What is widowhood?
That is when one partner loses their other half. Spouse loss affects everyone in different ways. Some manage to move on with their lives without feeling much of the effects at all. They are still in pain, but they are able to cope with the pain of losing their partner better than others.
Other men and women have a more difficult time. Some people spend the rest of their lives mourning the loss of love. It hurts inside when those of us lucky enough to find that great love lose them in the end. I speak from personal experience on this. I lost my best friend and the love of my life a long time ago. There is not a day that goes by that I do not think of them. Those of you who are currently feeling the pain I wanted to reassure you that I know what you are going through, though I may be a little bit younger. Spouse loss is a terrible thing to go through. It does not matter how old you are, but especially when you are 65 years of age and older.
How does it affect your life?
Elder Orphans
There is a term going around where the person in this situation is called an “elder orphans.”
Using the term elder orphan is not wrong. In a lot of ways, you are an orphan. You are without your partner. You are without the person you were going to spend the rest of your life with. They were taken from you, for whatever reason. Now you have to try and move on, knowing they are not going to be with you physically anymore.
1) Your Immune System
Love makes everyone stronger, right? Well, when the love of your life is taken your mind, body, and soul reacts. Your body starts to feel less strong. It affects your blood cell count. A study finds that sadness and death have a major influence on your immune system. You get sick more frequently. You cannot fight the infection as much as you could in the past. There is an imbalance in the body.
2) Depression
I have dealt with depression for much of my life. A lot of my depression has come from the fact that I lost the love of my life. There is an emptiness you cannot fill. How many are facing a similar situation?
I have gone through the major stages of grief, including anger, resentment, and emotional outbursts. Anyone who has lost a spouse has been there. You have experienced at least one of those things, maybe more. It is not something you can switch off and walk away from.
Do you face the same issues? You might want to schedule an appointment to talk to someone. I say that based on personal experience.
Example of the Physical Decline
Sometimes you lose interest in things you used to do, example, physical health.
Some of it has to do with being alone. There might be situations involving people participation around you, but you just do not have an interest in people participation. That is when you get pigeonholed into the category of “seniors isolation.”
Seniors Isolation: Seniors Loneliness
Does that force the person into elderly social isolation or seniors loneliness? Yes, more often than not. You see the others having fun and running around. However, you feel the opposite because of the loss you face. That loss can sometimes induce you into a situation where elderly social isolation happens.
Senior Support System
Loneliness in a senior is not something to make light of. Senior need companionship just as much as the rest of us do. What happens when their spouse dies? They want to find support too. They want to find some new friends to help them handle their grief better.
A social care support system can love them in a way their spouse cannot right now. Maybe you do not want to get involved in some of the best physical activity elderly people can find. The only drawback is that can make loneliness in senior more detrimental. They see how they are being excluded from the group because they do not like the same thing. That adds to the loneliness in senior.
What do you do if someone you know is facing this elderly problem?
Find a genuine social care support system to help you get over the loss. Help them find someone they can relate to. That can make all the difference.
Elderly Widows Living Alone
What happens when a person does not want to find a social group?
What happens when they just want to be left alone? Elderly widows living alone is not an uncommon elderly problem.
In this case, the main thing they need to learn is how to be happy alone. I had to learn how to be happy alone. It took me a long time, but I finally got there. I do not have the same resentments and bitterness I used to.
Teach them how to function as much as they can on their own. I had to learn how to do that. My loved one still lives in my heart and soul every day, but I am getting better with moving on with my life. I also recommend they start some therapy. That will help them process the grief more efficiently.
Conclusion
No one can replace the person they lost, but they need to find a way to pick up the pieces. That way they are not holding onto the sadness, anger, and resentment as much. They might not want to find a new group of friends. However, I also recommend finding a few close people that can make the rest of their time easier and maybe a little fun.
