Any other young-ish widows or widowers out there trying to lose?

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I’m 43. I was 42 when the love of my life and my whole world was gone very suddenly and unexpectedly. Everything shifted. I spend most of my time looking up grief quotes on Pinterest and crying. I don’t know how to get over being devastated. It’s been over a year now, but I was with him half my life...we worked for the same company in 1996 and we started dating I. 1997. He was my everything. I still cry almost every day. People keep telling me I need to move on, but I don’t know how and I don’t want to.

Just the fact that it’s now been over a year doesn’t lessen my devastation and intense grief. I’m just so damn sad. It’s become part of who I am. Because I made him get life insurance, I’m in a decent position now that I’m a widow. I do have terrible ‘widow brain,’ look it up. I never heard of it before it happened to me!

It’s sooo damn hard trying to lose weight on top of grieving for my soulmate and my memory and our house and the life we lived. I could never imagine grief this intense.

Every day I wish I were with him and I have tried to commit suicide twice. Obviously I failed. I still think about it. I have no joy. Eating is the only thing that makes me happy. And we all know what a trap that is.

Sorry this was so long. I don’t mean to impose on you with my personal tragedy. Any advice or words of encouragement are greatly appreciated. ❤️❤️

Replies

  • frameloss
    frameloss Posts: 92 Member
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    I am so sorry!!!! You are amazing for sharing your story! Like the above post..... you matter!!!! You will be a motivational inspiration for others going thru a difficult time. I always say... keep swimming! 😌
  • jls1788
    jls1788 Posts: 30 Member
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    I am SO very sorry for your loss. I’m not a widow but I just sent you a friend request. Helps to have support and community. Have you tried to talk to a counselor??? Hugs and prayers from Houston :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Are you getting any therapy for your depression?

  • rod61miller
    rod61miller Posts: 3 Member
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    I am so very sorry for the tremendous pain and sorrow you are going through.I pray the Lord will comfort and Bless you. We all deal with loss in our own time at our own pace. We never stop missing our loved ones ,We just somehow in our own way find the reasons we should carry on and learn to smile again. I wish you the best <3kmp2cslwgnhv.jpg
  • FitSeachely
    FitSeachely Posts: 74 Member
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    Widow brain... wish I didn’t know what that was. I have no recollection of the first 6 months after he died. 3 and half years later, I still have a hard time being on time which was out of character for me.

    On bad days, remember him and remind yourself that it’s ok to have a bad moment, a bad day or a bad month just like it’s ok to have a good day.

    3 and half year later, I found a new normal, my kids are happy and thriving and most of my days are ok. I still get more bad days than great days but for the most part, they are just ok. I had to learn to be fine with that.

    People around you will keep on saying the meanest or thoughtless things like you need to move on, you will meet someone again as you are young or my favourite, you are lucky he died, it’s a lot less painful than a divorce.

    Hang in there, you are not done yet.
  • MC5Dad
    MC5Dad Posts: 1 Member
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    I just saw your post and saw you wrote your post the day of my wife’s funeral. I am a 42 year old father of two beautiful girls 9 and 12 and just lost my wife of 14 years to breast cancer. I think I am functioning on denial and adrenaline right now. Staying busy with all of the legal stuff and trying to be their for my daughters. It is hard really hard but I know we will be ok. I know I’m in no position to give advice but if you aren’t yet I strongly suggest therapy. It has helped me in my darker days.
  • smilenchild
    smilenchild Posts: 1 Member
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    My husband/best friend of 23yrs passed 2/6/17 to a brain tumor. Diagnosed at 39, passed at 40yrs old. I am slightly older than him. I was 44 when he passed. He was my everything. We talked hours on ends. Bouncing ideas off eachother, hanging out.

    I can somewhat relate to what you are saying, though each of our journey is different. Though I've not tried to commit suicide, I stopped all the healthy things. In part because it was part of "us" so eating healthy, 'geeking out' information related to health, working out. We weren't strict in any of it, everything in moderation but I swear we had already researched and likely tried most things before they hit mainstream (in late 90s we had 411 on gluten free, kombucha, kefir grains to do it ourselves, Weston Price, CSA, a mini grow room for sprouts, wheatgrass, etc etc etc.) We were curious but not stringent / strict about it all.

    I stopped it all after he passed, because (1) I didn't want to do it without him (2) he was in good shape & we did all that yet didn't seem to matter, except we enjoyed doing it together. (3) that if I stopped doing maybe something something would happen to allow me to 'check out' & be with him again.

    They say "time makes it better", what I find as my reality... time allows us the opportunity to find ways to cope with it and how to interact with others.

    I've learned that each day, need to do my best but that when I just want to hide out in bed to push some but if I can't do it... then it is ok. Give myself a break and allow it to happen so that maybe later in the day, or the next day, or even later in the week, I can do something.

    So here I am now back on MyFitnessPal (he was the one that told me about it years and years ago) but I'm somewhat inconsistent.

    Yes, widows fog / widow's brain it real. My spelling and grammar are horrible. Finding a half eaten chobani yogurt in the pantry and not only not remembering starting to eat it, much less putting it in the pantry. It is frustrating! I am finding having check sheets in somewhat helpful. I dont expect to do everything on them, in fact, I keep multiple (daily ones, and running items to-do, and items I'd like to do, etc etc. )

    I am now tracking in FitnessPal but also some info on an excel spreahsheet I've made. Setting up routines to try for, via check lists, is helping me with my weight loss. I'd gained some fat & lost some muscle when I decided to 'stop' everything, sleep pattern was out of wack, and mostly I hid out (I'm mostly an introvert). Most days didn't want to get out of bed, so didn't. What happened is, 6 months in, I started feeling really acy and little things started to effect me that never did before but not bad.

    It is still a challenge to do many things, between the will and the widow's fog but I, personally, found that since starting back towards being "healthy" and doing what we used to love, that getting back in shape & feeling better helps when the emotions hit.

  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Grieving is a very personal process, and shouldn't be rushed. Losing a spouse is one of the most difficult things a person can face in life. Don't let people try to push you to move on before you're ready. (((hugs))) I hope that you can find some traction here in moving forward with being a healthier you.
  • stutba
    stutba Posts: 152 Member
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    So Sorry for everyone loss. I am not a widow, but I lost my sister (age 46) to breast cancer and almost exactly 1 yr later, lost my mom to uterine cancer. (My sister passed one day before my birthday). There is a song by Green Day, Wake Me Up When September Ends, still hold true for me and it has now been 7 yrs since the 1st passing.

    I had deep depression after my sisters death and spiraled worse after my mom. I did go on meds for a while, but I really didn't like my emotional feeling of "dead" on them. I had a close friend who encouraged my to start back running. I wasn't in shape any longer and could barely run a .5 mile, but I got out and started to run/walk. I bawled the entire time. Must have been a sight to the passer byes. It took almost 2 months before I could run without crying.

    I don't know if you have a religious belief, but praying for peace got me through the worst of times.

    I am so deeply saddened for all who posted. Just know, there is great support for those who seek it.
    Sending Hugs!