Do you believe that people can die of a broken heart? 💔

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xp3ayk@reddit

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy

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Distinct-Quantity-46@reddit

This is a real thing, I worked in cardiology and extreme stress can cause this, broken heart syndrome

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As bad as this sounds I know my grandmother will pass shortly after my grandfather (he was just put on hospice) for congestive heart failure and we know she will go quickly based on her conditions (92 YO) so I’m wondering if they will just go together (best case scenario) so she doesn’t suffer :(

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MysteriousTelephone@reddit

Learned this one from Scrubs, anyone else?

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PhoenixRed62@reddit

My dad was lost when my mum died. She was his soul mate. Married 63 years. He stopped all his meds, lost interest in most things, he just wanted to be with his wife. It was a hole me and my brothers could not fill. He passed away peacefully about a year later. I miss him and hope they are back together and happy. I miss them both so much.

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Agreeable-Top8212@reddit

bless you buddy. Life hits hard sometimes. Feeling really sad. But keep moving. I wish they are going out again with there hands intervened

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TSC-99@reddit (OP)

Bless him 💖

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lucylucylane@reddit

Apparently this happens to men more they just give up when their wife dies

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gr33nday4ever@reddit

im so sorry 😭 they are absolutely back together and so in love, don't you worry 🥺 my grandma recently passed and it's nice to think of her being able to be back with grandad again

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PhoenixRed62@reddit

Sorry to hear your gran has passed. It's weird, but knowing they are together again does actually help. Still miss them like mad, though

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External-Basket6701@reddit

Bless you sweetheart 💟🫶🏽💟

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Leather-Art-1823@reddit

i’m sorry, this choked me up, hope you’re doing ok internet stranger X

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JealousMongoose881@reddit

I'm actually dieing from heart break I have seizures now my neurologist says my relationship ending like it did caused somthing to go wrong in my brain I'm 31 at the rate I'm going I was told to spend time with family and try to get my business handled so I can try to relax it's non epileptic seizures so medication doesn't work I feel like I have one or two years left tops I'm not sad though I've accepted it now I just spend time with my loved ones or I'm hiding in my house fighting a seizure I don't want them to see alone

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Outrageous_Shirt_737@reddit

Extreme stress, such as the death of your partner, can cause a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (aka Broken Heart Syndrome), which effects the size and shape of the left ventricle, and can mimic a heart attack. I have seen it in a patient whose husband had recently passed away. It is not usually fatal but it can be, especially in older people with pre-existing conditions. So, I don’t have a lovely story to tell, but you can definitely die of a broken heart.

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notneb56@reddit

I definitely do. My wonderful wife was taken inside 6 months by an aggressive and incurable cancer. Being female and 5 years younger, the thought of her dying before me hadn't even occurred.

I fell into depression and lost weight.

My heart was definitely broken, and I couldn't see any future.

Somehow, I managed to keep going and finally started to improve. I think it was mainly not wanting our 3 children to lose their last parent.

Our children have grown up and no longer live with me.

I still have bad days, and I'm not the person I was. But I'm still hanging on. I've been laughing a little, now and again. I've even got into my late 60s, but I've no real idea how. Wanting to see my children properly settled is part of it.

Grandchildren? Not yet. Now, that's a positive thought!

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TSC-99@reddit (OP)

I’ve had dark thoughts a few times and the thought of leaving my son on his own has been the main factor in me not doing anything too.

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notneb56@reddit

Same here. I knew I had to keep going for my children no matter what my mental state was.

Now my eldest is married, and my tallest marries later this year. My youngest has identified the young man, and his mother is actively supportive. I have no doubt that at some point soon, he's going to wake up and smell the coffee.

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DrBombnastic@reddit

If you don’t mind sharing, was it pancreatic cancer?

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im-yxz@reddit

yeah it's true. theres too many cases of it lol

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Key-Environment-4910@reddit

I once felt like I was dying of heartbreak it was the most soul destroying experience in my life. Took me a long time to recover and will never fully let myself love like that again.

