After the loss of your spouse. Any suggestions to help with this loss?

I was married 32 yrs when my late husband passed into heaven in 2014.

My husband had Lewy body dementia and I was his full time caregiver for many years. After he died I attended a Hospice grief group that was helpful (FYI you need not have used the services of Hospice to participate in their group) and I spoke to my Dr about some issues like anxiety and depression.
It actually took a close friend to point out my struggle because I didn't recognize it for what it was.
For a short time I took an antidepressant and anxiety meds but the thing that helped me the most was volunteering.

I felt like I had lost my purpose in life after caregiving ended. I prayed and asked the Lord why I was still here if my purpose had been fulfilled. The kids were all grown and gone and I struggled to find a way to fit into the weird thing I now called my life. It was at this point I fully understood how long married spouses could easily die withing months of each other. Giving up and fading away could have been easy to do. God had other plans for me though.

I sought out something to be part of, although I knew I was not ready for anything caregiving related. I wound up volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and over the course of time realized that while I was helping someone else, I was also helping me.

Give yourself some grace though. The first year was like walking in a fog and to be honest there is so much of it that seems hazy or I wouldn't remember if I hadn't written it down. The second year was actually harder because the support system fades off when they feel we got through all the "firsts" and should be ok.

It's now been 7 yrs and I have even remarried a couple of years ago (I am as shocked about that as anyone else) but there are times I still struggle with my late husband's absence and grieve the life I thought we should have had.

I am still (yes, still) learning how to navigate my life without him. We have children and grandchildren and there is so much he isn't here to experience with them. SO I guess I'm saying that although time is so cliche it is also so true that it lessens the ache. Instead of stabbing pains they are now a dull thump on my heart and in my head. I'm moving ahead and trusting that my heavenly Father will see me through. I don't think we ever get over or past it. We go right through it and use the experience to help another as they too take the grief journey.

Thinking of you and praying you find some comfort for your heart , mind and body.

TIME
Give yourself as much time as you need to grieve your loss.
As a caregiver for my Husband who had dementia every day was a loss. So you begin the grief process from the first day the doctor says that your sweetheart has dementia.
You get through day by day. And every day there are reminders of what you are loosing. One of the things that is unexpected is the loss of people who you thought were friends.
So you think you are prepared. You think you have cried as much as you can. Even though he was still there you are, what a friend in my Support Group calls, a Married Widow.
But nothing prepares you for the day, the moment he stops breathing. Your heart stops as well. It is as if someone ripped your heart from your chest. And you cry more. Let yourself cry.
I have this posted next to my computer:
I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with you..........
And then I realized you spent the rest of your life with me.........
I also have this:
Grief never ends, But it changes.
It is a passage, not a place to stay.
Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of Faith.
It is the price of LOVE
I am sorry for your loss, you can rest well you cared for him during a difficult journey.
((HUGS))

I lost my husband of 26 years last September, after being his caregiver for many years. That was almost 11 months ago, and I am now just starting to feel more like myself, so please give yourself time. It's only been a couple of days.
I remember for at least the first several months after my husband died I kind of just wandered around the house wondering what it was that I was supposed to be doing, as most of my day had been taken up with his care.
Allow yourself plenty of time to grieve the man you loved. I was getting teary eyed this morning thinking about my husband, and I don't try to stop it or hide it, as I miss him every day.
But life does go on, and we are still meant to make the most of whatever time we have left here on earth. Spend time with family and friends, and with God, and if need be, check out the Grief Share Support Groups in your area, as they can be very helpful as well. And if your husband was under hospice care at the end, they also offer grief counseling.
I have found that the book Healing After Loss by Martha Whitmore is helpful as well, as it is a day at a time devotion. And that is how we have to go through our loss and our grief and that is one day at a time.
I am so sorry for your loss, and hope and pray that you will now take the time to take care of yourself. God bless you.

Your grief is a testimony to your love for your husband, your tribute to him. Some say the passing of time will heal your grief. Phrases like “Give it time”, and “Time heals all”, “Just hang in there”, are offered as a panacea for grief. I suppose in some sense that may be true, if you want to endure the pain of grief forever. Grief can be overwhelming, as it was for me when I lost my wife three and a half years ago. You still have a life to live. It won't be the same life, it will be a new life, a new self. Your life still has meaning and purpose. You will overcome your grief if you choose to, but it requires not only time, but work. Grief does end, and you'll know it when you've worked your way thru it, because you will have accepted your husband's death and be living a fruitful, enjoyable life. Certainly there'll be sad moments, still are for me, but they'll be nothing like the grief you suffered. Eventually you will say you're done grieving.

So for now, accept your grief, cry all you want, and realize you will make it thru this. Be grateful for 31 years of marriage, reminisce, recall the good times with a smile.

Purchase a copy of “Getting to the Other Side of Grief, Overcoming the Loss of a Spouse”.

