Grief is a deeply emotional experience following the loss of someone or something meaningful. Sadness and emotional pain are often the most widely recognized symptoms associated with grief, but it extends far beyond just feelings.
Grief can have a significant impact on one’s body as well, showing up as real pain, illness, and fatigue. The mind and body are deeply interconnected, and emotional distress can act like a chain reaction that impacts every system within the body.
As a person tries to navigate the grieving process, they may experience symptoms like exhaustion, digestive issues, aches and pains, or being more susceptible to illness. People often don’t realize that these symptoms can be part of their grief. Let’s learn more about how grief affects the body.
The Fight-or-Flight Response
When sensing danger, the body and brain can activate the fight-or-flight response to keep you safe. But this can also become overactive when it’s triggered by emotional pain.
When this response is activated, the brain releases stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, which work to heighten awareness, increase heart rate, and raise blood pressure. These changes in the body can be extremely useful in situations where there is an actual physical threat.
Unfortunately, during the grieving process, this can lead to even more stress that wears the body down over time. Due to being stuck in fight-or-flight mode, you could feel overwhelmed, tense, or on edge, even when you’re not in any immediate danger.
Sleeping Problems and Fatigue
It’s not uncommon for someone going through grief to experience sleeping problems. Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, insomnia, or even sleeping more than usual are all disruptions that can occur thanks to grief.
Unfortunately, this lack of sleep can cause fatigue, mental fog, and irritability. If a person is sleeping more than usual, they may start to feel sluggish or detached from others and the world around them. Sleep is a critical component of healing and regulating emotions.
Changes in Eating Habits
Changes in a person’s eating habits can also be a common symptom of grief. Some individuals may experience losing their appetite completely or refusing to eat. Others may use food as a way to comfort themselves, which can lead to overeating.
These changes in eating habits can cause digestive issues, such as stomach aches and pains, constipation, and nausea. Energy levels and mood can also be impacted by altered eating habits, which can make it more difficult to cope with the various emotions of grief.
Physical Pain
Muscle aches and pains, headaches, chest tightness, and shortness of breath are other common symptoms of grief. Emotional pain can also manifest as physical pain. This pain is your body’s way of processing that emotional trauma.
Weakened Immune System
People who are grieving can also suffer from a weakened immune system. This makes them more likely to catch a cold, experience a flare if they have a chronic condition, or suffer from an infection.
Prolonged grief can even lead to inflammation in the body, which can sometimes lead to autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and heart disease. Grief may start as an emotional stressor, but it can turn into physical health challenges if left untreated.
Help Is Available
Grief is an emotional experience as well as a physical one. If you’re noticing the signs and symptoms of grief, it’s important to seek help as soon as you can. The longer you go on without addressing your grief, the worse these symptoms can become.
While there are certain lifestyle changes you can make on your own to help heal on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out to a mental health professional for support. True healing means taking the time to care for your emotions as well as your physical body. Reach out today to learn more about how therapy for grief can help.