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TSC-99@reddit (OP)

Bless you. I think my husband felt like that with his first wife. However we met and we’ve both never been happier. Funny how things turn out. Wishing you the best 👍🏽

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doepfersdungeon@reddit

Grief is intense and at the right age I reckon can be a killer. The brain body connection is strong and it doesn't take long for a sense of everything being pointless to start manifesting as physical issues and depression etc. Especially in older people it can be a quick decline.

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MercatorLondon@reddit

Yes. It is known that long term stress can lead to all sorts of health issues from high-blood pressure to lowered immunity that may lead to other issues (from inflamation to cancers) or depression.

this is what Grok says:
Broken heart death (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy): Yes, it’s real. Also called "broken heart syndrome," it’s a temporary heart condition triggered by extreme emotional or physical stress (e.g., grief, loss). Intense stress hormones like adrenaline can stun the heart muscle, causing symptoms mimicking a heart attack—chest pain, shortness of breath, and reduced heart function. It’s usually reversible, but in rare cases, it can be fatal, especially in older adults or those with underlying conditions. Studies estimate it accounts for 1-2% of suspected heart attack cases, with women over 50 being most affected.

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sunlitupland5@reddit

Yes, sometimes quickly and sometimes years later

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TranquillityQuack@reddit

Yes, my friends mum died, her dad was so distraught 2 days later he died. I felt awful for her

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Nice-Asparagus2302@reddit

Not two soulmates but I cared for a lady who was 105 who lost her son (he was in his 80s) he had never married or left home, the two of them were pretty inseparable apparently, photos of him all over her house. She did not survive for much longer than he did and I entirely believe she died of a broken heart

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EELightning@reddit

I can well believe it. I was widowed at 35. And the pain was as much physical as it was emotional. Every day for a long time I woke up with the feeling of someone kneeling on my chest. I was short of breath and with heart palpitations. Every part of me hurt. It was like flu combined with the deepest sorrow imaginable.

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Key-Environment-4910@reddit

That’s very sad

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Willsagain2@reddit

I experienced that when my father died young and I was still in my teens. It was such a shock to find that grief is physically painful, I'd always thought it would only be like sadness.

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EELightning@reddit

So sorry you had to experience that.

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Willsagain2@reddit

Thanks

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Luxury_Dressingown@reddit

I'm so sorry. Not hard to imagine how the same symptoms kill older people who are frailer anyway.

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abgc161@reddit

I’m so sorry, I hope you’re doing better now x

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gr33nday4ever@reddit

im so sorry for your loss and hope you're doing ok

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EELightning@reddit

Thanks, 18 years later were doing ok.

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SprintsAC@reddit

I'm so sorry, I can't begin to imagine what it's felt like.

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EELightning@reddit

Thanks ❤️

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brokencasbutt67@reddit

Yes. A friend died 12 days after his stepson died. The mother and friend had been separated, but they were still really close.

When stepson died, friend deteriorated. Ended up in hospital, a few days later.

Never came out unfortunately

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starderpderp@reddit

Broken heart syndrome is a thing.

Also, story time. I suffered a broken heart so bad that I started having asthma attacks when my heart beats past a certain BPM - I have been playing competitive sports for a while too, so it's not like I was unfit. At the same time, I also dropped 7kg within two weeks. And loads of stomach acid problems, and then bile acid problems, and now Intestinal problems...so, yes, I do think people can die of a broken heart.

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girlsthataregolden@reddit

Yes. My gran was ready for death after losing my grandad

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Left_Belt1874@reddit

In a way yes. Physical and mental health are widely known to be inextricably linked, particularly when it comes to the heart and brain, so yes for sure. In my own family, after one of my granny died, 3 other aunts followed shortly after without any preexisting conditions, but from heart and brain failures. So yeah, for sure.

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Past-Anything9789@reddit

I think that people can lose the will to live - therefore don't take care of themselves as they would if their life partner was still around.

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

Yes.
Deborah Reynolds after Carrie Fisher died. The Queen.
My own mum after dad died 18months prior.

