Let’s look at reporting investment income and capital gains, and which spouse should report the capital gain on a rental property.
Reporting investment income
When you earn investment income like interest or dividends in a taxable investment account, or rental income from a rental property, you need to report it on your tax return.
Taxpayers sometimes mistakenly think they can minimize the tax payable by choosing which spouse’s tax return to report the income on, and in some cases, changing the allocation from year to year. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. The income must be reported by the spouse who earned it. If the asset is truly joint, each taxpayer would report their proportionate share of the income on their tax return.
Reporting capital gains
Like other sources of income, capital gains have to be reported by the person who earned the income. If the capital gain is on a property held in your name only, Zlatko, you cannot report half the capital gain on your spouse’s tax return to reduce tax, nor can you use their registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) room to reduce the taxable income.
Presumably, you have been reporting 100% of the rental income on your tax return annually, so to change that reporting suddenly when there is a big income inclusion from the capital gain is not an option. If you were reporting the income incorrectly all along, and it should always have been reported jointly, you should go back and adjust your tax return and your spouse’s tax return. Interest would apply on your spouse’s balance owing, and you would receive a refund. But you should have a good reason for the oversight, as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) does not like this sort of “convenient” retroactive tax planning.
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Legal versus beneficial ownership
You mentioned that the property is in your name. For tax purposes, there is always a distinction between legal ownership and beneficial ownership.
An asset can be legally owned by one spouse but beneficially belong in part or in whole by the other. If you both contributed equally to the down payment for the property, for example, you should report the capital gain equally, despite the property being held in your name alone, Zlatko.
However, if this was inconsistent with the past reporting of the rental income, that means you may have been reporting the property incorrectly all along. It does not sound like this is the case for you.
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Spousal attribution
On the other hand, if your spouse gave you the money for the down payment, so that the property technically belongs to them beneficially, the income may be subject to attribution. If both spouses have contributed differing amounts at different times, it can be more complicated to determine beneficial ownership for tax purposes. It bears mentioning that spouses can own an asset in a proportion other than 50/50 as a result.
Spousal attribution is when income is earned by one spouse, but because of the source of the funds that generated the income, that income gets taxed back to the contributing spouse.
If your spouse actually bought this rental property in your name to try to reduce tax, it may be that the capital gain and all the past rental income should technically be taxed to them, Zlatko.
Transferring assets between spouses
Sometimes, people ask me about transferring an asset to their spouse, or adding their spouse’s name to the property prior to selling it. A transaction like this runs into the same spousal attribution issue, where an asset you own, transferred to your spouse, will have resulting income taxed back to you.
As a result, you cannot transfer partial ownership to your spouse in an attempt at last-minute tax planning.
Tax reduction options
You brought up contributing to your and your spouse’s RRSPs, Zlatko. This is definitely one way to reduce your taxable income in the year you sell the property. If the capital gain is large, or your income is relatively high besides the capital gain, you may be able to offset about $2 of capital gains with every dollar contributed to your RRSP.
This is because only half of a capital gain is taxable. So, you would only need a $50,000 RRSP contribution to fully offset a $100,000 capital gain.
If you can control your income in the year of the capital gain by reducing or avoiding other sources of income, you may be able to mitigate some of the tax payable on the capital gain, as well. For example, if you are a business owner who can lower your salary or dividends, or you can defer other capital gains or registered account withdrawals, or you can claim or accelerate other tax deductions.
If the RRIF is not set up this way, there will be immediate tax consequences, and the estate wishes of your husband may not play out as intended.
What happens if you’re not named the beneficiary or successor owner of a RRIF
When a partner dies, the full amount of their RRIF will be added to their other income for the year and taxed at the current rate. For example, Shearer, if your husband is in Ontario and has an annual taxable income of $50,000, he would pay about $5,800 in tax, based on his marginal tax rate.
If were to die on December 31 of this year, with $300,000 in his RRIF, his total taxable income will be $350,000. And his estate would pay about $148,000 in tax, again based on his marginal tax rate. An increase of approximately $142,000, almost 50% of the value of his RRIF.
If no beneficiary or successor owner is named within the will nor RRIF documents, the RRIF proceeds will pass through the estate and will be subject to estate administration tax. If there’s a beneficiary who’s not a qualifying survivor, which I will explain later, the RRIF proceeds will pass to them tax-free, and the estate will pay the tax.
