*because surely only the super rational/hormonally challenged ones would choose an abortion because wouldn’t the hormones etc be in full force?*

Jewely, we each tend to see the world through our own limited
perspective. As a motherly type, that is how you may see it,
but look around you. If that were the case, you would not be dealing
with so many foster kids. Everyone's endocrine system varies along
with their genetics. Everyone's experiences do too, which creates
the many competing inputs at the level of reasoning, which we are
aware of.

Counselling is a good idea, for like psychiatry, what it does is make
people think about what they feel and why. That way they are less
likely to scar their amygdala for life, the amygdala being the reason
why people just can't get over stuff for the rest of their lives.

The amygdala evolved, to protect us from danger, by reminding us
of traumatic experiences or anything associated with them. So if
a lion roars behind you, you will jump 6 ft without even thinking.
But it also stores other traumatic experiences or anything associated
with them or similar.

So if somebody goes through a rushed abortion and the whole thing
is traumatic, for whatever reason, they will be scarred for life.
Thinking about all the pros and cons and making a more considered
decision, should greatly reduce the chances of that.

I am motherly but if I knew then what I know now – or rather didn’t know then who I know now I would have gone down the path of multiple contraceptives at all times. Someone should do a study on how guilty mothers feel who now realize what a stupid stupid thing having children was.

I had no idea some little gland thing could get scarred for life and remind us. Some events must occasionally wear off because as time goes on we stop being afraid of the dark. I haven’t yet but I’ve met people who are completely over it.

If someone had brain damage and lost their memories would the amygdale still work or does it require an associated memory to trigger it? I’d google it Yabby but you’re better at getting to the point.

What I am understanding about abortion is that the writer of the article is pretty harsh and that although a woman who planned an abortion intended to accept it the circumstances for whatever reason likely did some permanent damage which later emerged as grief.

Evelyn:”Abortion offers just one thing only – an end to a pregnancy. You either accept that, or don't have an abortion.”

Woah.

Jewely, a fair point you make:

"I think us humans look back with the whole ‘if we only knew then…’ and wonder if we did do the right thing. I don’t know how abortions work or who sits down with the women and talks to them about what they do know now."

It still remains that back then, the pregnant lady did not know what she now does, and the baby would have suffered from it accordingly.

I think what jumped out at me from this article is that it seems to be about all people being lumped emotionally in the same box, and if you claim that you are suffering grief after an abortion, then your feelings are not legitimate. Human's though have a variety of responses to difficult events in their life.

I've known people for instance that have given up babies for adoption. One has no regrets, another wishes she had an abortion. Probably some people would accuse both women of being selfish for different reasons. It all depends on your world view. These two women though came to their position because they were the ones who lived the experience and they have the full right to tell someone who tells them that their feelings are wrong to butt out.

Probably most women who have an abortion are fully comfortable with the decision they made. They know what the circumstances were that led to them making this choice. But it doesn't invalidate any feelings of grief that other women might have to their abortions.

JL Deland, I think you are somewhat right in saying that the article possibly lumps everyone into the same box, however the main point that the writer makes is in dispelling the claim made by right-to-lifers that all women will be crippled with grief.

It's possibly normal and common to have feelings of sadness after a termination, perhaps about the possible breakdown of the relationship or lack of support from family, but right-to-life propaganda pushes the lie that most women will be crippled by grief for the rest of their lives.

This lie is further propagated in movies and on TV dramas when a central character has a termination. The woman never expresses relief and gets on with her life (like the vast majority do), the scripts are typically written to maximise the drama by showing the character suffering in grief, affecting all around her.

Evelyn writes

'However, a great many others – for whom abortion was their choice, for whatever reason - accept their decision, are relieved by it and move on.' Yea a great many men rape women with no regret and move on. All this proves is the selfishness and hard heartedness of those who promote these views. What a sick article.