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Active-Hotel1719@reddit

Totally in more ways than one

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ElectronicBrother815@reddit

My Grandad passed 10 days after my Nan. So sad.

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Lifeat0328AM@reddit

Yes, it has a physical as well as emotional impact. If it’s too deep, people can truly give up or even lose the ability to get better. ❤️‍🩹

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Livvy93@reddit

Yes, my grandparents died 12 weeks apart. One couldn’t live without the other 🩷

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Mild_Karate_Chop@reddit

It is recognised as Takotsubos myopathy...weakening of the heart because of stress ...emotional stress that may lead to death ... sometimes can be very sudden ...

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BrilliantOne3767@reddit

This isn’t relevant from a people perspective. My Mums elderly neighbours dog died. After that. She was constantly ill- ambulance a few times. She got new dog and is COMPLETELY fine now! We laugh about it tbh!

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Striking_Smile6594@reddit

A dog can really give people a new lease of life. Aside from the companionship the routine of having to get up and walk it and feed it provides a sense of purpose.

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Emitime@reddit

My grandma died a week after my uncle, aunty and cousin died in a car crash. Not like she was particularly well before, but definitely was just too much for her.

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MushieMushroomy@reddit

There was a eldery couple in our village who always walked in the afternoon holding hands 🥹 My Mum knew their daughter well & and when the eldery lady died in the morning, her husband asked if he could spend time with her.

After about a hour the daughter checked on him to find he was dead holding with his arm around her.

It makes me tearful writing this as I genuinely believe he died of a broken heart 💔 It's like he knew it was his time too 😔

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Hamsternoir@reddit

There was an old couple I used to deliver to when I had a paper round (remember those days?). They were found holding hands in bed having both died of natural causes according to the enquiry.

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MushieMushroomy@reddit

Aww that's so wholesome 🥹 I have my husband & I always think what a beautiful way to go together ❤️ The pain felt when a loved one passes especially after that long must be so painful 😢

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Hamsternoir@reddit

I think that's the only scary part of marriage for me. The possibility that my wife won't be there when I wake up one day.

But I also don't want her to go though the pain of losing me.

Actually that sounds a bit dark but you know what I mean 🤞

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Striking_Smile6594@reddit

A relative of mine just woke up one morning and her husband was just lying there dead next to her. He'd had a heart attack in the night.

Dying peacefully in your sleep is probably the best way to go, but it must be horrible for the person who discovers you.

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MushieMushroomy@reddit

I think about it a lot. I aren't scared of death but more leaving someone or them leaving me first. That's terrifying, I genuinely don't understand how either of us will cope. I feel extremely blessed my husband is my best friend but it will be curse at the end 😔

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Brizzledude65@reddit

I think this a lot.

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TSC-99@reddit (OP)

Wow💔💖💖 bless them

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Scarboroughwarning@reddit

Fucking adorable (but so sad).

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SweetTechnical311@reddit

yes 110% my old next door neighbours, the wife died and 1 year and 2 days after he passed, i believe of a broken heart, married for near 60 years etc

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ShingledPringle@reddit

It's shocking how much control we have over our bodies, but how little control we can have over it happening. The subconscious knows.

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WantWantShellySenbei@reddit

I think if someone loses purpose and gives up on life that can hasten their death. Grief can cause that. It happens a lot.

I really thought that would happen to my 77 year old grandad when my gran finally lost her long fight with Alzheimer’s. But it turns out he had his eye on a sprightly young 74 year old. They got married, moved out of Scotland to Australia and lived there for another 15 years.

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RagingFuckNuggets@reddit

I know that may have been different for you as a family but as an outsider looking in, it's nice to see he found some happiness again instead of declining just waiting to join her like so many people do

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WantWantShellySenbei@reddit

No, we were all delighted. He had tended to my gran without complaint for 10 years, and we really worried it would be the end for him when she passed. So when he found his new raison d’etre we were so happy!

