Royal college warns abortions can lead to mental illness

Royal college warns abortions can lead to mental illness

www.timesonline.co.uk

Women may be at risk of mental health breakdowns if they have abortions, a medical royal college has warned. The Royal College of Psychiatrists says women should not be allowed to have an abortion until they are counselled on the possible risk to their mental health.

This overturns the consensus that has stood for decades that the risk to mental health of continuing with an unwanted pregnancy outweighs the risks of living with the possible regrets of having an abortion.

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is pretty scary (if its true) for women who have abortions.

I personally believe it is a woman's choice if she wants to keep a baby or not. I'm not really looking for that kind of debate though.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends updating abortion information leaflets to include details of the risks of depression. “Consent cannot be informed without the provision of adequate and appropriate information,” it says.

They should also mention that depression can be caused by pretty much everything else. However, Post-Partum depression is caused during birth or abortion.

The woman's body notices something is missing and dumps a ridiculous amount of hormones into her bloodstream. No wonder they get a little kooky after birth.

Several studies, including research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry in 2006, concluded that abortion in young women might be associated with risks of mental health problems.

See above.


This was my favorite part of the whole article:

Dr Peter Saunders, general secretary of the Christian Medical Fellowship, said: “How can a doctor now justify an abortion [on mental health grounds] if psychiatrists are questioning whether there is any clear evidence that continuing with the pregnancy leads to mental health problems.”

Thank you Christian Medical Fellowship. I'm sure there's no bias here against abortion. None at all.

A doctor justifies an abortion because it is the woman's choice after all. The doctor, whether male or female, helps the woman make the wisest choice she has an option to make.

In the case of Roe vs Wade, should the woman be forced to have a baby even though her father was a rapist?

www.timesonline.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm against abortion in principle. In practice however I'm much more tolerant. I think adoption is the better choice most of the time. A mother who knows her child is in good hands is better off than a woman who is left wondering "what if." I've seen the psych trauma twice. I guess three times technically. It ain't pretty. Women should be strongly encouraged to seek counseling prior to making the choice. Especially if it's not their first. Force shouldn't enter into it though. All that creates is a bureaucracy to tell women, "It's your choice... but you didn't pass your exam. Go home," and we're back in the days of back alley abortions with coat hangers.

Keep abortion safe, legal, and most of all, rare. I think that's the best policy anyone could advocate.

Name something that can't possibly cause mental illness in someone. Seriously, try it.

I also have to wonder how well off these women might be if they didn't have certain others constantly barraging them with what whorish, subhuman, murdering scum they are.

reply to post by TheWalkingFox


Look, I had an abortion and NO ONE told me I was a murderer or whore for it.
No counseling.

I just knew it was murder and I was only 3 months along and 19 years old. I nor my family went to church(AT ALL).
How many soldiers came back mentally unstable, because they had to kill innocents? I know of guys that blew their own head off.
What is more innocent than a baby???
Let me assure you that Planned parenthood will FIGHT counseling tooth and nail!
It's a very lucrative business!

Also, thank God for this news.
It's the truth. The only other time I wanted to kill myself BEFORE I had the abortion was when I was date raped.
After the abortion, I couldn't sleep with the lights off and I tried to kill myself by overdosing MANY times!
I was in a mental ward for 6 months total! I had agoraphobia, bipolar with psychotic features and depression!
Jeshua forgave me and TOTALLY healed me 4 years later!

reply to post by Clearskies


Wow. You have absolutely no experience whatsoever with Planned Parenthood, I take it?

Originally posted by Clearskies
Let me assure you that Planned parenthood will FIGHT counseling tooth and nail!
It's a very lucrative business!

Unless they've changed drastically, the last time I heard, Planned Parenthood always provided counseling; for whatever issue came up. At least, that's what happened for me.

