Talk about voluntary interruption of pregnancy (IVG) It means entering a complex territory, often marked by clear and polarized positions at a socio -political and ethical level. On the one hand there are those who see it as an act against life, on the other, those who call it a medical intervention on a set of cells. Beyond the debate, Italian law (law 194 of 22 May 1978) recognizes the IVG as A woman’s right.
This ownership, however, places the woman in front of the full responsibility of the choice. A responsibility that is not limited to the awareness of the decision, but that often is charged with the weight of an accusation, more or less veiled, by the company. Many experiences of voluntary pregnancy interruption They are accompanied by the feeling of having to justify an intimate and personal choice.
In this context, a question as profound as it is silent emerges: how do you do it forgive after an abortion? It is a question that many women ask themselves, looking for a way to exceed a voluntary abortion and his emotional load. In this article we will explore the different IVG experiencesthe possible psychological consequences of voluntary abortion And how a psychological support can help to re -signify this event, transforming it into a chapter of personal growth.
Voluntary abortion in Italy: data and experiences
In Italy, approximately 75,000 IVGs are carried out every yearespecially on unmarried women. The general figure is falling in recent years, probably also due to the increase in information on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies.Ift
These data are collected from Epidemiological surveillance system of voluntary pregnancy interruptions to improve prevention and assistance strategies. However, behind the coldness of the numbers is hidden a submerged world: theexperience of voluntary abortion, often lived as an intimate factsecret and loaded with solitude.
The pain after an abortion: an emotion not to be hidden
Unlike a spontaneous abortion, where the pain is socially recognized and legitimized, those who choose a voluntary termination of pregnancy often feel deprived of the right to suffer. Being the protagonist of the choice, the woman may feel that she does not have the ‘permission’ to feel bad, to ask for comfort.
Still, the question remains, powerful and silent: How do you feel after voluntary abortion?
The IVG experienceswhether it is surgical or pharmacological abortionshow that the psychological consequences of voluntary abortion They can be significant. It is not just a medical event, but a moment that can be experienced as a deep break: with respect to a certain self -image, to a life project, or in relation to a part of one’s identity. This emotional wound can leave a mark, regardless of age or circumstances.

Abortion and psychology: what happens to a woman who chooses the IVG
An abortion, from a psychological point of view, can be analyzed with various levels of interpretation. The woman who voluntarily aborts, in most cases, first finds himself undergoing an event: The unwanted pregnancy.
Often, the nucleus of pain lies in feeling put on the grips, in having to face one irrevocable decision without looking for it. This feeling of being forced to choose can amplify the emotional weight. The consequences of an interruption of pregnancy They are not the same for all, but some of the psychological difficulties that can emerge include:
- Reactive depression: a profound and persistent sadness, which can also manifest itself as a voluntary post depression depression.
- Eating disorders: food can become a way to manage or silence difficult emotions.
- Anxiety disorders: constant concerns, panic attacks or a general sense of alarm.
- Guilt and shame: pervasive feelings linked to the judgment, just and others, which make it difficult forgive after an abortion.
- Sense of loneliness: the feeling of being sun and misunderstood in one’s pain.
Learn How to overcome the pain of a voluntary abortion It is a process that requires time and kindness towards oneself. Psychological repercussions must not be addressed in solitude. A psychotherapeutic path offers a safe space to give a name to these emotions and learn to manage them.
Abortion as an transformative experience
Beyond pain, it is also important to consider another psychological meaning abortion. For some women, the IVG can represent the first “no” explicit and aware of their life: an act of self -affirmation which, although arising from a crisis, can trigger a process of deep personal rebirth.
In this sense, the woman who chooses to abort is faced with a sort of First birth of herself. This moment can mark a turning point, accelerating the path of definition of one’s identity. Although it may seem like a paradox, they exist positive voluntary abortion experiencesnot because the event is happy, but because the awareness that derives from it can be generative and transformative.
Abortion as a rite of passage
The choice of abortion is rarely a painless passage. It can be accompanied by sense of guilt and a feeling of inadequacy, precisely because it represents a strong self -affirmation. In psychological terms, addressing an IVG can mean confronting one’s own ‘Inner Almighty Mother’: That part of us who takes care of others until he cancels himself, who struggles to say no for fear of disappointing or not being loved.
Seen in this light, abortion can take on the forms of a initiatory eventa rite of passage that marks a transformation. Consider it as such, as happens in some cultures, implies:
- recognize its importance transformative in one’s own personal history;
- go beyond appearance of a purely negative event to grasp its growth potential.
In the unconscious, the processes are not always linear or evident. It may seem like a paradox to see a generative potential in an event that is socially linked to the end of something. Yet, it is precisely in the dialogue between the end and the beginning, between death and life, that new parts of us can emerge and find space.
A tool of awareness
The renunciation of a path, like that of becoming a mother at a given moment, can open the doors to new awarenesswhich are in turn generative. From a psychodynamic point of view, it could be assumed that some pregnancies already begin with an unconscious destiny of interruption: not as a fatality suffered, but as an inner necessity (anankefor the Greeks) to do what is essential for one’s evolution at that precise moment.
This is not a selfish vision, but an awareness: the psychological health of a mother is a determining factor for the well -being of a future child. Ultimately, what makes a truly transformative event is not so much the choice itself, as the reflection and awareness that can accompany it or follow it. It is this inner work that allows you to overcome an abortion and integrate it into its own story.

Therapy as a space to re -signify the experience
Asking for help and going to the psychologist after a pregnancy interruption is an important step. The therapy, in fact, offers a protected space where it is possible give voice and meaning to everything that agitates inside. In particular, it allows:
- Start theMourning processing: Even if the pregnancy has not been completed, there is a loss to be recognized and honored.
- Risenifying pain: transform suffering into a deeper self -understanding of self.
- elaborate any traumatic memories: elaborate the most difficult aspects related to the intervention, that it was a pharmacological abortion or surgical.
- work on the narrative of one’s experience: Telling your story in a non -judgmental environment helps to recompose the pieces and integrating it into your life path.
Scientific research suggests that, in most cases, after an IVG there are no long -term psychological or psychiatric consequences. However, when significant difficulties emerge, it is often because abortion is part of a pre -existing vulnerability framework. This does not minimize pain, but underlines the importance of careful and competent listening to understand the situation in its entirety.
A psychologist or psychotherapist can offer fundamental support for face and manage the impact and psychological symptoms after an abortion. That it is one possible Post depression Voluntary abortionof an emotional block or other difficulties, a professional helps to navigate these complex waters, providing tools to develop the experience and prevent the development of more structured inconvenience.
Post abortion psychology
As we have seen, the theme of voluntary pregnancy interruption is multifaceted and raises deep and personal questions. Many women wonder:
- How to overcome a voluntary abortion And his pain?
- What can I learn from Experiences of other women who made this choice?
- How to deal with an abortion Psychological level?
- It is really possible to manage the psychological consequences of an interruption of pregnancy?
Look for a psychological supporteven through an online psychotherapist, it is not a sign of weakness, but one choice of awareness and love towards themselves. Affording to face such an impactful event with the help of a professional means entering a non -judgmental environmentwhere you can receive support with empathy and competence To give a new meaning to the experience lived.