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Spoopylaura@reddit

I believe so in some way. My grandmother passed away on Christmas Day 2021 by April my grandfathers health declined rapidly and he ended up in hospital for 6 weeks and almost didn’t make it. I care for him full time and have done since he was released from hospital. He was grieving and had started to give up and was struggling to take care of himself when I wasn’t around. He’s much better now but does require a lot of help. I’m renovating the whole garden so we can get out during the summer and have bbqs and so he can get back to doing some gardening which they both loved

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notneb56@reddit

Not pancreatic. I don't recall the name (my memory was my casualty of that terrible time), but it got almost everywhere in months and kept on multiplying.

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StopTheTrickle@reddit

Isn't it an actual medical condition?

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lena91gato@reddit

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

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Embarrassed_Belt1692@reddit

Yeah, especially if it's a huge shock and your heart isn't the best. There was a story in the UK not so long ago, where a 14yo girl got killed in a hit and run, three days later her mother had a cardiac arrest and died instantly.

Also I had a horrible heartbreak 9 years ago and the pain pushed me towards hard drugs, only just sorting myself out the past 3 years on Methadone.

It's a real shame as I'm 39 now and will not do relationships or open up to anyone. If I start seeing a woman now and I start to get feelings for them I break it up and tell them why, I don't think I could fall in love again only for her to find a better man a few years down the line and we had a child, and could not listen to "I love you to bits but you cannot give me the lifestyle I want for me and my children" the 2nd one I walked out, it was only to have a few days apart, then I find out she sleeping with my pregnant GF that same night I walked out, if that didn't happen I would of gotten back together with her but once I found out that the only feelings I had for her at that point was disgust and knew we wouldn't be able to sort it out, I wouldn't of been able to have sex with her any more. Sorry for banging on. Also she let me see and look after my child every day for 6 months when she was 18 month to 2 years old, then for no reason given just cut me off............I'm sure she did that on purpose as a method of revenge, that absolutely killed me.

Sorry for banging on, I'm telling you that story for an example how a broken heart can kill you, mainly with males it will be a train or hanging ourselves also you can just OD on heroin.

I don't know properly how women react to it, although in my 39 years of age it seems a women can forget about the last man pretty fast and just move on as if it's a normal thing for them.

Keep safe all

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TSC-99@reddit (OP)

I’m sorry this happened to you. My husband and I sets both married before, and both have older children. He too was cheated on and nearly took his own life. We both (separately having never met) decided to stay on our own for the rest of our lives as couldn’t imagine going through break ups and lies again. We met on an online running forum and over years became friends and eventually we met on a date in a place in between where we both lived. We got married 3 years to the day after we met in February this year. Neither of us had wanted to meet anyone else. Funny how things work out. We believe we’re soulmates.

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Embarrassed_Belt1692@reddit

Awww thanks that's so nice of you 😍 thanks it was my Bday yesterday and I was feeling properly down and needed a rant. Its cheered me 👍

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Mrs_B-@reddit

100%

We had a terrible year. Dad died, then 9 months later mum's twin sister.

Mum died 3 months after that from a sudden condition.

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Weeaboowitch@reddit

My great uncle died less than a week after his wife. Just before her passing, he'd been in great physical shape for an elderly man; no real concerns other than his age. But apparently, his body couldn't handle the grief and began shutting down. Although he was perfectly healthy just one week before, no one was shocked he followed her so quickly; they'd been inseparable their entire 60+ year marriage.

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Kowai03@reddit

When my son died I thought that I would. Somehow I kept waking up each morning.

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No-Sandwich1511@reddit

100% When my grandfather lost my grandmother its eas soul destroying she him basically deteriorating on a daily basis as his heart was broken. They are now both reunited sould side.

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gemgem1985@reddit

I'm very Good friends with a funeral director and he says yes. It's the worst for him when an old couple die within weeks or months of each other. He cries all the time, but these are his worst ones.

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Monsrage@reddit

I think there is some medical reasoning behind it, yes. My dad died in 2022 and my mum started having small heart attacks just after. I think it's mainly down to heavy heavy stress and burden. Luckily we caught it and she got a stent, but there is such a sadness to her life now, it's horrible.