Actually I don't know.
The ONLY abortion clinic I found was in Atlanta. I don't know if they were affiliated or not. They gave me a pamphlet about My procedure. It was like a prescription insert, you know the ones in doctor lingo without pictures or simple English!
I think Hillary Clinton is a big buddy of Planned Parenthood, though!
The Weekly Standard

What kind of 'counseling' do they provide???
Adoption??? Hardly! Keeping it and working through the challenges? Absolutely not!
The American Spectator

Many supporters of Planned Parenthood seem to be embarrassed about the organization's best known service -- abortion. Proponents argue that the money goes to other services, usually emphasizing adoption work. However, according to the most recent figures, Planned Parenthood did 264,943 abortions in 2005, an increase of over 100,000 from the year before (those abortions generated an estimated $99 million profit for Planned Parenthood.) In contrast, adoption referrals by Planned Parenthood have been steadily decreasing from 1,774 customers in 2003 to 1,414 in 2004 (the last years figures were known). In other words, for every 180 abortions Planned Parenthood did, they offered one adoption referral.

Planned parenthood FOUGHT parental notification with great fury!
Whenever they can!
Your child can't take motrin without your written consent, but, they could get a DANGEROUS surgery WITHOUT it????
planned parenthood

****** For Forestlady;
Did they explain to you the 'process' of the abortion?*****

California pro-life bills

Notice the kinds of things planned parenthood opposes.

SB 250 - Jim Battin (R - La Quinta): -- This bill would have required that receptionists, support staff, administrative employees or volunteers of agencies that provide health care be included among those who by law must report reasonably suspected child abuse and neglect.

AB 2331 - Dennis Mountjoy (R - San Bernardino High Desert): For an abortion performed in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, this bill requires the physician performing the abortion to offer to the pregnant woman information and counseling on fetal pain and offer to the pregnant woman anesthesia for the unborn child. The bill would require the physician to arrange for anesthesia to be administered, if the pregnant woman voluntarily consents for the unborn child. It would also require the woman to sign a document that information and counseling on fetal pain was provided and that the physician offered anesthesia for the fetus. Failed in Committee on May 4, 2004, those voting down the bill are Rebecca Cohn (D), Wilma Chan (D), Ed Chavez (D), Mervyn Dymally (D), Dario Frommer (D), Paul Koretz (D), Sally Lieber (D), Cinday Montanez (D), George Nakano (D), Gloria Negrete-Mcleod (D), Keith Richman (R), Mark Ridley-Thomas (D), Simon Salinas (D), Lois Wolk (D). Opposed by Planned Parenthood.

Covering up for 'statutory rape' UCLA planned parenthood





[edit on 16-3-2008 by Clearskies]

Well... I have had two abortions and never had any issues. The first was when I discovered I was pregnant after being x-rayed and taking tetracycline - both BIG issues for a developing fetus. That was an easy choice to make.

The second was when the father threw his hands up, declaring his intent to "live it up for the next 9 months because after that, he would be trapped. I could not justify bringing a child into the world with a father that had that approach.

At 46 I finally gave birth to The Best Little Girl in the Universe, and her father and I both love her dearly. But I never had any regrets about either of my abortions.

As for Planned Parenthood... Both abortions were through PP, and both times they discussed options with me that were other than aborting the pregnancy. In the first case, there was no question about the abortion. In the second, I looked around, saw the many, many children of non-white background waiting for adoption, and could not justify bringing in another life to this overpopulated planet that may or may not have gotten the love it needed.

I am glad I waited until I had a partner who was as ready for a child as I was. And since this is both our only child, and likely will be our only child (I am 51 now), we contribute to population reduction. 2 into 1.

Of course, this is my approach. Others' experiences may differ.

Originally posted by Clearskies
I just knew it was murder and I was only 3 months along and 19 years old.

Well, murder... It's interesting that the God of the Bible told the Hebrews when the soul enters the body, and that is at first breath. So aborting a developing body without its soul is, if you take the Bible God as your source, merely like killing a cow or a fish. Without a soul, it cannot be a murder.

