Can You Die From a Broken Heart?

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

This might be really out in left field but does anyone think that ANS could have died of a broken heart? Loosing your son I just can't imagine.

Years ago I had a friend that passed away suddenly at 26 and I really thought his Dad was going to die from a broken heart. I never saw grief and pain like that in my life and pray I never see it again. His fathers face actually changed and he aged several years in a the course of a few days. So sad.

Just a thought....

 

[TDC Nala]

This might be really out in left field but does anyone think that ANS could have died of a broken heart? Loosing your son I just can't imagine.

Years ago I had a friend that passed away suddenly at 26 and I really thought his Dad was going to die from a broken heart. I never saw grief and pain like that in my life and pray I never see it again. His fathers face actually changed and he aged several years in a the course of a few days. So sad.

Just a thought....

I don't think so. But the broken heart thing could have caused her to abuse drugs which might have killed her. Don't know, no official autopsy results yet. She was certainly miserable.

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

I wonder that myself. My sister's best friend lost her 16 year old son in Sept. Its been horrible to see such grief. He was fine one day and gone the next. The family is having a terrible time. I think about him everyday. His mom is at the cemetery all the time. It is heartbreaking. So it does make you wonder if you can.

 

[mdhkitten]

I know that losing a loved one can definately have a devestating effect on your life. Take my dd's father. He's 35 and lost his dad when he was 13 of a sudden heart attack (his dad was 39). His mom said that he never showed any emotion at the time, and now still can't let go of this 22 years later. It's so bad that he says that nothing and no one makes him truly happy in his life other than his brother. He won't even have a relationship with his own child as a result. It's almost as if he's afraid of getting too close and having the same thing happen to her (his dad's heart attack was a result of high cholesterol, something that wasn't so studied then, and he was diagnosed with it at 13). He's really messed up. It's really sad to see. He has been in therapy for it the last 5+ years, so hopefully that will help.

 

[Sammie]

Certainly the loss of a child can be devasting and to some life threatening if they don't seek professional help. You can grieve to the point of not eating well, not sleeping well, develop low resistance to disease, etc. So yes eventually it could kill you. I don't think in her case enough time has passed for this to be the case.

 

[CleveRocks]

I have a Master's in psychology and I work as a therapist. Dying of a broken heart is a known phenomenon in the elderly -- it's not unusual for the surviving SPOUSE to die within a year of losing the other spouse. We're talking already frail-ish people, not a hearty person in their young 70s, for example.

It's not common, or at least not commonly known of, for a non-elderly person to die of a broken heart, be it the loss of a spouse or child or whatever. Divorce and substance abuse are all-too-common sequelae of the untimely death of a child, however.

 

[Mom2tmha]

I can speak from experience....it is heartbreaking to lose a child and it is something you never get over. I lost my daughter almost 7 years ago and it is still painful so I imagine if you let it get the best of you the pain can kill you.

 

[meeskamouska]

I think you can die from a broken heart...in the sense that living is no longer worth it and you give up the will to fight.

 

[KimAshton]

My brother died 3 years ago at the age of 24. I swear I noticed changes in my parents and I still do.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I have a Master's in psychology and I work as a therapist. Dying of a broken heart is a known phenomenon in the elderly -- it's not unusual for the surviving SPOUSE to die within a year of losing the other spouse. We're talking already frail-ish people, not a hearty person in their young 70s, for example.

It's not common, or at least not commonly known of, for a non-elderly person to die of a broken heart, be it the loss of a spouse or child or whatever. Divorce and substance abuse are all-too-common sequelae of the untimely death of a child, however.

I saw that many times when I was a manager for an assisted living...heartbreaking to see someone so lost.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I can speak from experience....it is heartbreaking to lose a child and it is something you never get over. I lost my daughter almost 7 years ago and it is still painful so I imagine if you let it get the best of you the pain can kill you.

I am so sorry & pray you have found peace.

 

[WDWBetsy]

I can speak from experience....it is heartbreaking to lose a child and it is something you never get over. I lost my daughter almost 7 years ago and it is still painful so I imagine if you let it get the best of you the pain can kill you.

I'm sorry about the loss of your daughter. Sending you a big .

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Yes, I think you can. You can lose your will to live, not take care of yourself and perhaps in ANS's case, want to numb the pain more than care if you survive.

It's so sad. To those who have lost loved ones when they were young, I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine and it is one thing I really fear.

As for the elderly, my grandmother died on the same date as my grandfather, exactly two years later. I think she didn't want to miss him anymore and kinda let go, so in a way I think she died from a broken heart.

 

[digman6]

Actually I think you can die from a broken heart. My grandmother was in the hospital she had breast cancer and was going down hill so she was admitted, not 24 hours later her husband my grandfather was admitted in the room next door. he was not feeling well and they could not figure out what was going on. he told us he will not leave this hospital with our his wife and we knew it was not long before she would die a day or 2 most. He went to see her and they visited and he went vack to his room and she died that night, after he learned the news in a matter of hours he died and told my mom before hand he will not leave her with out her he can not imagine life with out her( married 50+ years).



