Contrary to what the world says, abortion is not a quick and easy solution to an unintended pregnancy. Instead, many of the women who’ve had abortions find themselves with a whole new set of problems to deal with and believe that there is no safe place to process these new issues. Shame, guilt, anger, and regret may soon overtake the initial feelings of relief. Unprepared, we walk around wounded and try desperately to stuff the feelings abortions commonly bring. 

If you’ve had an abortion and now struggle to understand your hair-trigger anger, deep sadness, or constant regret and are haunted by anniversary dates of the abortion or the would-have-been due date, if you find yourself avoiding babies, baby showers, pregnant friends, and conversations around the topic of abortion, you may be experiencing the negative aftereffects of abortion. Feeling like you cannot openly discuss your experience and finding the need to hide those feelings can be isolating and exhausting.

Thankfully, here at Care Net’s First Care Clinic, there is a safe space to meet other women with similar experiences and trained facilitators who can walk you through your pain to a more comfortable life. Various programs are available for you.

Having led several women through abortion recovery workshops, classes, and studies, I have witnessed women uncover the lie that “it was just a blob of tissue” and finally be able to grieve the loss of their child. I’ve witnessed women who come for support take a close look at their experience and gain a clear understanding of the circumstances that led up to the abortion, identifying that the responsibility of the decision is often a shared one, in ways they hadn’t considered. 

 Offering them a safe space to tell their story amongst women who truly understand begins to bring relief and clarity to an otherwise seemingly impossible situation. At First Care Clinic, we lead with grace and mercy. We meet women wherever they are in their abortion recovery walk and provide a nonjudgmental listening ear. Many facilitators are also post-abortive and can offer compassionate support. Be brave. Step into freedom and hope with healing from abortion. See below for a description from one of our recent participants:

“After my abortion, the relationships with myself, my family, God, and my baby had all failed.  After taking part in the Abortion Recovery and Support Healing program through First Care Clinic, I was able to start opening up to myself about how traumatic my experience of abortion was and how much it was affecting my daily life. I had never really realized how much pain abortion was causing me. I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. The staff at First Care Clinic encouraged me to continue my healing journey. My family was and is still unaware of my abortion, so this support meant everything to me. I’ve been able to repair and strengthen my relationship with God, finding forgiveness and healing through informative Bible studies like Forgiven and Set Free. Not only have I met wonderful staff through First Care, but I’ve also gained friendships with other strong women along the way. I would recommend the clinic to any woman looking for a safe place to process, heal, and seek comfort. No woman should be forced to deal with feelings of shame alone after an abortion. “

Sally Spaeni is the Volunteer Leader of Care Net’s Post-Abortion Recovery Support Programs. Check upcoming events for the next group, or email Sally directly at sallys@carenetdane.org