Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion

For more than thirty years, our nation has argued about abortion. In that time, over 30 million women have had one or more abortions. While the political battle rages, little has been done to address the emotional needs of those who struggle with feelings of grief, shame, guilt, and feeling judged by others. Instead, social taboos stifle discussion of abortion-related feelings. Women are left feeling isolated, and their recovery is inhibited. “Forbidden Grief”, as one reviewer commented, “stands to become a classic on many as a source of self-discovery for the millions of women who have had abortions, as a learning experience for all the other lay readers, [and] as a textbook for psychotherapists.”–Dr. Patrick Fagan, former Deputy Assistant Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.