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Are you grieving the loss of your partner alone? Experts explain why friends aren’t calling
- When a spouse or partner dies, long-time mutual friends may withdraw, especially from a woman, who may grieve longer than they can endure
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![When a partner dies, friends may behave differently, with some couples staying away or withdrawing from the bereaved. Experts explain this, and why it affects widows more. Photo: Shutterstock](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/19/679224cb-d9fa-4d8e-9ace-6eeca06986fe_9921ee08.jpg?itok=WNoO3v1V&v=1721358246)
Couples often like to hang out with other couples. Whether you meet once a week to play cards or go on holidays together, for many people, their partnership and circle of friends are intertwined.
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But when their partner dies, many suddenly notice that their mutual friends are no longer inviting them over. Women especially tend to find themselves excluded by their couple friends after their partner’s death.
“Men are more likely to be pitied, comforted and invited to dinner. However, when women lose a partner, their close circle of friends often withdraws,” says grief therapist and author Roland Kachler.
Couples in particular keep their distance. “A single woman is often perceived as a threat to existing couples,” he says.
![Women especially tend to find themselves excluded by their couple friends after their partner’s death. Photo: Shutterstock Women especially tend to find themselves excluded by their couple friends after their partner’s death. Photo: Shutterstock](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/19/76369985-d243-4ad0-a8ff-fcdaefd4d90b_798e21ed.jpg)
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