Study Links Abortion to Increased Mental Health Problems
Researchers Drew the Wrong Conclusions In
New England Medical Journal Study
Springfield, IL (January 27, 2010) -- A study that is being reported as showing abortion doesn't increase women's mental health risks actually shows a higher rate of problems among women who have abortions compared to those who give birth, a leading expert says.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was based on a comparison of medical records among women in Denmark who had a first-trimester induced abortion or a first childbirth between 1995-2007. The researchers compared inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatments for nine months before the abortion or birth took place and twelve months afterward. Women who had a history of mental health problems before the study period were excluded.
Dr. David Reardon of the Elliot Institute said the findings showed that aborting women were two to three times more likely to seek treatment for mental health problems compared to women who gave birth or who had not been pregnant.
The study's authors, on the other hand, focused on a finding that the rate of psychiatric treatment was similar for women both before and after abortion. They concluded that the study "does not support the hypothesis that there is an increased risk of mental disorders after a first-trimester induced abortion." But Reardon, who has worked on more than a dozen studies finding increased mental health problems among women who abort, said the findings don't support this conclusion. He said the two to three times higher rate of psychiatric treatment among aborting women confirms other studies finding that women who have abortions have higher rates of mental health problems compared to women who give birth. More than 35 such studies have been published in the last five years alone.
"Other studies have found that abortion is a marker for mental health problems, and this study agrees with those findings," Reardon said. "The
finding that women who have abortions are more likely to seek psychiatric treatment compared to women who give birth is consistent with previous findings."
Study Raises More Questions
One important factor not covered by the study, he said, was whether women who sought psychiatric help before abortion also sought help after abortion.
"If the same women underwent treatment both before and after abortion, it could indicate that seeking psychiatric care prior to abortion is a risk factor for mental health problems after abortion," Reardon said. "On the other hand, if the women who sought care after abortion had no previous treatment, then the problems likely began after the abortion took place, since the researchers excluded women who sought treatment prior to nine months before the abortion or birth took place."
This meant that the researchers were looking at records for only the most mentally stable women, reducing the possibility that problems among aborting women were related to their previous psychiatric history.
Limitations and Flaws
And although the study has been described as an "extremely, extremely well-done study," Reardon and other critics pointed to a number of flaws and limitations in the study design.
For example, although the researchers compared women having abortions for the first time to women giving birth for the first time, the study wasn't limited to women who had not previously been pregnant. Women who had a previous abortion could thus be included in the birth group and women who had a prior birth could be included in the abortion group. This means that there is no
way to know if mental health problems in either group might not
be linked to a previous, different pregnancy outcome.
The study also did not control for other factors that could affect a woman's mental health, including whether or not the pregnancy was wanted, coercion to abort, and exposure to violence or other traumas.
And while the study only looked at women's mental health for a year following abortion, previous research has indicated that mental health problems often emerge or persist after that point. A record-based study of psychiatric treatment rates among women receiving state-funded medical care in California, which Reardon co-authored, found that rates of psychiatric treatment remained significantly higher for at least four years after abortion.
Despite this limitation, a breakdown of the rates of psychiatric treatment for each month after abortion showed that the rates of psychiatric treatment for specific problems -- such as stress, neurotic, behavioral and personality disorders -- did increase in certain months after abortion compared to pre-abortion rates.
Reardon concluded that the new study doesn't contradict the findings of previously published studies that link abortion to higher rates of mental health problems.
"Overall, this new Danish study adds to the already available evidence linking abortion and mental health problems," he said. "It also raises new questions that deserve further exploration, such as whether psychiatric care before abortion benefits women. What is doesn't show is that having an abortion benefits women who are facing a crisis or erases their problems. Instead, it may contribute to them."
~~~
The Elliot Institute is the only organization dedicated to conducting original research on the impact of abortion on women; raising awareness that most abortions are unwanted or coerced, and exposing the risks of abortion to all involved. The Stop Forced Abortions Alliance is a project of the Elliot Institute.
Contact us at elliotinstitute@gmail.com or (217) 525-8202.