To help yourself understand that, think about what would happen if your husband has children from a first marriage. Using the $300,000 RRIF example above, the children would receive its proceeds tax-free, and your husband’s estate, possibly you, must come up with the money to pay the tax. If this is your husband’s second marriage (or yours), or either of you want to divide your assets unequally amongst your beneficiaries, make sure you understand the tax consequences you are putting on the estate and your surviving partner.
How to reduce or eliminate the tax consequences on the death of a RRIF holder
You can reduce or eliminate the tax on income from a RRIF upon your death by leaving it to a qualifying survivor. A qualifying survivor can be a:
Spouse or common-law partner
Financially dependent infirm child or grandchild
Financially dependent child or grandchild
The first one is you, Shearer. So, you’re not going to pay tax on the RRIF, if your husband passes and you succeed him. You become the owner of his RRIF or the money goes into your RRSP or RRIF.
Should you be named a beneficiary or successor owner on a RRIF?
Canadians can name a spouse as either the beneficiary or successor owner of their RRIF. As a beneficiary, Shearer, you have the choice of either paying out the RRIF to your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and/or RRIF or taking the cash. If you take the cash or investments in kind, the RRIF value will be included with your husband’s other income for the year, as described above.
If your withdrawal is in excess of the minimum, there will be withholding tax. The tax rate depends on the magnitude of the withdrawal: a rate of 10% applies to excess withdrawals of up to $5,000, a rate of 20% to excess withdrawals from $5,000 to $15,000, and a rate of 30% to excess withdrawals of more than $15,000. (In Quebec, the rates are 5%, 10% and 15%, respectively.)
Tax return implications of transferring your RRIF
Withholding tax is just the start, though, Soheir. When you file your tax return, you report your income from all sources, including RRIF withdrawals, regardless of whether or not the withdrawals were transferred to a TFSA. TFSAs are tax-free once your deposit is made, but the contributions themselves have no bearing on your tax return.
If your withholding tax rate on your RRIF withdrawal was too high or too low, it may lead to a refund or a balance owing. So, the withholding tax is just a short-term tax implication; the actual tax is calculated on your tax return for the year.
There may generally be an advantage to taking more than the minimum RRIF withdrawals, whether you contribute the excess to your TFSA or not, Soheir.
For example, let’s say you are in a low tax bracket early in retirement and you are deferring pension income like Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) or workplace pensions. Taking extra withdrawals may take advantage of your low tax brackets, smooth your income in retirement, and allow you to contribute to or maintain your TFSA.
Another example might be if you are married or common-law and your partner’s health is not good. RRIF withdrawals can be split with your spouse and reported on two tax returns, typically at a lower rate. That opportunity no longer exists after the first death in the couple. All future income is taxed on just one tax return.
First off, a transfer of assets between spouses is by default done on a tax-deferred basis at the original purchase price. So, whether the properties are held individually or jointly, either person can transfer their share of the ownership of a house and/or cottage to the other spouse without triggering an immediate tax implication.
They can elect for the transfer to occur at any value between the adjusted cost base and the fair market value. We will come back to this point.
Watch for spousal attribution
When married or common-law couples transfer assets between each other, there’s always the risk of spousal attribution. This may apply if one spouse owns an asset or contributes primarily or exclusively to its purchase and transfers the asset to the other spouse. If the receiving spouse then earns income from it or sells it for a profit, there may be attribution of the income back to the transferring spouse. The income, or capital gain, would be taxable to the transferor.
Spousal attribution does not apply after separation or divorce. So, you can transfer assets and not have to worry about future income being allocated to you down the road. However, there could be lingering tax implications for one or both individuals.
How the principal residence exemption applies in separation or divorce
A couple can only have one principal residence in any given tax year. Your principal residence is not necessarily the place where you primarily live. You can claim your cottage, for example, as your principal residence.
When a separation is amicable, the couple should determine together which property, when treated as the principal residence, would result in the least amount of tax. Specifically, they should consider the annual capital appreciation of each property, calculated as the total appreciation divided by the years of ownership.
Let’s say ex-spouses named Jo and Chris owned a cottage for a short period of time, and it appreciated significantly. They might agree to treat the cottage as their principal residence for the years they owned it. Jo could transfer full ownership to Chris, and they could jointly elect to have the transfer take place at the fair market value. Jo could claim the principal residence exemption to avoid tax in the year of transfer. Chris may be able to claim the cottage as their principal residence for all years of ownership given it will be the only property they own after the separation, and it will qualify for the principal residence exemption in subsequent years as well.
