Upcoming Retreat
Jan. 30, 31, Feb. 1, 2009
Hays, Kansas
Contact: Donetta Robben
Toll-Free: 1-877-I-GRIEVE
(877-447-4383)
rachelsvineyard@salinadiocese.org
Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreats are available for any man or woman who has struggled with the emotional and spiritual pain of abortion.
Since abortion is usually a carefully guarded secret, many women and men fail to allow themselves to process their experience. Feelings are usually buried away and can eventually cause other problems. For more info on symptoms of post abortion trauma, visit our Symptoms of Post Abortion Trauma page. A Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreat is a chance to get away from all the daily pressures of work and family and focus on this painful time in your life through a supportive and non-judgmental process. The time away provides an opportunity to deeply enter the grieving process and identify all the ways your abortion may have effected you. This pain and suffering is then transformed through a spiritual process utilizing rituals, meditations, a memorial service and Mass of Resurrection.
Married couples, mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings of aborted children, as well as persons who have been involved in the abortion industry have come to Rachel’s Vineyard in search of peace and inner healing. The weekend is very intense and emotional but yields a fruitful harvest for all who have attended. For comments from people who have attended the retreats, visit Women and Men who share their experiences of Rachel's Vineyard Retreat.
Though an unwanted pregnancy and abortion may be far behind you, the painful memories of that time of your life, as well as the particulars of the day, may be a very vivid memory. Every day you struggle with pain and inner conflict that won't go away. Are you alone in your turmoil? No. Many health care professionals are seeing an increase in the number of women and men who suffer with symptoms. Post Abortion Trauma is the term used to describe a woman or man who is suffering with deep-rooted guilt associated with a past abortion. What takes place during the actual abortion is so horrific that the reality is denied and suppressed. These repressed feelings and grief may be responsible for a profound array of psychological and emotional disturbances in a woman's lifetime.
Some of the symptoms of Post Abortion Syndrome/Trauma are….
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- Bouts of Crying - Guilt - Intense Grief / Sadness - Emotional Numbness - Eating Disorder - Drug and Alcohol Abuse - Suicidal Urges - Anxiety and Panic Attacks |
- Depression - Inability to Forgive Yourself - Anger / Rage - Sexual Problems or Promiscuity - Lowered Self Esteem - Nightmares / Sleep Disorder - Difficulty with Relationships - Flashbacks |
If you have suffered through an abortion and have isolated yourself from healing and forgiveness, pick up the phone now and call our hotline or e-mail us. We promise you a quick, confidential reply. You may feel a deep numbness and may not be able to name the pain or recognize any of the above symptoms as describing your self or life, but pick up the phone and call now. Most women seek help 10 to 20 years after their abortion. They suffer in silence and solitude until the pain forces them to reach out. Do not lose any more of your precious life. Do not continue to hide in shame and fear. Come allow others to share and cry and heal with you.