VICTIMS OF ABORTION SPEAK OUT
http://www.victimsofabortionspeakout.org/
Albany Times Union
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=817713&category=LETTER&BCCo de=OPINION&newsdate=7/9/2009
Catholic online
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=34031
Theresa Bonopartis
Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion
www.postabortionhelp.org
1-877-586-4621
lumina@postabortionhelp.org
The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 8, No. 10 -- Oct. 28, 2009
Visit Us Online: www.AfterAbortion.org
The UnChoice Campaign: TheUnChoice.com
Read Back Issues of This E-Newsletter
New Review Links Abortion to Higher Risk of Preterm Birth
Dozens of Studies Find Women With a History of Abortion More Likely to Later Have a Preterm Birth
Researchers studying findings from dozens of studies have concluded that abortion is linked to an increased risk of preterm birth among subsequently born babies.
In a paper recently published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a Canadian research team examined data from 37 studies and found that having a prior abortion increased the risk of subsequent preterm birth by 35 percent, while having more than one prior abortion increased the risk by 93 percent.1 (Preterm birth is defined as a birth that takes place before 37 weeks gestation.)
In other words, children whose mothers had a previous abortion were more likely to be born prematurely, putting them at greater risk for problems such as low-birth weight (which has been linked to physical and developmental problems), epilepsy, autism, mental retardation2 and cerebral palsy. A research team looking at data from 2002 estimated that prior abortions led to 1,096 cases of cerebral palsy among babies born prematurely that year.3
There are risks to the mother with preterm birth as well, as other studies have found that women who give birth at less than 32 weeks double their lifetime risk of breast cancer.4
Evidence linking abortion and preterm birth continues to pile up, researchers and advocates say. Another paper published earlier this year found that found that having a previous abortion raised a woman's relative odds of having a subsequent birth at less than 32 weeks by 64 percent.5
Further, as far back as 2006 the Institute of Medicine included "prior first trimester abortion" on a list of risk factors associated with premature birth.6 However, as Brent Rooney, Director of Research for the Reduce Preterm Birth Coalition, has pointed out, abortions continue to be performed despite the strong evidence of risks—and in the absence of any evidence showing the procedure to be harmless.
"In the 'Court of Medicine' a 'defendant' new surgery or new drug is presumed guilty of serious adverse side effects until by strong evidence it is demonstrated to be innocent," Rooney noted in a news release. Yet 50 years after the development of the suction abortion procedure, he said, there has never been a "'study of studies' or systematic review" that has proven that abortion does not cause premature birth. Instead, the evidence seems to be pointing in the opposite direction.
Learn more: Access the world's most extensive online library of studies on the physical and psychological effects of abortion at www.AbortionRisks.org.
Download free fact sheets on the risks of abortion at www.theunchoice.com/resources.htm.
Book by Woman Who Had 15 Abortions Highlights Problems of Multiple Abortions
A woman has published a book detailing her experiences of having 15 abortions.
Irene Vilar describes herself as pro-choice and writes on the web site for her book, Impossible Motherhood, that she believes women need access to abortion. But she also writes about her need to explore why she had repeated abortions and the circumstances leading up to them in order to deal with the effects it caused and break free from the cycle.
"For years, it didn't occur to me that there was anything to tell about abortion," Vilar writes on her site. "The opposite. There was much to forget ...."
Excerpts from the book posted on Vilar's site speak of a troubled childhood and the suicide of Vilar's mother, followed by Vilar's relationship with a much older and controlling man who insisted that having children ruined relationships. Vilar writes that she went on to have 15 abortions in 15 years, saying that when abortion takes on "repetitive and selfmutilating [sic] qualities it can point to an addiction."
Vilar became pregnant again while working on the book and credits the self-reflective process involved in the writing with helping her break from the cyle of repeat abortion and continue her pregnancy. She insists that her book is not about pro-life or pro-choice, but about speaking out about her experience.
"I know I'm destined to be misunderstood, that many will see my nightmare asa story of abusing a right, of using abortion as a means of birth control," she writes. "It isn't that. My nightmare is part of the awful secret, and the real story is shrouded in shame, colonialism, self-mutilation and a family history
that features a heroic grandmother, a suicidal mother, and two heroin-addicted brothers."