That means Jo will have to pay tax for some years of house ownership, because the cottage was claimed as the couple’s principal residence during the years it was owned. Jo may have some years of ownership before the cottage purchase, as well as more years after the separation, where the house can be their principal residence. But they will have to pay some capital gains tax eventually when they sell the house. It will be based on the total appreciation when they sell it, or die, and the pro-rated years where the couple claimed the cottage relative to the total years of ownership.
“I cannot live the rest of my life without my husband. But I can live without him for one day.” This quote from Linda Feinberg’s book I’m Grieving as Fast as I Can perhaps sums up what rebuilding your life after the death of a spouse can look like. Yes, death is hard, and especially hard if the person you’ve lost is a partner of many years. But are you wondering how to rebuild your life after death of spouse? Or how to get closure when someone dies unexpectedly? Or if a person can actually get over such a big shock so easily? How do widows cope with loneliness? Perhaps one needs to take recovery one step at a time.
In this article, we’ll delve deeper into this issue and find out what makes grieving the death of a partner so hard and what the stages of grief look like. We’ll also offer a few ways to help you with moving on after death of spouse, with insights from psychiatrist Dr. Shefali Batra (MD in Psychiatry), who specializes in counseling for separation and divorce, breakup and dating, and premarital compatibility issues.
What Is The Hardest Part Of Losing A Spouse?
Before coming to the hardest part of losing a spouse, let’s look at a study that talks about spousal bereavement in detail. It clearly says, “The death of a husband or wife is well recognized as an emotionally devastating event, being ranked on life event scales as the most stressful of all possible losses.”
Dr. Batra explains, “Your spouse is your one legitimate partner who sticks with you through the thick and thin of your life. A person’s entire conditioning to the care, attention, love, or even the complaints from a spouse is what keeps them going, and when that is lost, the emptiness or void can be terrifying. The first year after losing a spouse can be emotionally devastating. In fact, it can be worse than the immediate aftermath of death. It’s at that stage when you may find yourself uttering, “I miss my deceased husband” quite often.”
While there is no one single reason that makes this loss ‘the hardest’, some of the factors that may be considered the hardest part of losing a spouse are:
It marks the end of your relationship, and if it was a good one, you lose a lifelong friend, a cheerleader, a sexual partner, and a support system
It doesn’t end the bond, and you can’t focus on new memories or new relationships because you’re still connected to old memories
It makes you feel abandoned or betrayed by your spouse. It’s as if they left you to deal with life’s challenges on your own
You end up with no social life. Dinners, weekends, and important life events are the hardest for some, as they keep reminding them of the togetherness and good moments of the past
Living in the same house after the death of your spouse can cause emotional pain, as every object may remind you of your partner
How Does The Death Of A Spouse Affect A Person?
Now that we know how hard it is for someone to lose a partner, you may be asking, “How does the death of a spouse affect a person?” It’s like losing a best friend, a safe space, or a partner in crime. When you lose the most important person in your life, it damages you irreparably, even if you’re the most independent person in the world or needed a lot of personal space in the relationship when your spouse was still around. In fact, a study explored that such a loss can lead to “emotional and practical problems” in older adults.
So, how long does grief last after death of spouse? Well, it can last for years and can have a long-term impact, at times devastating. In fact, a study stated how spousal bereavement “…has immediate and longer-term consequences for many aspects of the surviving spouse’s life, including their health and well-being, their personal relationships, how they spend their time, and their sense of self.”
Dr. Batra agrees, “The death of a husband, or a wife, is recognized as the most difficult time of one’s life. In fact, the first year after losing a spouse can be soul-crushing. It affects a partner extremely deeply because a spouse is like a co-manager. Even if your spouse is not sitting with you 24/7, they are the co-manager of your house, children, family, friends, and members of social units, such as organizations, or societies or groups.” For instance, your spouse is your designated “plus one” at all social events.
Stages of grief
While discussing how to rebuild your life after death of spouse, Dr. Batra also touched upon the stages of grief. Apparently, there are 5 stages, with the last stage being acceptance. It’s important to note that the progress is not always sequential, but it almost always leads to the final stage, acceptance. So, let’s take a look at the 5 stages of grief that a person goes through after any loss, especially that of a spouse.
