Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

"Forbidden Grief" the wonderful post abortion book by Theresa Burke and Dave Readon is now available in Spanish…

Spanish Version of Forbidden Grief Now Available

*************************************************

— Elliot Institute Celebrates With A 25 Percent Off Sale

A Spanish-language translation of the book Forbidden Grief: The
Unspoken Pain of Abortion by Theresa Burke and David Reardon, is
now available.

The new book is entitled Duelo Prohibido: El dolor no expresado
del Aborto.

[Read the back cover text of this book in Spanish at
"http://www.afterabortion.org/image/dueloprohibidobackcover.jpg]

The book is based on personal insights from Burke, the founder of
Rachel's Vineyard post-abortion ministry, and the experiences of
women whom she counseled who were struggling after abortion. It
describes various ways in which the often traumatic experiences
surrounding abortion can manifest themselves in women's lives.

The authors describe the enormous pressures many women face
before abortion, in which they are often abandoned by those from
whom they need support and pushed, pressured, coerced or even
forced into abortion. Indeed, one survey of women who had
abortions found that 64 percent reported being pressured to abort
and 79 percent did not receive counseling about alternatives to
abortion, even though more than half reported feeling rushed or
uncertain beforehand.

For example, "Paula" was pushed into an abortion by mental health
workers whom she was seeing after being raped six years before
she became pregnant. "Maureen's" mother insisted on abortion when
the teen became pregnant "because she didn't want me to ruin my
life by having a baby." "Mary" described how her husband trashed
their apartment and called her names when she told him she was
pregnant, insisting that she "get rid of it, NOW!"

Pre-abortion isolation abandonment, and betrayal are frequently
compounded after abortion, when many women — including those who
may have been traumatized by the experience — are left to deal
with the aftermath on their own, Burke and Reardon note. They
point out most people feel uncomfortable talking with someone who
is struggling after abortion, either because they don't know what
to say or are unwilling to confront the issues a woman or man
might be facing after abortion.

"There is no social norm for dealing with an abortion. . . . "
they write.  "The silence and isolation that typically surround
the abortion experience leave women and men with no place to
process their grief."

They describe the experience of one woman who wrote:

"Friends who appeared to know what was best for me at the time of
my unplanned pregnancy now appear afraid and unsure of the person
the abortion has made me.  If I bring up the subject they avoid
me like the plague."

The goal of the book is to help readers — whether professional
counselors, pro-life activists, or those who have had abortions
or their loved ones — gain a better understanding of the
dynamics and trauma surrounding pregnancy and abortion issues and
to take the first steps toward helping themselves or others heal.

This is the first time that the Spanish language version of this
book is available outside of Spain. To celebrate the publication
of the book, we are offering a special 25 percent off sale
until August 31. Learn more at http://afterabortion.org/?p=5875

~~~

Read the back cover text in Spanish:
http://www.afterabortion.org/image/dueloprohibidobackcover.jpg

Buy Duelo Prohibido (and get 25% off until Aug. 31):
http://afterabortion.org/?p=5875

Learn about Forbidden Grief: The Unpsoken Pain of Abortion
(English version) at:
http://afterabortion.org/2004/forbidden-grief/