Understanding Repeat Abortions
It is thought that approximately 45 percent of the abortions occurring in the U.S. are repeat abortions. Repeat abortions carry increased physical and mental health risks for women, including a higher risk of substance abuse and subsequent preterm birth. Women who have repeat abortions are also more likely to be living in unstable situations, be divorced or be dependent on social services.
Experts say that there are a number of reasons why women might have multiple abortions. One reason is traumatic reenactment, a symptom related to post-traumatic stress disorder, in which a person continually repeats the trauma in an attempt to resolve it. The problem may also be compounded by the desire of many women to have a "replacement pregnancy" after an abortion, only to find that the problems and pressures that led to abortion in the first place still exist and they once again see no other alternative. If abuse, pressure or force from others is involved it may be very difficult for her to break away from the abusive cycle.
Repeat abortions are also often facilitated by the fact that abortions are frequently performed without any effort to determine why a woman or girl is aborting, even when there is coercion or abuse involved. A study of U.S. women who had abortions found that even though 64 percent are pressured to abort and more than half felt rushed or uncertain about about abortion, 67 percent said they didn't receive any counseling before abortion and 84 percent said they didn't receive enough counseling to make an informed decision.
Further, abortions are usually performed without any attempt to screen women or girls for coercion or for factors, including repeat abortions, that put them at risk for psychological problems afterwords.
To learn more about repeat abortions, read an excerpt from the book Forbidden Grief here.
Click here to read an excerpt on repeat abortions from Forbidden Grief. For ordering information, visit www.theunchoice.com/ForbiddenGrief.htm or call 1-888-412-2676.
Learn More, Lend A Hand
Learn More, Share More
Visit TheUnChoice.com for information and user-friendly resources to help raise awareness about widespread unwanted abortions and related injustices and harm. Visit AbortionRisks.org, a collaborative information portal where researchers, healing ministries and others can contribute news, information and insights. Includes the Thomas W. Strahan Memorial Library, the world's most comprehensive library on post-abortion research.
POST ABORTION HELP AND HEALING
http://www.seghea.com/cheryl/index-2.html
http://www.safehavenministries.com/
http://www.noparh.org/
Healing Hearts Ministries
http://www.healinghearts.org/index.php
Lumina- Post Abortion Healing
Just wanted to share some of the many things Lumina will be doing in the next couple of months.
- March 1-12, Women for Life International will have a contingency at the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women. Please keep them in your prayers. They will be offering workshops on abortion and breast cancer, as well as having post abortive women testify.
- March 6th is our first retreat for siblings of aborted babies. As more and more siblings learn of an aborted brother or sister, the need is growing for healing and a safe place to voice their feelings. Please spread the word if you know someone who is suffering
- April 8th a few us of will be giving testimony at Columbia University, and April 14th at Fordham. Please pray for us. As you know, groups like Exhale http://www.4exhale.org/ are springing up on the pro abortion side attempting to address PAS, but of course not in the truth. Because so many women and men are coming forward expressing their pain they are being forced to find way to address it. Exhale claims to be neutral, but is in fact a pro choice group. An article in their last magazine issue was title “Finding the Humor in Abortion”
- April 13th an “Evening of Prayerful Remembrance”, the prayer service we just held at St Patrick’s and the Basilica in DC, will take place at Caldwell College thanks to Mary Kominski and Patty Decker!
- April 10th is our yearly Poor Pre Natal day for couples who aborted because of a poor pre natal diagnosis.
- April 19th Lumina along with the Family Life Office of the Diocese of NY will be sponsoring a conference for mental health professionals, clergy and health professionals titled “Treating the Post Abortive Client”. It will be held at St Joseph’s Seminary (flyer attached above)
- May 1, is our retreat day for post abortive men.
For information or to sign up for any of the retreats please call Lumina.
For the Conference please see contact info above.
Lastly, please keep us in prayer as we continue to reach out to those impacted by abortion.
Theresa Bonopartis
Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion
www.postabortionhelp.org
1-877-586-4621
lumina@postabortionhelp.org
Abortion Recovery: My Personal Healing After Abortion
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/27/abortion-recovery-my-personal-healing-after-abortion/
Abortion leaves emotional scars on family
http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/8863/Abortion-leaves-emotional-scars-on-family.aspx
Catholic ministry expanding post abortion, reconciliation services
Date: 2013-01-12 12:00:00
January 12, 2013. (Romereports.com) A woman's decision to have an abortion, by force or free will, can be mired in pain and guilt. It can also have consequences long after the ordeal is over.
