Empathy

Hello all,
I am curious if other people have more empathy since the loss of their loved one?
My beautiful wife passed on April 29th this year after 28 wonderful years together.
I am having days where I can manage my feelings and hold conversations with others. I have always considered myself a caring person, now though my emotions seem more highly charged and I get overly concerned about how they feel and how they are.
I still struggle with general chitchat, I want to know that whoever I am talking to is okay, I have to stop myself from asking personal questions.

I try to keep things as light hearted as I can, I guess this is just another extra emotion I have ā€œfoundā€.
It’s not an issue, I was just wondering if any of you lovely folk feel the sam?

Thanks
Joe x

1 Like

Hi Joe , I have a mixture of new emotions every day . I find I’m kinder to total strangers now. If an elderly person starts talking to me I will listen and ask questions about them and show concern . Where before my husband died I would of just smiled at them and walked on . But I am also finding I get angry easily and more often with colleagues and relations . Hope it’s just part of grieving . And not that I’m just turning into a nasty old woman xtake carex

1 Like

Hey Broken,
Thanks for replying. Now you mention it I get snappy quite easily as well, didn’t even realise until you just wrote.
Slowly getting some motivation back though so that’s good.
Joe x

1 Like

Good that you are getting some motivation back . I get lots of thoughts in my head to do things ,but never follow through on them . But at least the thoughts are there now . It makes me feel a bit better knowing that I’m not the only one that gets a bit snappy . Perhaps this is " normal" behaviour . Xtake carex

Hi Broken,
That’s got to be a good thing, having thoughts of doing stuff.
I imagine that like me a while back, just thinking brought on tears and anxiety so little positives.
There might be a light at the end of the tunnel?
Joe x

1 Like

Let’s hope so for both of us and others .

I’m wondering if it’s ā€œsurvivalā€ mode?
Is it deflecting anyone asking how we are??

G. X

1 Like

My emotional reactions have gone haywire too. I cry more easily when I see or hear about people suffering, even just watching a tv programme. I also get snappy at nothing, get angry, impatient, intolerant, irrational, stubborn, the list is endless. The only emotion which I’ve completely lost is ā€˜laughter’ and of course, smiling.

2 Likes

I’ve been seeing a hypnotherapist and the guy has been explaining about survival mode and how the brain can react in times of trauma.
It has helped as I can smile sometimes, usually watching TV but also when talking.
I haven’t had proper laughter, one day we will all look back on a funny memory of our loved ones and laugh… hopefully.
x

3 Likes