Are you in the process of deciding what to do about your unplanned pregnancy? It’s a big decision. Unfortunately, all your choices involve some form of loss, but by choosing adoption over abortion, you can build a relationship with your child. Learn more about the adoption process and why it could be the right choice for you.
Does Abortion Cause Depression?
The topic of mental health and abortion is complex. There are many different factors to consider. Is the woman being forced to have an abortion? What was her mental health before the decision? Did she have support for her choice? These and many other questions determine a woman’s emotional outcome after an abortion.
A study published by the National Library of Medicine found three things to be true:
- Having an abortion is consistently associated with elevated rates of mental illness compared to women without a history of abortion.
- The abortion experience directly contributes to mental health problems for at least some women.
- Risk factors, such as pre-existing mental illness, identify women at greatest risk of mental health problems after an abortion.
Many women immediately report feeling relief following their abortions. But for some women, emotions like sadness, anxiety, grief, and depression begin in weeks, months, or even years after their abortion.
Every woman is unique, and so is her abortion experience; therefore, it is difficult to say if someone will have mental health issues. If you are struggling with anxiety and depression now, it may only worsen after an abortion.
Does Adoption Cause Depression?
Like abortion, there is loss and grieving with adoption. Working with a reputable adoption agency that can provide the counseling and support you need to make an adoption plan for your child is vital. You should never feel coerced into making any of these decisions.
You control the adoption process when choosing an open or semi-open adoption plan. You select the potential adoptive parents and the future you want for your child. Before giving birth, you can meet the couple to confirm they are the perfect choice. You also determine how much contact you hope to have with your child and their adoptive family going forward.
Research has shown that openness in an adoption directly contributes to a birth mother’s satisfaction with the overall process. A birth mother receives the following with an open or semi-open adoption plan:
- The comfort of knowing she made the right decision.
- Seeing her child loved and cared for by others.
- Having the ability to tell her child why she chose adoption.
- Sharing her ancestry with her child and introducing them to their larger biological family.
Before choosing the outcome of your unplanned pregnancy, take a closer look at your options. Although both abortion and adoption are final decisions, adoption allows you to have a future with your child.
How We Can Help
Pregnancy Resource Center offers information about abortion and adoption. Although we do not provide or refer for abortion, we can explain the various procedures, side effects, and potential risks. We do, however, offer referrals to adoption agencies in our area.
Please contact us to schedule a free consultation or visit us during regular business hours. We’re ready and available to walk alongside you no matter what you choose. Let us provide strength for today and hope for tomorrow.