Denial: This is the first stage of grief, where one just doesn’t believe that their partner is actually gone. When this is taken to an extreme end, you may become delusional and believe that the partner is alive or that medical professionals have made a mistake by declaring them dead. Dr. Batra says, “We don’t call this an absolute delusion because many people feel this way and it passes with time. It’s a state of shock which they are not able to accommodate.”
Anger: The second stage of the grieving process is anger, where you feel that your spouse was wrongfully taken away from you. You feel it was too soon for them to go and that it was unfair. At this stage, you may lash out at your family and friends or even direct your anger toward yourself, by shutting yourself in
Bargaining: This is a stage of ‘what ifs’. This is when you have a hard time accepting the reality and start wondering what you could’ve done differently to avoid the loss. Dr. Batra explains, “This is when grieving people start going back in time and wondering if only their spouse could’ve lived a little longer.”
Depression: In this stage, you have to deal with depression, and lots of it at once. This is when reality begins to set in and you begin to acknowledge the loss. This is when it hits you that your partner is not there any longer, especially when you’re living in the same house after the death of your spouse. Dr. Batra says, “This stage makes them really sad, low, and empty, and the hollowness in them becomes more evident. This is when they feel numb.”
Acceptance: Much after the depression phase of the grieving process has passed, begins the stage of acceptance. In this stage, one comes to terms with the loss. Wondering how to get closure when someone dies unexpectedly? Well, Dr. Batra says, “During this last stage, you may perhaps start learning new coping skills. This is when you make new connections and begin to pick up the pieces of life again.”
You can literally die of a broken heart from the grief you experience after a spouse’s death
Symptoms of grief
Besides the stages of grief, we’ll look at some deep effects of spousal death too. Interestingly, widowhood effect, the other term for “dying of a broken heart”, is a phenomenon wherein the likelihood of a person dying shortly after the death of a spouse increases. The death could be due to suicide or natural causes due to health issues, stress, and depression. And this direct impact of grief after a spouse’s death can be prevented if we watch out for the symptoms of grief.
Let’s look at a few such symptoms. We’ll broadly divide the symptoms in two parts, psychological and physical symptoms: Psychological symptoms
Psychological symptoms
Survivor’s guilt: This is when your spouse dies in a natural calamity or an accident which you may have survived. It’s part of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comes from a feeling of not having done enough to save a spouse
Anhedonia: This is a strange phenomenon wherein you will not find joy in the things you once enjoyed. So, your favorite pastime, be it gardening or reading, will not make you happy any longer
Anxiety and depression: Grief after the death of a spouse can bring about severe mental health issues, such as major encounters with depression and anxiety. While anxiety can be located by looking out for increased heartbeat, sweating, restlessness, and worrying excessively, depression can be pin-pointed by watching out for lack of concentration, suicidal thoughts, and lethargy
Physical symptoms
Brain fog: This can be a collection of various symptoms, including failure to focus and loss of memory
Insomnia: One of the sure-shot symptoms of grief is a marked change in sleep patterns. You may find yourself staying awake till the wee hours of the morning, thinking about your lost loved one
Digestive issues: Disrupted eating habits during grief can cause severe digestive issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, and stomach pain, accompanied by nausea or queasiness
Weight issues: A lack of focus on a balanced diet may cause rapid weight loss or gain
Decreased immunity: Lack of sleep and a proper diet can result in reduced immunity, bringing in a host of diseases
11 Expert-Backed Tips On How To Rebuild Your Life After The Death Of A Spouse
Mourning a death and getting back to normal life after such a loss isn’t a linear process. And how long does grief last after death of spouse? Well, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to years to recover. Likewise, there’s no right or wrong way to heal. At times, the healing is interrupted by the self — the thoughts and memories of one’s spouse, the good times shared, and the longing to be with them once more. But more often than not, the friends and family of a person make them feel guilty for moving on so quickly. They start judging their love and loyalty for their dead spouse.
A Reddit user thinks on the same lines and has likened remarrying after the death of a spouse to cheating in a relationship. The user further goes on to say: “I mean death is not divorce. It’s just unintended physical separation, like being abducted and forced to go on a very long trip in a far away country with the possibility of never seeing each other again.
