarriage experience more psychological problems in the first 10 months after a miscarriage. Women who have had an abortion have fewer psychological problems in the first 10 months, but later (after 2 years) they are much more likely to have high scores on depression and anxiety scales. In addition, the absence of psychological consequences may mean their successful denial, which is not always detected by psychological tests. A. Speckhard and V. Rue refer to the unconscious factors that contribute to the development of post-abortion syndrome, highlighted in the psychoanalytic literature.

Unfortunately, the format of this article does not allow dwelling on them in detail. But it can be assumed that even women for whom abortion is consciously not a conflict and traumatic event may subsequently experience negative psychological experiences about this.

Another question is to what extent the decision to have an abortion can be the result of the psychological characteristics of a woman? In a study conducted in Russia, it was shown that women who have had an abortion differ in specific strategies for coping with stress and an external locus of control (a person's tendency to attribute responsibility for events in life and the results of their activities to external forces). The need for motherhood in many women who have had an abortion is inferior to the need for self-realization in other areas of life.

Endocrinological factors

The topic of the impact of endocrine changes after an abortion on the mental state of a woman is quite speculative due to the very a small amount research in this area. There is practically no data that would compare mental and hormonal changes after an abortion. Moreover, there are very few studies that measured hormone levels after an abortion.

In one study, conducted back in the USSR, it was shown how fast hormones disappear from the bloodstream after an abortion. Within 1 hour after an abortion, the level of progesterone decreases by 38%, after 3 hours - by 52% and a day later - by 80%. The concentration of estradiol 1 hour after the abortion is reduced by 58%, and a day later - by 88%. Thus, the level of estradiol and progesterone per day decreases by more than 5 times. Could such changes have an impact on a woman's mental health?

Numerous studies recent years showed that sex steroids such as progesterone and estradiol, in addition to their direct hormonal effects, have a serious effect on the functions of the central nervous system. Estradiol is known to have a major effect on the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems. These monoaminergic systems are involved in the pathogenesis of many mental disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Estradiol increases the amount of serotonin in the postsynaptic cleft while decreasing the activity of monoamine oxidase, an enzyme that breaks down monoamines. In addition, estrogens increase the activity of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase, which is involved in the synthesis of serotonin.

Thus, the effect of estrogens on the serotonergic system can be generally characterized as activating. At depressive disorders there is a decrease in the activity of the serotonergic system, so it could be assumed that estrogens give an antidepressant effect. Indeed, the use of estrogens as additional therapy in case of depression in menopausal and postmenopausal women, it enhances the effect of antidepressants. In addition, it has been shown that hormonal replacement therapy estrogen in non-depressed postmenopausal women positive influence on their mood and cognitive abilities.

In the same time elevated level estradiol increases convulsive readiness CNS and may exacerbate anxiety symptoms. Therefore, it is obvious that the normal physiological rhythm of estrogen secretion is important for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, and sharp non-physiological fluctuations in the direction of both increase and decrease can negatively affect the mental state of a woman.

The effect of progestins on the CNS is partly opposite to that of estrogen. Progesterone and its metabolites reduce the excitability of the nervous system, reduce convulsive activity. It is believed that the balance of estrogens and progestins is important for the normal course of pregnancy, and an insufficient level of progesterone in the blood increases the risk of abortion.

In the study of mood disorders associated with premenstrual syndrome(PMS), it has been shown that progesterone levels in women with PMS are slightly higher in the luteal phase of the cycle than in women without PMS symptoms. At the same time, a correlation was found between high progesterone levels and reduced mood, which suggested that progesterone has a depressogenic effect. This issue remains controversial. Anyway, high levels progesterone and estradiol during pregnancy complement and compensate for each other's action.

It is impossible to cover all the hormonal changes after an abortion in this article, but it is impossible not to mention some other important consequences as well. Post-abortion prolactin levels first rise in response to stress and then fall sharply. Prolactin is considered an important protective factor for the CNS, and a decrease in its level often correlates with the development of depressive symptoms.

Also, we must not forget about the hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. A sharp rise in cortisol levels in response to severe stress is another factor that causes an imbalance of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

It can be assumed that a large number of abortions is a serious risk factor for the occurrence of an imbalance of neurotransmitters and the occurrence of subsequent psychopathology, since the central nervous system subjected to multiple hormonal disruptions. Probably another risk factor may be the presence of a hormonal imbalance before the abortion. Women who have an increased vulnerability to the effects of hormonal changes on mental status and mood (eg, women with PMS) may be at risk for developing post-abortion psychiatric disorders.

Conclusion

So, despite numerous conflicting studies, today it is impossible to establish exactly how many cases after an abortion develop mental disorders. Most researchers believe that abortion is not the cause of mental disorders, recognizing their presence only in a small percentage of cases. But there is also a fair amount of work showing the significant impact of abortion on mental health across cultures.

The moderate point of view is that abortion can be an impetus for the development of mental disorders. It can be assumed that abrupt hormonal changes (decrease in estradiol and progesterone levels) after an abortion may play a role in the development of post-abortion mental disorders. The relationship of endocrine and psychological factors in the development of post-abortion mental disorders should be the subject of further study.

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