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Smooth-Purchase1175@reddit

I think so, yes.

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Some-Background6188@reddit

Yep same thing happened to my gran after her husband passed she only lived a few months.

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chikcaant@reddit

As well as "broken heart syndrome" (aka takostubo cardiomyopathy) - the co-dependence of daily activities in elderly couples can't be over stated. I often see this as a doctor, when elderly frail patients describe their home life it's often obvious that both are heavily dependent on each other and there is an extremely fine equilibrium set up - when one person dies that equilibrium gets annihilated, and I think probably contributes to a lot of these stories where the spouse dies soon after their partner. Suddenly, you're less mobile (your spouse helped you get out of bed sometimes and you held on to each other when going out for walks), you're not eating well (your eyesight isn't good so your spouse managed the microwave meals), you're not taking your pills (you have a mild memory issue and your spouse would always remind you about the pills) - all 3 things and probably a lot more cause an elderly frail person who was just about managing with their spouse, to someone who is getting weaker and frailer due to poor dirt y and mobility, which is a vicious circle that often ends in a fall, broken hips, dehydration, delirium, etc etc etc - all of which have significant mortality.

This is just part of it

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mentaldriver1581@reddit

Takotsubo is the medical definition. It’s definitely a real thing.

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Simbooptendo@reddit

I’m sure it’s how my grandma went. Just under a month after grandad. They were together for 75 years and meant everything to each other.

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springsomnia@reddit

I’m pretty sure it’s an actual medical condition, so yes! I was recently reading a story of a couple who were married for 60 years and the wife died almost immediately after the husband.

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Scarboroughwarning@reddit

No.

But, they can completely give up. Which, I'm sure has an effect. Also be aware, most folk that "die if a broken heart" have likely had their soul mate for years. IE, they are at the arse end of the mortal coil

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jayjaytuk@reddit

It’s a real strange occurrence, but I truly believe and I think I’ve seen it and we can die for a broken heart

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sadovsky@reddit

My nanna died about two weeks after my granddad. I think they were married about 60 years. My grandad was sick for a long time. I absolutely believe she died of a broken heart, my mum was there. She went into the kitchen and then back to her mum and she’d gone.

Still one of the worst things I’ve ever heard was my mum crying herself to sleep after, she sounded like a child and was crying for her mum. Really painful time for her and her siblings. It was awful, but I found comfort in knowing my nanna didn’t have to be on her own for too long.

I remember after he died, their house just no longer felt the same. It’s made me pretty afraid of loving somebody as an adult, not sure I could handle that loss,

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Altruistic_Hall9559@reddit

It's a real condition, not a myth, so yes, I do believe it.

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DaisyMaesTurnips@reddit

My nana lived for quite a long time after my grandpa died and she would always say she felt like a failure and a bad wife for not dying of a broken heart, even though she felt like she died the day he did. She blamed growing up on a farm and being hardy.

I know of a few couples where one has died and the other died shortly after.

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Dulcimore51@reddit

I was always told that My grandfather died of a heart attack as soon as he heard that my grandmother had died of a heart attack. I looked up the death records (it was 60 years ago) and they both died of a heart attack less than an hour apart. Yes, "broken heart" syndrome is real.

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DamnitGravity@reddit

I used to work for a bank in an area that had a very high retiree population.

It was quite common for elderly husband and wife who had been married for over 30 years to come in, then one day only husband or only wife, and then within 12 months, their kids asking to close their accounts.

I fully believe that my mom could easily live for many years if she lost my dad, because she's used to being independent and has a busy life. He was away a lot during their marriage for work, and she has no problems running a house on her own.

But if she goes first, dad'll likely follow within 12 months. He can't see how much he depends on her, emotionally as well as in other ways (she does all their finances, for example). When dad was away, he was in hotels that provided anything he needed, and he was an executive with a secretary who could fill the gaps. He's utterly dependent on my mom, though he'll never admit it.

