When Your Spouse Dies

What will I experience?

• Loneliness: Probably the overriding emotion when a spouse dies is loneliness. In the first year, you will experience the loneliness of going through all the major holidays, birthdays and anniversaries alone.

• Disorientation: The map of your life has changed. Not only do you not know where you are going, you probably don’t want to go anywhere.

• Overwhelming sadness: The sadness for many is overwhelming. It is the reason why people can’t sleep, don’t feel like eating, are unmotivated and feel like withdrawing and crying all day.

• Longing for physical intimacy: Depending on your own needs, you may find yourself longing for physical intimacy. This may surprise you if it comes soon after your spouse’s death, but it is normal and healthy.

• Anxious to get on with your life: You are not being disrespectful to your spouse by feeling this way. Use all that your spouse gave you emotionally, spiritually, psychologically and mentally to forge new paths.

Recovering from the death of your spouse

• Give yourself permission to grieve.

• Be patient with yourself in the process. Recovering from a significant loss will take time - perhaps even years- but healing will come.

• Consider joining a support group. You will receive a great deal of support and insight by meeting with those who have experienced a similar loss.

• Remember the good times. Good memories will also make you grateful for the time you had together. Gratitude is a great healer.

• Learn from the experience. Spend time thinking about what you have gained form your relationship. How has this event affected your values and priorities? How would you like to spend the rest of your life?

• Draw on spiritual resources. The journey through grief is a unique part of your spiritual journey. Listen to the words and music of your spirituality and allow them to sustain you.

Carolina Hospice Care can help ease the pain and suffering for the whole family,
please don’t hesitate to call us at 877.849.5910

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