“I don’t consider myself religious but if there’s a life after this by any chance and a reunion happens and you live forever with the loved ones you lost in life, who’s going to be your spouse now? You will have to let go of one of them after having so many precious and special memories together? Is there space for two loves in one heart?”
But rebuilding your life after the death of a partner is important, as life goes on and one can’t rely on memories alone to get you through the practicalities of day-to-day life. In this section, Dr. Batra helps us unearth a few ways to get back to normal life after the death of a spouse. So, here it goes:
1. Remember you are alive
In case you’ve lost a spouse, a crucial step to recovery is to realize that you are still living. You matter and so do your thoughts, desires, and aspirations. So, continue living. Dr. Batra says, “Remember that your life can and should be as full as it was before your partner’s death because you still have you. The right mindset is what will drive you ahead.”
2. Don’t quit the things you enjoyed together
Wondering “How to deal with grief of losing a spouse?” Instead of quitting the things that you love to engage in, continue spending time doing them, either with friends or solo.
So, be it traveling to exotic locations, trying a variety of culinary delicacies, or just decorating your home, if something brought you two joy, don’t quit it just because you’ve lost your partner. Dr. Batra adds, “A sunset does not become less beautiful because you do not have a spouse to see it with. so, instead of letting the grief and loss destroy you, try and focus on rebuilding your life.”
A coworker, Trish, lost her husband, Ryan, to a car accident, in her late 40s. Ryan and Trish would often backpack to the mountains when he was alive. After repeatedly crying “My husband died and I want him back” for the initial few weeks, Trish joined a backpacking club and went off to the mountains again. It made her feel whole and come to terms with the grief, she said.
If you’re still wondering how to rebuild your life after death of spouse, well, the lull after you’ve lost your spouse and have come to terms with it is the right time to rediscover yourself. Make a checklist of all the things you’ve always wanted to do and didn’t get the time to, or had out on the back burner because of your mundane domestic responsibilities. So, give your household chores a break and focus on your dreams.
Dr. Batra says, “After all you matter too right? If you don’t love yourself, then who else will?” So, always wanted to take that solo trip to Europe? Or hit the gym and lose a few pounds? Do it right away!
4. Practice gratitude
It’s important to be thankful for life and the beautiful things it offers us. And for being alive in the first place. So, practice gratitude for living to see another day and breathe in the mourning period for spouse itself. Dr. Batra says, “Be thankful for all the wonderful things that you still have in life, such as your family and friends, your job, and your home. Cherish all the people around you who are still alive, all the people who love you, and the people you love.”
Always be thankful for what life has to offer you, even when you’re mourning the loss of a spouse
5. Learn a new skill
Bringing in new experiences in life makes you cope with the loss of a spouse effectively, at times. So, learn a new skill, such as sketching, pottery, or dancing. Dr. Batra feels, “This will activate fresh neurons in your brain, and will also release dopamine, which will help you find happiness again.” A friend of mine, Alice, was devastated when her husband passed away in his early 30s. She could say nothing apart from “My husband died and I want him back” for a few weeks. She started learning French soon after the initial shock, as she had always wanted to learn a new language but never had the time to.
Eventually, she took a trip to France, and using her newly earned linguistic skills, she took up a volunteer teaching assignment there, while touring the country for a month. She still tells me how fulfilling the whole experience was for her. It was her window to a new life.” This is perhaps how to rebuild your life after death of spouse.
6. Engage in charity
The mourning period for spouse may not be fixed but while you’re trying to get back to the grind of daily life after the initial shock, you may want to do a good deed or two. So, while you’re still mourning the loss of a husband or wife, donating to charitable causes is a great idea! It’s perhaps the best way to deal with the state of limbo that losing a partner throws you in. It also has a feel-good factor, and you end up making someone else’s life better.
Dr. Batra says, “If you have the funds, you can share that. If you have the time, then you must share that. If you have love and care, and some skill that can benefit someone else, then share that most definitely. When we give, we gain a lot more, and this is the perfect time to engage in charity.”
7. Reach out to your childhood friends
Still wondering how to rebuild your life after death of spouse? Has mourning the loss of a husband or wife messed with your normal routine completely? Call up that friend you haven’t been in touch with for 10 years and who used to be your best buddy in school. Meet that long-lost friend from your old neighborhood who used to accompany you to the dance class every day. Spending time with friends and getting in touch with people who remind you of your happy past bring back your sense of identity and makes getting back to daily life after the loss of a partner easier.