My mother died when I was 29 ( I'm 35 now) she had cancer and from teh day she was diagnosed to death was 30 days. She had brain cancer.
I don't know if this would be a case of coming close to a broken heart death for me or not but . I struggled with it blaming my self I could not make her better . I had a dream that I saw her in heaven and she showed me around I told her I was staying with her. I then remember her screaming in a yell that faded NNNNNNOOOOOO, I could feel her push me and then I woke up. I was totally confused and not sure what was happening. I then realized were I was at.

I still struggle with it after 6 years, but I need to TRY and move on and take care of my family. She would be disappointed if I did not as well as my DH and kids. I think some people just can not get past a certain point, some are on the edge and others may bounce back to a certain point everyone is different. She is our guardian in away.


I feel bad that poor baby did not get much time with her mom

 

[byoung]

She had her new daughter to live for.

 

[mdhkitten]

Actually I think you can die from a broken heart. My grandmother was in the hospital she had breast cancer and was going down hill so she was admitted, not 24 hours later her husband my grandfather was admitted in the room next door. he was not feeling well and they could not figure out what was going on. he told us he will not leave this hospital with our his wife and we knew it was not long before she would die a day or 2 most. He went to see her and they visited and he went vack to his room and she died that night, after he learned the news in a matter of hours he died and told my mom before hand he will not leave her with out her he can not imagine life with out her( married 50+ years).



My mother died when I was 29 ( I'm 35 now) she had cancer and from teh day she was diagnosed to death was 30 days. She had brain cancer.
I don't know if this would be a case of coming close to a broken heart death for me or not but . I struggled with it blaming my self I could not make her better . I had a dream that I saw her in heaven and she showed me around I told her I was staying with her. I then remember her screaming in a yell that faded NNNNNNOOOOOO, I could feel her push me and then I woke up. I was totally confused and not sure what was happening. I then realized were I was at.

I still struggle with it after 6 years, but I need to TRY and move on and take care of my family. She would be disappointed if I did not as well as my DH and kids. I think some people just can not get past a certain point, some are on the edge and others may bounce back to a certain point everyone is different. She is our guardian in away.


I feel bad that poor baby did not get much time with her mom

I'm sorry for the loss of your mom, but at the same time am glad to hear that my dd's father isn't the only one who can't move on past a parent's death. It's very sad and most people try to say "he just needs to get over it", but it isn't that easy for him. I only wish it was.

 

[digman6]

there is just something about a bond 2 people can have , its hard to explain.

It can change a person drasticlly , I don't let people get close to me really. I don't want to get hurt again. My dh actually got me going to a counslor because it got to were I would sit on the couch and not move or talk to anyone. I let everything in my life just more or less go. Its the most devastating thing I can even explain.

I think as long as he knows there are people in his life who need him and if is willing to talk about it with anyone for that matter he should be in ok shape. He needs to know he can talk to anyone who will listen.

Iused to dream about my mom all the time but it seems to be stopping now.
I used to be running through a hospital and go on every floor for her cure and the docs and nurse would send me some place else so the entire dreal all I do is run carrying her from place to place to help her. The physcologist said its the guilt I have thats causing it, I am blaming my self for there not being a cure for her disease. She said i am putting alot of pressure on myself.

I hope your dd dad can make piece with it, and no one should tellhim to get over it. its a process that has no time limit! I think him having a dd will help alot to see he has her to live for , thats what keeps me going. If i did not have the family I do now things might now be the same.

 

[mdhkitten]

Steph,

I think that a majority of his problem is that he lost his dad at such a tender age and never knew how to deal with it. He said that he shut people out then, then as an adult started to deal with it, but by this time so much time has passed. He's afraid of getting to close to Emily because I think he thinks that he will save her the pain he went through of losing a parent. He's pretty convinced that the same thing will happen to him since he's 35 and has terrible cholesterol (although he's medicated for it). He doesn't talk about it to anyone, period. Only to his psychologist. He would occasionally bring it up to me, but hardly ever. His brother doesn't suffer the effects like him, but he wasn't as old when it happened. He can't go through Father's Day, his parent's wedding anniversary, his dad's b'day, dad's death, anything without having to do something else to take his mind off of it. As far as our daughter goes, it doesn't help that we were never married and he's in Chicago and I'm in Alabama. I just pray about it and hope that God can help him. Be strong!

Michelle

 

[Mom2tmha]

I'm sorry about the loss of your daughter. Sending you a big .

Thank you.

 

[Mom2tmha]

I am so sorry & pray you have found peace.

Thank you, my daughter dying was a case of medical neglect so I try very hard to find peace but on some days it is not so easy.