How Does Grief Affect the Brain
There are a few concrete things about grief that we already know. First, everyone experiences it at some point. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a pet, or even a life transition that causes you to feel like you’re leaving something behind, grief impacts us all.
Second, grief will affect everyone differently. There are no rules or a right or wrong way to grieve.
Finally, we know that grief actually impacts the brain. It’s not just a “feeling” of sadness or a longing for what you’ve lost. Rather, grief can rewire the brain, changing how you process things to survive the emotional trauma of loss.
How Does the Brain Respond to Grief?
When you experience a devastating loss, your brain sees it as trauma. So, it responds the same way it would to any other traumatic event—by engaging the fight or flight mechanism. Immediately, you might feel an influx of physical symptoms like a racing heart.
Over time, the response to trauma can impact everything from your sleeping and eating habits to the health and strength of your immune system. It can also cause “brain fog,” making it difficult to focus, concentrate, or even remember certain things. While your brain is doing this to protect you, it can feel like you’re struggling to stay mentally afloat.
Changes in Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to your brain’s ability to alter neuro-connections. Think of the connected pathways in your brain as flexible and elastic. When you experience a traumatic event that causes grief, the elasticity of those connections becomes even more important.
Your brain will form new neuro-connections after a traumatic situation to make coping easier for you. When these new pathways are created, you learn how to adapt and adjust to the changes that are happening. It’s another defense mechanism designed to help you move forward by essentially “evolving” how you respond in certain environments.
The Long-Term Effects of Grief
Again, the stages of grief are important to work through. While there’s no ideal timeline for how quickly you should go through them, the most important thing is that you keep moving forward.
If you allow yourself to grieve heavily for too long, your brain will remain in a state of chronic stress. That can cause issues like memory problems, difficulty paying attention, problems with decision-making, and more. The longer you’re under such a state of stress, the more “normal” your brain will think it is, essentially changing your default mindset so you’re less likely to go into defense mode.
What Can You Do?
Everyone experiences grief, and everyone handles it differently. However, now that you know how it impacts the brain on a short-and-long-term basis, it’s important to know how you can work through your grief to avoid some of those long-term problems.
The best thing you can do is to remember you’re not alone in your suffering. Lean on your support system. Talk to friends, family members, or anyone else who might be experiencing a similar situation. Sometimes, simply having someone in your corner as a shoulder to cry on can make a big difference.
If you’re still struggling to work through your grief, don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional. Working with a therapist can help you understand your grief and how to work through it in healthy, effective ways.
Your brain’s response to the trauma of grief is normal and designed to keep you safe. But you don’t have to live with the lasting effects of prolonged grief. Don’t hesitate to contact me to set up an appointment as soon as you’re ready. Schedule your free 30-minute consultation today!
