When your spouse dies, your world changes. You are in mourning\u2014feeling grief\u00a0and sorrow at the loss. You may feel numb, shocked, and fearful. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. If your spouse died in a nursing home, you may wish that you had been able to care for him or her at home. At some point, you may even feel angry at your spouse for leaving you. All these feelings are normal. There are no rules about how you should feel. There is no right or wrong way to mourn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you grieve, you can feel both physical and emotional pain. People who are grieving often cry easily and can have:<\/p>\n
If you are grieving, in addition to dealing with feelings of loss, you may also need to put your own life back together. This can be hard work. Some people may feel better sooner than they expect. Others may take longer. As time passes, you may still miss your spouse, but for most people, the intense pain will lessen. There will be good and bad days. You will know that you are feeling better when the good days begin to outnumber the bad.<\/p>\n
For some people, mourning can go on so long that it becomes unhealthy. This can be a sign of\u00a0serious depression\u00a0and anxiety. If sadness keeps you from carrying on with your day-to-day life,\u00a0talk to your doctor.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, you may find that taking care of details and keeping busy helps. For a while, family and friends may be around to assist you. But, there comes a time when you will have to face the change in your life.<\/p>\n
Here are some ideas to keep in mind:<\/p>\n
Andrew, age 73, felt like the wind had been knocked out of him when his wife died. He began sleeping all day and staying up at night watching TV. Meals were mostly snacks like cookies and chips. He knew it wasn\u2019t healthy, but he didn\u2019t know what to do. Across town, Alice woke up in a panic. It had been 5 weeks since Jeff, her husband of 41 years, died. She cared for him during his long illness. How was she going to cope with the loneliness?<\/em><\/p>\n Men and women share many of the same feelings when their spouse dies. Both may deal with the pain of loss, and both may worry about the future. But, there can also be differences. Often, married couples divide up their household tasks. One person may pay bills and handle car repairs. The other person may cook meals and mow the lawn. Splitting up jobs often works well until there is only one person who has to do it all. Learning to manage new tasks, from chores to household repairs to finances, takes time, but it can be done.<\/p>\n Being alone can increase\u00a0concerns about safety. It\u2019s a good idea to make sure there are working locks on the doors and windows. If you need help, ask your family or friends.<\/p>\n Facing the future without a husband or wife can be scary. Many people have never lived alone. Those who are both widowed and retired may feel very lonely and become depressed. Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling.<\/p>\n After years of being part of a couple, it can be upsetting to be alone. Many people find it helps to have things to do every day. Write down your weekly plans. You might:<\/p>\n Some widowed people lose interest in cooking and eating. It may help to have lunch with friends at a senior center or cafeteria. Sometimes eating at home alone feels too quiet. Turning on a radio or TV during meals can help. For\u00a0information on nutrition\u00a0and cooking for one, look for helpful books at your local library or bookstore.<\/p>\n When you feel stronger, you should think about:<\/p>\n When you are ready, go through your husband\u2019s or wife\u2019s clothes and other personal items. It may be hard to give away these belongings. Instead of parting with everything at once, you might make three piles: one to keep, one to give away, and one \u201cnot sure.\u201d Ask your children or others to help. Think about setting aside items like a special piece of clothing, watch, favorite book, or picture to give to your children or grandchildren as personal reminders of your spouse.<\/p>\n Lillian felt lost. Widowed at age 71, she went out with the same couples that she and her husband, Ray, had always liked. But without Ray, she felt out of place. How could she enjoy going out when she felt like a fifth-wheel?<\/em><\/p>\n Having a social life can be tough. It may be hard to think about going to parties alone. It can be hard to think about coming home alone. You may be anxious about dating. Many people miss the feeling of closeness that marriage brings. After time, some are ready to have a social life again.<\/p>\n Here are some things to remember:<\/p>\n Take care of yourself. Get help from your family or professionals if you need it. Be open to new experiences. Don\u2019t feel guilty if you laugh at a joke or enjoy a visit with a friend. You are adjusting to life without your spouse.<\/p>\n For more information on health and aging, including nutrition, exercise, and sleep, contact:<\/p>\n National Institute on Aging<\/strong> When your spouse dies, your world changes. You are in mourning\u2014feeling grief\u00a0and sorrow at the loss. You may feel numb, shocked, and fearful. You may feel guilty for being the one who is still alive. If your spouse died in a nursing home, you may wish that you had been able to care for him […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mental-health","category-overall-health","category-social-matters"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTaking Charge of Your Life<\/h2>\n
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Is There More To Do?<\/h2>\n
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What About Going Out?<\/h2>\n
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Don\u2019t Forget<\/h2>\n
\nInformation Center<\/strong><\/b>
\nP.O. Box 8057
\nGaithersburg, MD 20898-8057
\n1-800-222-2225 (toll-free)
\n1-800-222-4225 (TTY\/toll-free)
\nwww.nia.nih.gov<\/em><\/a>
\nwww.nia.nih.gov\/espanol<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"