That doesn't mean they don't love each other. 57 years married and counting! But some people are more dependent and rely more on their partner than others. Again, doesn't mean mom loves dad any less because she wouldn't pine and die within 12 months, just that she knows how to handle grief better.

Though, having said that, now I think about it, we all believed that before her identical twin sister died 2 months ago. Without her, and if dad goes, mom might decide to throw in the towel. Eh, 50/50, I reckon.

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thereisalwaysrescue@reddit

It’s called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or takotsubo syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy. It’s type of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in which there is a sudden temporary weakening of the muscular portion of the heart.

I had it after the death of my daughter and my Dad.

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DesertIslandDisc@reddit

When my Nan passed, my Grandad was never the same. He stayed alive for their dog. When the dog passed, my Grandad passed a couple of months after. I truly believe in broken heart syndrome after that.

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Homebrew_in_a_Shed@reddit

My grandad died within a couple of hours of my grandmother dying.

So, I believe people do die of broken hearts.

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Pyriel@reddit

Yes. Stress is a killer.

Losing a partner is the most stressful thing you could experience.

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jelly10001@reddit

My grandparents died two months apart. They'd been married 68 years and even worked together, so they weren't used to being without one another for long at all. So it was no suprise to any of us

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Chesterfieldraven@reddit

It's not a question of belief. It's a medically proven phenomenon.

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Viazon@reddit

According to an episode of Scrubs, you can.

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Shriven@reddit

My granddad and his twin uncles fought from 1939 to 1945 - minesweeper captain, cross channel artillery battery man and a tank commander ( mostly in North Africa and Italy). Grandad died 10 years later after the war, the twins died within the year. All 3 gone in a year.

There's something in it

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peasandbones@reddit

Yes, my neighbours across the street are a good example. His wife had been frail for some time and she finally passed away one day, almost exactly 1 month later he died too with no previous serious illness. My next door neighbours had known them for 30 odd years and said he died of a broken heart.

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SirGuestWho@reddit

Yes absolutely. My grandfather died, and one year later to the day my grandmother fell ill and died the same day. She was never the same after he died.

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Stevebwrw@reddit

Yes. After Dad lost Mum he soldered on for a while. We, their children were settled. I think his focus for life was gone. I asked him once or twice if he wanted satellite TV so he could watch the football or get a season ticket. He wasn't interested. He filled his time going to the local social club which he managed to keep from going bust as chairman. His days were work and nights at the club. He would sometimes see us or we would go and see him. They were both born the same year. Mum died young at 55. Dad didn't make 62. He was lost without her.

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ValuableIll1412@reddit

My mother died suddenly and unexpectedly at 67 years if age. She was ripped from our lives, and my Dad was the only one at the hospital with her. He had been living with prostate cancer and was doing well before she died. Afterwards, he stopped cooking (which he loved), and being himself, he felt pain in his back a year later, maybe, and his cancer had spread in a way the Dr's had not expected. He died 18 months after my mother, also at 67 years of age, from sepsis in the end. The oncologist told us he would have suffered badly if he had not got sepsis. I believe he gave up once she was gone, no more positivity, and the cancer took over. He was not really living once she died, not like he did it was devastating to see 💔

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Medium_Click1145@reddit

Yes. Giving up definitely has an effect on health. Grief often causes people to eat a lot less, or badly. Or give up on going out and getting exercise. This can have a catastrophic effect on older people.

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SomeWomanFromEngland@reddit

I think grief can exacerbate things. It’s quite common for one partner to rapidly deteriorate and die after the death of the other when both are in their later years. The Queen and Prince Philip are a notable example.

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stupre1972@reddit

IIRC Suzi Perry (Gadget show and Moto GP) spent some time being treated for (insert the correct name) Broken Heart Syndrome after her mom died

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OptimusPrime365@reddit

It’s accepted as medical fact. Stress does awful things to the body.

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unbelievablydull82@reddit

Had a neighbour whose grandad was on the phone to their daughter to explain her mother has died. Whilst he was on the phone, he started sobbing, and then dropped down dead

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abgc161@reddit

Yes. My great-great aunt (tenuous link, I know) died the day after her husband’s funeral.