I know you indicated that you were not a church-goer, but did not specify which, if any, religious tenets you ascribe to, so I do not know if you were basing your view of its being murder on any religious view or not. But I do think it's funny (odd) that so many Christians state things that are counter to what their God said, and say that abortion is murder, when you can't murder a soulless thing.

Still, I can see how one might see abortion as murder. I don't, personally.

What is the mechanism that causes abortion? Does something happen physiologically during the abortion procedure that triggers mental illness?

Women who get abortions (or give serious thought to getting an abortion)often feel guilt, shame, fear, desperation, betrayal, and all sorts of other negative emotions due to the circumstances surrounding their abortions and pregnancies. Some of these women are victims of rape and incest. Some of these women are immature and are unable to handle all the pressures that come with pregnancy and abortion. Some of these women have also been rejected by their families or friends, or fear rejection by their families and friends due to their pregnancy and abortion. That being said, it should be no surprise women that get abortions have a higher than average incidence of mental health problems.

I would imagine that a lot of women would struggle with the decision they made. I am sure many would be able to rationalize it to themselves, but others wouldn't. The fact that if you didn't go through with it, a child would be alive has got to weigh on the conscience of some women. I know that if I made the decision to abort, I would have a very difficult time and it would most likely haunt me all of my life

reply to post by chromatico


Bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and that is all I have to say also. I agree with you.

Mental problems can be caused by many reasons, pointing to only one issue it shows the bias and the agenda been pushed here.

I know one woman who had an abortion and she had a mental breakdown less than two years after having it. The breakdown was a direct result of the guilt and depression that came after the abortion. I’m not saying that abortion should or should not be legal. I do not believe however that we have enough education on the topic. Abortion tends to be a political issue, which puts opponents on extreme ends of the spectrum. It should be a topic that is discussed more in a medical, human and spiritual way.

The woman I know was young (22 years old) at the time but what bothered me the most was the doctor’s consolation. It lasted all of 1 hour and he concluded that she would be better off not having a child. Really? He came to this conclusion after 1 hour with the patient? That seems like a pretty big conclusion after 1 hour of talking. She said it was the worst mistake of her life. She now much older has two other children and lives a normal life but still has nightmares about the abortion. I have a feeling it will be an event that will haunt her until the end of her life. But no one who wants abortion to be legal ever wants to discuss these mental issues. They always want to sweep them under the rug.

This sad case was just in the news recently:
Artist hanged herself after aborting her twins




[edit on 16-3-2008 by zerotime]

Originally posted by chromatico
Keep abortion safe, legal, and most of all, rare. I think that's the best policy anyone could advocate.

Rare?

Did you read the article?

There are 200,000 abortions in the UK every year.

Is that rare?

When I was a psychotherapist, I dealt with many women who had had abortions. The rare few who didn't have problems were ones who were very callous and probably beyond help anyway.

I came to the conclusion that almost all women are affected by having an abortion. It's not something that most women do lightly. But women can deal with these feelings and work through it IF they have enough support. This may or may not include getting counseling.

I think the main reason (aside from the obvious) that women have such a difficult time is that they live in a society where abortion is considered by many to be a very bad thing and that the women who have abortions end up feeling alot of guilt, due to societal pressure. When they go to the clinic to get the abortion, they also have to face hordes of angry protesters who are "prolife" and say things to the women to encourage that guilt.

For the record I am pro-choice and I don't have a problem discussing these kinds of issuses about abortion.

Well personally, if the genetic code is made and fully functioning within a cell, it's human. You can't say much else. it's a human being once that new string of uniqueness is born. the end. I don't care about petty arguments with religion. i look at it scientifically, and I see a new human in a new genetic string going through life processes and creating a new being. It is alive, it is cells, they live, and therefore it is a living entity.

All other arguments for pro death end there. It is a living clunk of human cells forming. You can say, "oh, but we shed cells". yea, but you're not losing all your cells and therefore dieing. When all the genetic uniqueness is dead, the human being is dead. And therefore it is the taking of life.

[edit on 19-3-2008 by Gorman91]