How Grief and Loss Impact our Brain
Grief and loss doesn’t always have to look like death, loss can show up in many other ways as well. Grief and loss are present in major life transitions, such as, retirement, moving, separation or divorce, changes in family dynamics, abuse, marriage, loss of job, relationships, or house, etc. Given grief and loss are so prevalent in our day to day lives, how does this experience impact our brain and body?
Our brains perceive traumatic loss as a threat, which means we tend to go into survival mode and our defense mechanisms are activated. During this process our fight or flight response is engaged which can lead to symptoms in the body, such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, changes in memory, behaviour, sleep, and body function, and brain fog. The brain's primary goal during this time is survival.
“Neuroplasticity, or the ability to alter neural connections, allows the brain to compensate for injury, illness, loss, and other life-altering traumatic events by forming new neural connections based on these experiences. This helps an individual adapt to new situations or environments.” - American Brain Foundation
However, chronic stress or trauma can cause the opposite keeping the individual focused on survival (i.e., decreased nerve growth and memory and increased fear). The more this happens the more it becomes hardwired in our brains, causing negative effects. The good news is the effects of long-term stress are reversible. The strategies below can allow our brains to return to feelings of safety and security:
Mindfulness and relaxation practices
Journaling
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Counseling
Meditation
These are options that allow for post-traumatic growth and help individuals work through the traumatic experiences in their lives. Everyone grieves differently but if you are finding the process difficult to go through on your own, reach out to a trusted professional for some extra support.
*** information retrieved from American Brain Foundation