Mood Changes
Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain. But you have already borne the pain. What you have not done is feel all you are beyond that pain.
– Kahlil Gibran
Mood Changes Related to Hormones
After an abortion you may experience mood changes. This is not necessarily depression, but the changing hormones in your body as it adjusts to not being pregnant any more.
Between 4 and 6 days after an abortion, you may experience feelings more intensely and can feel overwhelmed with emotion. For most people this feeling will only last a few hours to a few days.
You might feel: very happy, then feel very sad lonely and cry easily ~ anger and irritable ~ have trouble sleeping.
These emotions can be very confusing, especially if you were very certain prior to the procedure. Remember that these emotions are normal and probably due to the changing hormones.
How Is Depression Different?
Depression also known as major depressive disorder, is a common and serious illness that is assessed diagnosed and treated by mental health and/or medical professionals.
If you have depression you might: ~ lose interest in things you used to enjoy ~ feel very tired ~ have appetite or sleep changes ~ have problems concentrating or making decisions ~ feel worthless or guilty ~ feel like hurting yourself or others.
Depression does not go away by itself. It can keep you from taking care of yourself and others. Call your health professional if you think you might have depression. You can also call the clinic to get a referral to a health care professional or a counselor (780 484 1124).
Depression and Abortion
Those opposed to abortion claim there is a condition called post abortion stress syndrome (PASS) which they say is similar to PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). PASS is not a real psychological condition and is not recognized by any psychological collages in North America.
Having said this, some people may become depressed after abortion. Depression after abortion is usually caused by the many circumstances that surround abortion and not generally due to the abortion alone. These circumstances can include: an individuals that feels they were forced/coerced into having an abortion by their partner or parents and has not made the choice on their own ~ an individual that considers themselves anti-choice and sees abortion as a sin or even murder and goes against their core values ~ many other stressors in an individuals life (ex: addiction, homelessness, family violence, sexual assault, or pre-existing depression/psychological conditions).
If you feel that you are experiencing depression please call the clinic to talk with a counselor (780-484-1124) and review the other coping information provided on our website.
