Can You Die of a Broken Heart?
Monday August 31, 2009
Every now and then we read a notice in the newspaper about an elderly widow or widower dying shortly after the death of their long-time spouse. Relatives often believe that their grieving parent or grandparent died of a broken heart.
Is this really possible? Can people die of a broken heart? According to Dr. Holly S. Andersen, "The answer is yes. A traumatic breakup, an extreme argument or experiencing the death of a loved one can elicit the release of stress hormones that can trigger a heart attack in people prone to them, induce a life-threatening arrhythmia or cause a syndrome that mimics a heart attack in otherwise healthy hearts."
"Besides experiencing the strain of stress, of emotional overload, and of not taking care of oneself properly, it is also possible for grievers to be at higher risk for health problems. Various studies have shown that surviving spouses may have increased odds of suffering heart disease, cancer, depression, alcoholism, and suicide, says Dan Leviton ... He notes, though, that not everyone has higher risk for disease because they may cope well with loss."If you are coping with the death of your spouse, one of the most important things to remember is that you must take care of yourself, both emotionally and physically. That means getting regular sleep, consuming a healthy diet, drinking enough water, exercising, and having some fun and laughter in your life.
Source: Dulce Zamora. "Death from a Broken Heart." Medicinenet.com. 11/24/2003.
Note to all: Very long message, good luck if you make it to the end!)
I have seen a few couples die a year or less, after suffering the blow of the death of a spouce, parent,
brother, son, etc. It all affects us differently. Although many people would agree death of a spouse is the most stressful, but that’s not at all true! The most stressful, and hardest to come to grips of is death of a child. That’s so incomprehensible! My mother died in 1987. Her mother my maternal grandmother who witnessed her own daughter being buried, died 6 months later. I really think it was b/c she was suffering from a ‘broken heart.’ Also my
paternal Grandafather and Grandmother had the luck of very old age. They both lived to be 92 and 93, respectively. My Grandfather had to hospitalized with a bout of pneumonia. It went from bad to worse and b/c he was so old, he just couldn’t breathe on his own anymore. So we let him go as he had requested in his living will or will whatever it is.
My Nana just so happened to be in the nursing home they were at together (until my Grandpa got transferred to the medical dept., as his health was ailing). My nana took the news a lot better than I thought she would. It’s almost like she knew he died
before I even told her! I know that sounds crazy, even insane but it didn’t matter b/c my Nana died 3 months later. When my father passed away I felt like
I was going to die also. I felt that way also, when my mother died, 22 years ago. The feeling, did eventually go away; just to emerge 20 years later! I
lost my father to brain cancer in July, 2007. It wasn’t a pleasant experience and as a result of my dad’s death is that I developed a rare, neurological
disorder known as Hypersomnia. It’s the opposite of insomnia, where you can’t sleep. The effects of Hypersomnia are sleeping excessively, and never ever feeling rested. Also, sometimes after all that sleep, you may feel wide awake, and consciously pull and ‘all-nighter,’ not ever feeling tired until the following day, when you’ve been up for say 36 hours straight! Then go to bed, and the cycle just keeps repeating itself. This disorder all has to do with grief and a broken heart. Thank you! ~ Suzy
Yes, this is absolutely true. My mom passes away suddenly. My oldest brother passed away 6 months later with a massive heart attack. Then my dad, passed away 5 months after my brother. My parents were married 53 years.
Being with a broken heart is worse than death!
Yes. I don’t want to live in this pain any longer. It’s been 5 months since my husband of 43 years died. I miss him and just want to be with him. Living this pain is simply unbearable. I just want to die
Hi Bernadette,
It is very important that you talk to someone immediately and let them know you are feeling this way – someone who can talk to you right now.
If you see a psychiatrist or a counselor, he or she is the person to call. A family member or friend is also a good choice. If these options are not available to you, please call a suicide crisis hotline.
In the United States, you can call 1-800-784-2433 or 1-800-273-8255.
Here is a web site that lists other hotline numbers in the U.S. and around the world: http://hopeline.com/ries.asp or http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
I am so sorry you are hurting right now. It is so difficult for those of us who are reading your post in this thread to know how to help you. We can’t see you or talk to you; we can only let you know that you are not alone, and that there are people in your life and available on hotlines who care about you and who can help you to work through this.
Please reach out to them.
Sincerely, Sheri