While the Catholic Church is firm in its pro-life stance, it has also made inroads reaching out to women and men that have suffered through trauma as a result of an abortion.
Front and center in that mission is Vicki Thorn, an American laywoman and founder of the Project Rachel Ministry.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“This is a piece that sort of flies under the wire if you will. It's not political, it's not designed to be political. The people who are involved are there to be absolutely safe for women and men to come to. No judgment, no condemnation, no anger, we're simply here to companion them to healing.”
The ministry began about 28 years ago in Milwaukee. But it has quickly spread across the United States and into nearly 160 Catholic dioceses.
The group provides special training to priests, and gives women and men affected by abortions one-on-one access to mental health professionals to help them heal mentally and spiritually.
The purpose for their work is highly rooted to voids left behind during an abortion.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“We would help to answer the special spiritual questions that are there. One of the questions are, is this an unforgivable sin? Even the woman who may be agnostic or atheist has a fear she offended something greater than she is in the universe.”
According to the Rachel Project, many women who undergo an abortion and suffer from it do not seek help until five to 12 years after the abortion.
In the meantime, they are susceptible not only to guilt, but also depression and anxiety, which can lead to greater problems.
All the reasons more why Thorn feels compelled to continue her work.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“It's very critical in this time of the new evangelization because women who have had abortions, and men, are away from the Church. They're afraid to come home and this is an invitation to them.”
Despite being around for nearly three decades, their work still remains largely under the radar.
Part of the reason is that they mostly rely on referrals, given the sensitive and personal nature of the topic.
Thorn, however, is confident the work of healing and reconciliation will not only continue, but grow as it expands to even more American dioceses, and over 20 countries world wide.
http://www.hopefortheheart.org/ministries/hope-care-center/abortion-recovery-ministry/
Study Links Abortion to Increased Mental Health Problems
Researchers Drew the Wrong Conclusions In
New England Medical Journal Study
Springfield, IL (January 27, 2010) -- A study that is being reported as showing abortion doesn't increase women's mental health risks actually shows a higher rate of problems among women who have abortions compared to those who give birth, a leading expert says.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was based on a comparison of medical records among women in Denmark who had a first-trimester induced abortion or a first childbirth between 1995-2007. The researchers compared inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatments for nine months before the abortion or birth took place and twelve months afterward. Women who had a history of mental health problems before the study period were excluded.
Dr. David Reardon of the Elliot Institute said the findings showed that aborting women were two to three times more likely to seek treatment for mental health problems compared to women who gave birth or who had not been pregnant.
The study's authors, on the other hand, focused on a finding that the rate of psychiatric treatment was similar for women both before and after abortion. They concluded that the study "does not support the hypothesis that there is an increased risk of mental disorders after a first-trimester induced abortion." But Reardon, who has worked on more than a dozen studies finding increased mental health problems among women who abort, said the findings don't support this conclusion. He said the two to three times higher rate of psychiatric treatment among aborting women confirms other studies finding that women who have abortions have higher rates of mental health problems compared to women who give birth. More than 35 such studies have been published in the last five years alone.
"Other studies have found that abortion is a marker for mental health problems, and this study agrees with those findings," Reardon said. "The
finding that women who have abortions are more likely to seek psychiatric treatment compared to women who give birth is consistent with previous findings."
Study Raises More Questions
One important factor not covered by the study, he said, was whether women who sought psychiatric help before abortion also sought help after abortion.
"If the same women underwent treatment both before and after abortion, it could indicate that seeking psychiatric care prior to abortion is a risk factor for mental health problems after abortion," Reardon said. "On the other hand, if the women who sought care after abortion had no previous treatment, then the problems likely began after the abortion took place, since the researchers excluded women who sought treatment prior to nine months before the abortion or birth took place."
This meant that the researchers were looking at records for only the most mentally stable women, reducing the possibility that problems among aborting women were related to their previous psychiatric history.
