In New Zealand, Emily Duncan was living the party lifestyle with her boyfriend when she became pregnant. Her boyfriend was very wealthy and they spent six-years together smoking pot and using crystal meth (also referred to as “ice”). According to the Daily Mail, Emily was the daughter of a pastor but left home when she was 16-years-old.
However, it wasn’t until she was 21 that she moved in with her boyfriend and her drug addiction became more severe. She explained, “He was a DJ so the party lifestyle came with it. He was very wealthy so he funded my drug habit. He lived to party and funded all our partying for several years. I felt like I was living the playboy mansion lifestyle. Drugs were always around. We would have ice all day, everyday along with several other drugs.”
Then, when Emily was 27, she became pregnant twice but her boyfriend insisted that she get abortions.
She said, “My boyfriend was not happy when he found out. He wasn’t prepared to have children with me so he insisted I have the abortions.”
Emily didn’t want to have the abortions but felt she had no other choice. Unfortunately, Emily’s not alone— statistics show that 64% of women feel coerced or are forced into abortions by family, partners, abusers or friends. Emily explained, “I never desired to get the abortions. I felt such extreme guilt that I started having suicidal thoughts.”
She added, “After the second abortion, I continued taking drugs and alcohol to a point where I didn’t care if I lived or died. I overdosed twice and was taking so many different sleeping pills. No one persuaded me to use drugs – I wasn’t influenced by anyone but myself. I was slowly dying by this stage and I even felt ashamed of myself.”
This is also very common. In fact, as LifeNews previously reported, after abortion women are six-times more likely to commit suicide than women who have given birth. Also, many women describe their abortion experience as ‘a nightmare,’ with 60% reporting that it felt like ’Part of me died.’
Thankfully, Emily came to a point where she saw that her life was out of control. The two abortions and her severe drug addiction made her realize that she needed to leave her boyfriend and pursue a treatment program.
When she returned home to New Zealand to celebrate her sister Joanna’s wedding in 2010, it was enough to persuade her to kick the habit for good.
‘I went home for my sister’s wedding and realized everyone was happy,’ she said.
‘They all had careers, started a new family and had children. I am the oldest of three and I actually felt like I was the youngest. Everyone was growing up and feeling happy. I was just a mess. ‘I realized I had to do something different. My life had become unmanageable so I had to make a big decision if I wanted to have some sort of successful life.’
Eventually, Ms Duncan moved to the Gold Coast at the age of 28 and spent the next 18 months at the Christian rehabilitation facility Transformations Ministries International. Now, the reformed ice addict is working as an administrator, company secretary and beauty therapist at the rehab centre where she mentors other women going through what she had endured.
‘I absolutely love my job,’ she said. ‘The experience I suffered is invaluable and I managed to turned something painful into something good to help other women.’
Despite the harrowing impact on her life, Ms. Duncan said she wouldn’t change anything in her past.
‘I wouldn’t be the person I am today given what I’ve gone through,’ she said.
‘I do have regrets about the abortions. I wish I was strong enough at the time to pick my babies’ life over my ex-boyfriend but I was so codependent on him and that led to self-hatred. ‘My family have been my biggest support. I’m fortunate for the discipline and morals instilled in me by my parents when I was younger because it has made our relationship better today.
