How to cope with the death of spouse
From ArticleWorld
To Cope with the Death of Spouse can be a very harrowing and a desolate business where life seems to become an endurance test. Death of a loved one is always traumatic but when the death is of the spouse, a soul mate, the suffering takes on an absolute new level. Nobody can take their place and after a few days of commiseration everybody gets back to their own life and routine, the person left behind has to cope by himself/ herself. Here are a few ways to start living again.
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Helpline
- The first thing is to remember that you cannot die with the person who has died, you have to, need to go on living, however painful you find the experience.
- You may not think so now, but time does heal wounds. It will take time albeit a long time but you will learn to live without your loved one, eventually.
- Sometimes we do not want to let go of grief for the fear that we may forget. Do not worry you will learn to grieve with less poignancy but you will never forget, do let go of grief and learn to live and maybe love again.
- If you find that life is becoming too much for you to cope with or your thoughts are turning constantly towards suicide or death, don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
- Spend time with people who care for you. Find friends and relatives who understand your pain and join groups of people who are undergoing similar feelings of loss.
- It is very important that you do not keep feelings bottled up. Express yourself, tell others what you are going through; it is a therapy that works.
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Do’s
- Involve yourself in the day to day chores around the house. Babysitting, cooking and running errands are all ways of coping with grief.
- Be patient. Give your grief time to dull and allow yourself to pick up the threads of your life and start living again.
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Don’ts
- Don’t neglect your health, remember you have to carry on living. Eating well and getting plenty of rest will help you more than anything else.
- Don’t become dependent on drugs or therapy; it will become that much more difficult to shake off a bad habit.