How to Grieve the Death of Your Husband

Overcoming the death of your husband will take time.

The sudden loss of your husband can leave you coping with an emotional crisis, and can leave you feeling deprived. You may experience a confused rush of emotions, including anger and disbelief. It's healthy to feel the emotions that come to you. Grieving the loss of your husband will not only help you come to terms with your loss, but will help you heal with time.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen
• Journal
• Photos of your husband

Instructions

1. 

   Give yourself time to grieve.

   Recognize your grief and mourn in the way you need to. There is no time limit to grieving. You lost the person you built your life with, and you'll need to grieve one day at a time.

2. 

   Don't hide from your grief.

   Prepare yourself for reminders of your loved one such as anniversaries and birthdays, suggests the Mayo Clinic. By readying yourself for upcoming events, you can approach your grief by expressing it.

3. 

   Don't neglect your health.

   Eat, even when you feel as if it's the last thing you want to do. Provide rest for your body. However, consult your physician if you sleep for more than 10 hours a day. Oversleeping can be an indicator of depression.

4. 

   Embrace those willing to help you move forward.

   Reach out to friends and family willing to help you go through your grief. Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., of the Center for Loss & Life Transition recommends avoiding people who may make you feel worse about your loss. Consider joining a grief support group, to talk through your grief and share in the experiences of others.

5. 

   Communicate with your husband.

   Write a letter to your loved one. Alternatively, jot your emotions down in a journal. You can communicate all the things you wished to express, but never did - or reaffirm the things you did say.

6. 

   Only you can decide when you're ready to go through your husband's belongings.

   Go through your husband's belongings only when you're ready, indicates the National Institute on Aging. Give personal items away to your family, as tokens of remembrance.

7. 

   Remember what you loved most about your husband.

   Commemorate your husband by planting a tree or creating a photo album. Place photos of your life together in an album.

8. 

   Move towards healing.

   Seek professional assistance when the grieving process becomes too much to bear. Don't feel afraid to get help.

Tips & Warnings

• Go out with friends or plan potlucks when you're able to.

• Avoid drinking while grieving. Alcohol is a depressant, and can put you through more turmoil.

• Avoid going on "couples" outings with friends, at least initially. These can remind you of your husband.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Grief; Coping with Reminders After a Loss; September 9, 2010
• Center for Loss & Life Transition: Helping Yourself Heal When Your Spouse Dies; Alan D. Wolfelt; Ph.D.; 2007
• National Institute on Aging: U.S. National Insitutes of Health; Mourning the Death of a Spouse; January 2010

Resources

• Healthy Place: Coping With Loss; Bereavement and Grief; December 11, 2008
• Help Guide: Coping with Grief and Loss: Support For Grieving and Bereavement