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HisLoba97@reddit

I nearly died of one last month. I'm 27 and broke up with my girlfriend of 5 years. I ended up having a pacemaker fitted

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draxsmon@reddit

Yes. An ex of mine broke up with me many years ago under the advice of a not very good therapist. Told them to be single and focus on kids. I also had a kid that was very attached to them and was heartbroken. They had newly gotten custody of theirs and this was the advice.

So anyway 25 years later they never dated anyone else thinking we would get back together one day. I had no idea. They call me, told me that, said they wanted to get back together and I said no. I was heartbroken myself for quite a few years but also just pissed they did that to my kid. My son's other parent died and he was very attached to my ex. So, anyway I said no. Not in a mean way but I made it clear it wasn't going to happen. They had a heart attack a few days later.

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Mrprawn67@reddit

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or broken heart syndrome, is very much a thing, and is most prevalent in post-menopausal women. It is quite possible that she might have died to it.

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Lauralaal@reddit

Yeah I’m sure it’s real. My great grandparents also died within days of eachother one without many health problems - just shut down after the other one passed ☹️

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Neat-Cartoonist-9797@reddit

Yes definitely, my Granny died 2 years after my Grandad. They were married 50 years and wouldn’t have spent more than a week away from each other in that time.

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-FangMcFrost-@reddit

My granny died of a broken heart after my uncle (her son) passed away.

His passing completely changed her and her health took a dramatic turn for the worst and she passed away just over a year after my uncle died and my mum believes that she died of a broken heart.

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BigBob145@reddit

It is possible. The husband of one of the victims of the Uvalde shootings in the US died within 2 days from a heart attack.

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Klutzy_Ad_8886@reddit

Absolutely without a doubt

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I_am_Reddit_Tom@reddit

I think losing a sense of purpose and will can, yes.

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Royal_View9815@reddit

100% you can. Our friends were together for 40+ years and when his partner died he died exactly 15 days after him. And I swear he died of a broken heart. They were inseparable and it was too much for him to bare.

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MintyMarlfox@reddit

Yeah woman I used to work with had one sister die, and then her other sister died shortly after finding out. Only in their 50s so not old age or anything.

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Xenna11@reddit

💯it’s real. Heart sick 💔

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Chopstick84@reddit

My great grandparents 2 days apart. 101 and 102 years old. Strange coincidence if not a broken heart. Rural Thailand if that makes any difference.

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Ok_Young1709@reddit

Yes. A neighbour of mine died literally a week after his wife died.

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erritstaken@reddit

My nan was never the same after my grandad died. She was a fairly healthy woman in her late 60’s. 2 years after he died she passed away peacefully in her sleep on my grandads birthday.

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Trivius@reddit

I'm not sure that it's a broken heart exactly but I have definitely seen people just give up.

They do everything more slowly and care less about everything and with the elderly they can just stop eating etc.

It's very sad to see that kind of deterioration but a lot of the time there's no real stopping it

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CiderDrinker2@reddit

My mother was for 40 years a geriatric nurse, of which she spent 20 years as the matron of a nursing home and then another 10 years as a director of a nursing home company. She has seen a lot of deaths. She says this is absolutely a thing. Also, people go when they have had enough. 'The thing that keeps you living is the will to live. Lose that, and you'll go.'

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fenix_fe4thers@reddit

My grandma was also gone less than a year after a sudden tragic death of my grandpa (he fell out of a hunters watch tower). It's probably a case where they have a severe depression and stop caring to live anymore... Sad! My grandma kept saying she had an arrangement to go first, because she knew she couldn't live without him, and it didn't work out as planned..

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ComprehensiveCutn@reddit

Erm... kinda, I would say that it feels romantic, and makes humans feel reassured about "love" as a concept that it's so powerful that it has the power to kill if you're without it.