Limitations and Flaws
And although the study has been described as an "extremely, extremely well-done study," Reardon and other critics pointed to a number of flaws and limitations in the study design.
For example, although the researchers compared women having abortions for the first time to women giving birth for the first time, the study wasn't limited to women who had not previously been pregnant. Women who had a previous abortion could thus be included in the birth group and women who had a prior birth could be included in the abortion group. This means that there is no
way to know if mental health problems in either group might not
be linked to a previous, different pregnancy outcome.
The study also did not control for other factors that could affect a woman's mental health, including whether or not the pregnancy was wanted, coercion to abort, and exposure to violence or other traumas.
And while the study only looked at women's mental health for a year following abortion, previous research has indicated that mental health problems often emerge or persist after that point. A record-based study of psychiatric treatment rates among women receiving state-funded medical care in California, which Reardon co-authored, found that rates of psychiatric treatment remained significantly higher for at least four years after abortion.
Despite this limitation, a breakdown of the rates of psychiatric treatment for each month after abortion showed that the rates of psychiatric treatment for specific problems -- such as stress, neurotic, behavioral and personality disorders -- did increase in certain months after abortion compared to pre-abortion rates.
Reardon concluded that the new study doesn't contradict the findings of previously published studies that link abortion to higher rates of mental health problems.
"Overall, this new Danish study adds to the already available evidence linking abortion and mental health problems," he said. "It also raises new questions that deserve further exploration, such as whether psychiatric care before abortion benefits women. What is doesn't show is that having an abortion benefits women who are facing a crisis or erases their problems. Instead, it may contribute to them."
~~~
The Elliot Institute is the only organization dedicated to conducting original research on the impact of abortion on women; raising awareness that most abortions are unwanted or coerced, and exposing the risks of abortion to all involved. The Stop Forced Abortions Alliance is a project of the Elliot Institute.
Contact us at elliotinstitute@gmail.com or (217) 525-8202.
VICTIMS OF ABORTION SPEAK OUT
http://www.victimsofabortionspeakout.org/
Albany Times Union
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=817713&category=LETTER&BCCo de=OPINION&newsdate=7/9/2009
Catholic online
http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=34031
Theresa Bonopartis
Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion
www.postabortionhelp.org
1-877-586-4621
lumina@postabortionhelp.org
The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 8, No. 10 -- Oct. 28, 2009
Visit Us Online: www.AfterAbortion.org
The UnChoice Campaign: TheUnChoice.com
Read Back Issues of This E-Newsletter
New Review Links Abortion to Higher Risk of Preterm Birth
Dozens of Studies Find Women With a History of Abortion More Likely to Later Have a Preterm Birth
Researchers studying findings from dozens of studies have concluded that abortion is linked to an increased risk of preterm birth among subsequently born babies.
In a paper recently published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a Canadian research team examined data from 37 studies and found that having a prior abortion increased the risk of subsequent preterm birth by 35 percent, while having more than one prior abortion increased the risk by 93 percent.1 (Preterm birth is defined as a birth that takes place before 37 weeks gestation.)
In other words, children whose mothers had a previous abortion were more likely to be born prematurely, putting them at greater risk for problems such as low-birth weight (which has been linked to physical and developmental problems), epilepsy, autism, mental retardation2 and cerebral palsy. A research team looking at data from 2002 estimated that prior abortions led to 1,096 cases of cerebral palsy among babies born prematurely that year.3
There are risks to the mother with preterm birth as well, as other studies have found that women who give birth at less than 32 weeks double their lifetime risk of breast cancer.4
Evidence linking abortion and preterm birth continues to pile up, researchers and advocates say. Another paper published earlier this year found that found that having a previous abortion raised a woman's relative odds of having a subsequent birth at less than 32 weeks by 64 percent.5
Further, as far back as 2006 the Institute of Medicine included "prior first trimester abortion" on a list of risk factors associated with premature birth.6 However, as Brent Rooney, Director of Research for the Reduce Preterm Birth Coalition, has pointed out, abortions continue to be performed despite the strong evidence of risks—and in the absence of any evidence showing the procedure to be harmless.