Dr. Batra feels, “Childhood friends are the ones who knew you when you were little and single. They are the ones who accepted you through thick and thin. They’re the ones who were always there, and you felt complete in their company because you were stress-free and independent. Try teleporting yourself back to that time.”
8. Keep the memories alive
So, losing a spouse unexpectedly also means you will no longer be celebrating anniversaries, relationship milestones, or birthdays with them. But hey, who said you need to be sad on those special days? Continue celebrating them. And we’re not asking you to dramatically throw a party. Go, buy that strawberry-flavored cake your partner loved, and have it while watching his favorite movie at home.
Dr. Batra says, “You should be happy reminiscing about the good times that you had with your partner. Just because you lose a person doesn’t mean you lose the goodness that you once shared with them. This is a way to honor the life that you and your spouse shared. The best gift you can give them is a life-long place in your heart.”
9. Don’t judge yourself
It’s important to be at ease with your emotions when you’re wondering what to do when a spouse dies or how to rebuild your life after death of spouse and trying to manage grief. So, don’t judge yourself for the way you feel.
Dr. Batra says, “Some days you might feel attracted to someone new and may think of starting a new relationship. Don’t think you’re a bad person for that. Some days you’ll keep crying and missing them. Don’t judge yourself or think that you’re weak. Feel free to feel the way you feel. Of course, all of this is fine within the limits of taking care of yourself and not getting into extremes.” After all, there’s no concrete answer to “how long does it take to grieve a spouse?”
10. Love yourself unconditionally
Love yourself: your talents, your physical and mental health, your work ethics, your love for your family members and friends – value every single thing that makes you ‘you’. Invest in self-care activities, such as a spa day, an exercise class, or a haircut. Dedicate an entire day to pampering yourself.
Dr. Batra says, “Understand that it’s hard work to process grief and that you are on the job. You didn’t ask for it, but you still have to deal with separation, as it is an essential part of moving on after spouse dies. Feel the mixture of your complex emotions, even if they are as negative as confusion, disorientation, fear, guilt, or anger.”
11. Seek professional help
Still wondering what to do when a spouse dies? Well, the best bet, perhaps, is to opt for grief counseling or join support groups where you can share stories with like-minded people. Dr. Batra opines, “I say this not just for people who are experiencing pathological grief or who are suffering from delusions or extreme depression, sadness, or suicidal tendencies. You need to understand the importance of your mental health. You need to understand that you need care and love while trying to cope with such a big loss.” If you’re considering seeking help, Bonobology’s counseling service can offer you the unbiased guidance you need to work through your grief.
Key Pointers
The hardest part of losing a spouse is perhaps the feeling of abandonment one feels, along with the loss of a lifelong friend
People usually go through the 5 stages of grief during spousal bereavement: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance
Some ways to get back to normal life after grieving a spouse are: loving yourself, getting in touch with childhood friends, learning new skills, and seek grief counseling
We hope you now have some clarity on how to deal with grief of losing a spouse. And you’re still not wondering how to rebuild your life after death of spouse. Mourning a death, and that too of your spouse, may feel overwhelming. But at the end of the day, you only have yourself. You matter and so do your loved ones who are perhaps cheering on as they wait for you to get over the troubled times. So, don’t disappoint them or yourself.
How long does it take to grieve a spouse? Well, people heal at their own pace, and it won’t happen overnight. It could also take you a few years if you’re living in the same house after the death of your spouse. But remember, the way forward is the only way. At times, you can be your only savior by coming to terms with the loss and inching your way to a new chapter and new memories.
FAQs
1. What happens to your brain when your spouse dies?
Some experts call the immediate stage after losing a spouse unexpectedly ‘widow brain’. It’s when the shock of losing a spouse affects the brain of the person and they are left disoriented, forgetful, and in a state of ‘mental fog’. They are still coming to terms with grieving a spouse.
2. Does losing a spouse shorten your life?
There’s a theory that a person’s chances of dying increase sharply after their spouse’s death. It is known as the ‘widowhood effect’ or the ‘broken heart syndrome’. Many such deaths are caused by stress and its impact on the immune system. Many others die of suicide, driven by loneliness. And how do widowers cope with loneliness? Well, much in the same way that widows do. So, it’s not a gender issue.
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