I am so very sorry for your loss.
After my mother passed in 2016, I would go into our dining room, which we had fixed up as her bedroom, and sit on the couch in the sun. My mother had a similar room off her DR in her house that she called her 'morning room,' and so for a little while, I called it my 'mourning room.' I'd sit with a cup of tea, as we used to do, and a little uplifting book and just observe the silence. Every evening I'd go past the door, look at her photo and say something out loud like, 'Love ya, Mama,' or 'See you in the morning!' I know it sounds daft, but any way you need to get through your grief is OK. As the days went on, I was able to write in my journal, plan my day, make little sketches. At the six or nine month mark (I forget), I thought maybe I should see someone because I still felt lethargic and sad, but my best friend said her mum had been gone for 12 years and you never really ever get over it, you just go on. That was the best advice. I stopped thinking there was some kind of timetable and started being kinder to myself.
My almost 50-year-old son died six months ago today. He was ill. It seems like a lifetime ago and I miss him like crazy. I went away for a few weeks after he passed, and that was good, but I had to come back to his room and his clothes and his belongings which I am still dealing with. I hear a song he'd listen to, or some memory will surface, and I take a moment to enjoy it as he would. This is life. This is loss. This loss is different, as each one is.
When my father died in 1986, I was still working and I barely had time to mourn. Giving someone the advice to keep busy, etc., is probably good, but it doesn't matter how you handle the death of your loved ones, two things are absolute: One, you must make the place in your heart to hold them stronger, and that just takes time. And two, you are hurting because you loved and were loved in return. Say 'thank you' and accept Life's gift.

I lost my LO on July 6th. I can tell you that it hurts, and hurts, and hurts. Initially thought that I needed counseling to help me with the lost of my LO. However, every psychologist I contacted, except one, did not return my call. The one that did, did not accept Medicare coverage and referred me to a social worker. I am now treating myself. I am now reading a book about how to live and die well, entitled With the End in Mind, by Kathryn Mannix. I take each day one at a time, and I have some long term ideas. There are also daily things and unexpected problems to take care that occur, that help distract you from the grief. It hurts more in the morning for me because my LO required most care during that time. I reminiscent about how my LO loved me and how my LO looked at me with love during the last days. A few times I looked around when I woke up because I expected my LO to be there, but that was not so.

It hurts…….

You will feel shock and sadness and disbelief and sometimes guilt or regrets. You will have trouble concentrating and making decisions and you may have NO patience and tolerance for the least little "glitch" in your day. You will sometimes feel overwhelmed by the utter quiet of an empty house. You may think you are ready to sign yourself into "The Home."

Everything you feel is entirely normal. Be kind to yourself--you have just been through a significant trauma. Spend time with everything you feel. Do not try to avoid the sad or frightening emotions. Acknowledge them and experience them. Forgive people who say useless things at this time. They mean well.

When you are ready, talk about what you have been through, perhaps with a Grief Support group where people listen to each other. (Not just a "workshop" dispensing platitudes.). Bring up your husband's name with others who might share memories of him so they know it is OK to talk about him. Other people may be afraid to mention him b/c they "don't want to remind you" that he died. We know you are never going to forget for a minute.

Take whatever time and space and path you need to deal with your emotions. Do not let people tell you "should" be glad your husband is no longer in pain or you "should" be over his death by a certain time. There are no "shoulds" in grieving.

You will begin to see small joys in your day and your memories of your husband will work through the sad and depressing ones to happier times. Include him in your thoughts as you go through your day. Remember him with friends and family. The time you had with him will always be part of who you are.

take the time you need to grieve, whether it be sitting on your porch watching birds or sitting in your house crying, laughing at times or resting. after a certain time, you should join the real world again. being with other people who have lost a spouse, or being with a group who likes to go to shows, or have dinner is a relief too. please dont sit and grieve a long time, you will never forget but you must go on. your spouse would have wanted you to move on. God bless you

My sincerest condolences on the loss of your spouse. I just completed a grief support group my mom’s hospice offered for children who’ve lost a parent/siblings loss of a sibling. They also had separate groups for loss of a spouse & others. I’d suggest checking with his care facility to see if they offer a group. Additionally, for several years I co-facilitated the nationwide grief support group www.Griefshare.org through my church. Each cycle brought new faces in need of the supportive environment Griefshare cultivates. I encourage you to check the website for a group near you, I’m certain you will find comfort in it.

First of all my condolences to you. This is such a hard road.
This is a very interesting thread. I too lost my husband recently. We were married 55 years. He passed on April 1. He had a long illness and was in Hospice for over a year. He was in care as I could no longer physically care for him though I was still his primary decision maker/care overseer/organizer. I visited daily as COVID allowed. This whole past year has been a nightmare. I have amazing friends who have supported me through this journey. But -- I am tired of having to learn how to fix things -- sprinklers, broken dryer, etc. I miss my husband terribly especially when something funny happens and I want to share. Sometimes the feeling of not contributing is overwhelming .. though not sure I am ready. There has to be meaning beyond this. HUGS

There is a lot of great advice in this thread. Thank you all for sharing and thank you for starting the thread.