"In the 'Court of Medicine' a 'defendant' new surgery or new drug is presumed guilty of serious adverse side effects until by strong evidence it is demonstrated to be innocent," Rooney noted in a news release. Yet 50 years after the development of the suction abortion procedure, he said, there has never been a "'study of studies' or systematic review" that has proven that abortion does not cause premature birth. Instead, the evidence seems to be pointing in the opposite direction.
Learn more: Access the world's most extensive online library of studies on the physical and psychological effects of abortion at www.AbortionRisks.org.
Download free fact sheets on the risks of abortion at www.theunchoice.com/resources.htm.
Book by Woman Who Had 15 Abortions Highlights Problems of Multiple Abortions
A woman has published a book detailing her experiences of having 15 abortions.
Irene Vilar describes herself as pro-choice and writes on the web site for her book, Impossible Motherhood, that she believes women need access to abortion. But she also writes about her need to explore why she had repeated abortions and the circumstances leading up to them in order to deal with the effects it caused and break free from the cycle.
"For years, it didn't occur to me that there was anything to tell about abortion," Vilar writes on her site. "The opposite. There was much to forget ...."
Excerpts from the book posted on Vilar's site speak of a troubled childhood and the suicide of Vilar's mother, followed by Vilar's relationship with a much older and controlling man who insisted that having children ruined relationships. Vilar writes that she went on to have 15 abortions in 15 years, saying that when abortion takes on "repetitive and selfmutilating [sic] qualities it can point to an addiction."
Vilar became pregnant again while working on the book and credits the self-reflective process involved in the writing with helping her break from the cyle of repeat abortion and continue her pregnancy. She insists that her book is not about pro-life or pro-choice, but about speaking out about her experience.
"I know I'm destined to be misunderstood, that many will see my nightmare asa story of abusing a right, of using abortion as a means of birth control," she writes. "It isn't that. My nightmare is part of the awful secret, and the real story is shrouded in shame, colonialism, self-mutilation and a family history
that features a heroic grandmother, a suicidal mother, and two heroin-addicted brothers."
Understanding Repeat Abortions
It is thought that approximately 45 percent of the abortions occurring in the U.S. are repeat abortions. Repeat abortions carry increased physical and mental health risks for women, including a higher risk of substance abuse and subsequent preterm birth. Women who have repeat abortions are also more likely to be living in unstable situations, be divorced or be dependent on social services.
Experts say that there are a number of reasons why women might have multiple abortions. One reason is traumatic reenactment, a symptom related to post-traumatic stress disorder, in which a person continually repeats the trauma in an attempt to resolve it. The problem may also be compounded by the desire of many women to have a "replacement pregnancy" after an abortion, only to find that the problems and pressures that led to abortion in the first place still exist and they once again see no other alternative. If abuse, pressure or force from others is involved it may be very difficult for her to break away from the abusive cycle.
Repeat abortions are also often facilitated by the fact that abortions are frequently performed without any effort to determine why a woman or girl is aborting, even when there is coercion or abuse involved. A study of U.S. women who had abortions found that even though 64 percent are pressured to abort and more than half felt rushed or uncertain about about abortion, 67 percent said they didn't receive any counseling before abortion and 84 percent said they didn't receive enough counseling to make an informed decision.
Further, abortions are usually performed without any attempt to screen women or girls for coercion or for factors, including repeat abortions, that put them at risk for psychological problems afterwords.
To learn more about repeat abortions, read an excerpt from the book Forbidden Grief here.
Click here to read an excerpt on repeat abortions from Forbidden Grief. For ordering information, visit www.theunchoice.com/ForbiddenGrief.htm or call 1-888-412-2676.
Learn More, Lend A Hand
Learn More, Share More
Visit TheUnChoice.com for information and user-friendly resources to help raise awareness about widespread unwanted abortions and related injustices and harm. Visit AbortionRisks.org, a collaborative information portal where researchers, healing ministries and others can contribute news, information and insights. Includes the Thomas W. Strahan Memorial Library, the world's most comprehensive library on post-abortion research.
POST ABORTION HELP AND HEALING
http://www.seghea.com/cheryl/index-2.html
http://www.safehavenministries.com/
http://www.noparh.org/
Healing Hearts Ministries
http://www.healinghearts.org/index.php
Lumina- Post Abortion Healing
Just wanted to share some of the many things Lumina will be doing in the next couple of months.
