Losing a loved one happens to us all at some point. It may be a natural part of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s something you can truly prepare for. Dealing with loss is one of the biggest, most stressful challenges that we all face.
The signs and symptoms of grief can seriously impact your day-to-day life. The emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical toll is exhausting. Understanding more about the effect grief has on the body and mind is a powerful step. Read on to learn more about the effects of grief on memory and cognitive processes.
What Is Grief?
Grief is the emotional response to a loss or change in life. This can include events like the loss of a loved one, a divorce, or a serious illness. While grief may be most commonly associated with death, it can occur as a result of any life-changing experience. It’s often accompanied by physical and emotional signs.
The Signs and Symptoms
Since the grieving process is unique to each individual, grief can look different for everyone. These are some of the most common signs and symptoms of grief:
- Anger at the person who passed
- Difficulty making decisions
- Extreme sadness
- Feeling numb
- Guilt for being alive
- Lack of concentration
- No hope for the future
- Obsessive thoughts
- Separation anxiety
- Sleeping problems
- Yearning for the past
The Effects of Grief on the Brain
Another common symptom that people experience as they navigate the grieving process is known as grief brain. Grief has a way of rewiring our brain to worsen cognitive processes and memories. This rewiring can cause a person to have an extremely difficult time making decisions, expressing their wants and needs, and remembering details.
The grieving process tends to be more intense at the start, as people learn to navigate a new reality after a loss. During this time, day-to-day tasks can feel more tiring and overwhelming. Small improvements should start to take place as time passes, gradually making life easier again.
If the major signs and symptoms of grief don’t improve over time, prolonged grief disorder could be a factor. There is a greater risk of developing long-term changes in the body and brain when someone experiences intense grief for especially long periods.
How Grief Affects Memory and Cognitive Processes
When the body and brain experience grief, it’s similar to experiencing an emotional trauma or added stress. In other words, they start working to protect themselves from any perceived threats.
When this happens, blood is restricted from flowing to the thinking regions of the brain and instead flows to the fear-based or emotional parts. This increases the heart rate and releases fight-or-flight hormones. The prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, also becomes less active.
These changes in brain activity can affect a person’s thinking patterns so that they become more fear-based and emotional. The impact of this shift can be seen in almost all areas of life. Prolonged grief can impact a person’s attention, cognitive function, decision-making ability, self-expression, and ability to process information.
Help Is Available
Grief is a normal part of life. But just because something is a normal aspect of life doesn’t mean you should be able to handle it on your own. Grief is challenging. If you’re experiencing the loss of a loved one or going through another major life change, it’s important to know that you’re not alone.
While grief isn’t easy, it is possible to overcome it and return to a normal state of living again. Additional support may be required to help get you there. Reach out today to learn more about grief counseling and how a mental health professional can help you navigate this time.