"Died of a Broken Heart"

But I'd also say that by the time you're old, you've done everything you were ever going to do, all your friends are dying, you're not healthy enough to enjoy doing the things you always enjoyed doing, your family are settled and don't need you anymore. So there's not a huge amount of reasons to stay alive, once your life partner goes, I could imagine the grief, the dramatic change to your environment (sleeping alone, watching the TV by yourself) and the lack of future enjoyment sets your system to auto destruct.

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SnoopyMcDogged@reddit

Actually!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy

You can.

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yolo_snail@reddit

No, of course not

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SnoopyMcDogged@reddit

Actually!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy

You can.

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LongjumpingLab3092@reddit

My grandma was slow, but she got so depressed after my uncle died and just started going massively downhill afterwards. Doctors went to the house when she was dying and they were like there is literally nothing wrong with her... she's just dying. She was completely fine and healthy before my uncle died but losing a child just broke her 💔

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Anxious_wank@reddit

Grief is very physical, and it's exhausting.

It requires mental resilience to fight through all the guilt of just continuing to live without the person you think you can't live without.

For some the exhuation of having to take on a caring role for their partner has just been too much.

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DatabaseContent8664@reddit

I’m 56 and my wife is 46. We’ve been together since we were in our 20s. Been married 26 years. I can totally understand that when they become a part of you then half of you is gone, if they die.

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Diddleymaz@reddit

My Dad died six months after my Mum and everyone said he gave up without her.

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Xiija@reddit

Yes, when my nan died my grandad said that he was now 'a ship without a sail' and his heart gave out less than a year afterwards.

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PintCEm17@reddit

A loving way to go if your elderly +75 and no network.

Fuck living without

I wouldn’t force it.

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Ok_Willingness_1020@reddit

100 per cent known to happen

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EvilCustardy@reddit

My grandma died after a long battle with bowel cancer. My grandad - otherwise in fine health - followed two days later. The family always say he died of a broken heart.

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Equal-Competition930@reddit

Yes it happen both in people and animals.

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Kayanne1990@reddit

Broken heart syndrome is a real thing, yeah.

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PurpleBiscuits52@reddit

Factually yes they can and do.

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Affectionate_Day7543@reddit

Debbie Reynolds

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ClarifyingMe@reddit

Broken heart syndrome is a real thing. I know 2 people who lost both their parents the same day after 1 heard about the death of the other. The shock was too much and it triggered a heart attack.

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InsurancePurple4630@reddit

My Grandparents 3 days apart

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Jealous_Sympathy9402@reddit

I do, yes 😢💔

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bambiiambi@reddit

I believe so, yes

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Business-Basil1720@reddit

My nan died just a year after my Grandad. I believe they can.

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Cal_PCGW@reddit

My parents died four months apart. I think people kind of give up when their partner goes.

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Krakshotz@reddit

Chap I knew had to put his old dog to sleep. He got a puppy a month later only for it to die suddenly after a couple of weeks. He went for a medical checkup and they noticed an issue with his heart.

He eventually got a new puppy, and not long after went into cardiac arrest and dropped down dead.

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Fedupgranny1959@reddit

Ues

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Fedupgranny1959@reddit

I meant yes won’t let me delete

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Strong_Roll5639@reddit

My grandad died in January at the amazing age of 95. My nan is 93 and has rapidly declined since he died. I don't think she has long left and I do believe shes given up.

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dark-angel79@reddit

100% - happened to both set of my grandparents. One with only two weeks between each other

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cbaotl@reddit

I think so. I know several people whose parents/grandparents passed within weeks of each other. Sometimes they were not even super elderly

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Prestigious_Emu6039@reddit

I can't say but the older you get, the more the prospect of being without your partner looms and that thought alone casts a long shadow over ones thoughts.

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pickindim_kmet@reddit

The same happened in my family, it was my grandmother 6 months after my grandfather too. A bit more recent was my grandmother's sister. Her husband died first, and she was relying on him for everything as she was frail but he was an absolute rock to her all their lives. She lasted another two weeks, she told everyone that was it and she was going, we all knew she meant it, and she went.

Sometimes I think people give up inside, whether they stop eating and stop taking their meds, or just mentally give up because their loved one isn't there to carry on with.

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