- March 1-12, Women for Life International will have a contingency at the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women. Please keep them in your prayers. They will be offering workshops on abortion and breast cancer, as well as having post abortive women testify.
- March 6th is our first retreat for siblings of aborted babies. As more and more siblings learn of an aborted brother or sister, the need is growing for healing and a safe place to voice their feelings. Please spread the word if you know someone who is suffering
- April 8th a few us of will be giving testimony at Columbia University, and April 14th at Fordham. Please pray for us. As you know, groups like Exhale http://www.4exhale.org/ are springing up on the pro abortion side attempting to address PAS, but of course not in the truth. Because so many women and men are coming forward expressing their pain they are being forced to find way to address it. Exhale claims to be neutral, but is in fact a pro choice group. An article in their last magazine issue was title “Finding the Humor in Abortion”
- April 13th an “Evening of Prayerful Remembrance”, the prayer service we just held at St Patrick’s and the Basilica in DC, will take place at Caldwell College thanks to Mary Kominski and Patty Decker!
- April 10th is our yearly Poor Pre Natal day for couples who aborted because of a poor pre natal diagnosis.
- April 19th Lumina along with the Family Life Office of the Diocese of NY will be sponsoring a conference for mental health professionals, clergy and health professionals titled “Treating the Post Abortive Client”. It will be held at St Joseph’s Seminary (flyer attached above)
- May 1, is our retreat day for post abortive men.
For information or to sign up for any of the retreats please call Lumina.
For the Conference please see contact info above.
Lastly, please keep us in prayer as we continue to reach out to those impacted by abortion.
Theresa Bonopartis
Lumina/Hope & Healing after Abortion
www.postabortionhelp.org
1-877-586-4621
lumina@postabortionhelp.org
Abortion Recovery: My Personal Healing After Abortion
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/12/27/abortion-recovery-my-personal-healing-after-abortion/
Abortion leaves emotional scars on family
http://www.osv.com/tabid/7621/itemid/8863/Abortion-leaves-emotional-scars-on-family.aspx
Catholic ministry expanding post abortion, reconciliation services
Date: 2013-01-12 12:00:00
January 12, 2013. (Romereports.com) A woman's decision to have an abortion, by force or free will, can be mired in pain and guilt. It can also have consequences long after the ordeal is over.
While the Catholic Church is firm in its pro-life stance, it has also made inroads reaching out to women and men that have suffered through trauma as a result of an abortion.
Front and center in that mission is Vicki Thorn, an American laywoman and founder of the Project Rachel Ministry.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“This is a piece that sort of flies under the wire if you will. It's not political, it's not designed to be political. The people who are involved are there to be absolutely safe for women and men to come to. No judgment, no condemnation, no anger, we're simply here to companion them to healing.”
The ministry began about 28 years ago in Milwaukee. But it has quickly spread across the United States and into nearly 160 Catholic dioceses.
The group provides special training to priests, and gives women and men affected by abortions one-on-one access to mental health professionals to help them heal mentally and spiritually.
The purpose for their work is highly rooted to voids left behind during an abortion.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“We would help to answer the special spiritual questions that are there. One of the questions are, is this an unforgivable sin? Even the woman who may be agnostic or atheist has a fear she offended something greater than she is in the universe.”
According to the Rachel Project, many women who undergo an abortion and suffer from it do not seek help until five to 12 years after the abortion.
In the meantime, they are susceptible not only to guilt, but also depression and anxiety, which can lead to greater problems.
All the reasons more why Thorn feels compelled to continue her work.
VICKI THORN
Founder, Project Rachel
“It's very critical in this time of the new evangelization because women who have had abortions, and men, are away from the Church. They're afraid to come home and this is an invitation to them.”
Despite being around for nearly three decades, their work still remains largely under the radar.
Part of the reason is that they mostly rely on referrals, given the sensitive and personal nature of the topic.
Thorn, however, is confident the work of healing and reconciliation will not only continue, but grow as it expands to even more American dioceses, and over 20 countries world wide.
http://www.hopefortheheart.org/ministries/hope-care-center/abortion-recovery-ministry/