Six Ways You Feel Grief In Your Body And What To Be Aware Of
Grief is a challenging and often painful process that can leave you feeling alienated from others. As if the emotional pain wasn’t enough, research has found that grief impacts your body in surprising ways. When you experience the loss of someone special to you, various areas of your body are affected greatly. How we handle grief is heavily based on personal experiences, beliefs, and coping mechanisms. The rest of this article will help you understand how grief impacts the body in several ways. As well as how grief counseling can help you get through it.
The Impacts Of Grief
Depression
While it is normal to feel sad or blue when you are grieving, depression is an extreme version of this emotion that can lead to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. When someone is depressed, they struggle with daily tasks, have decreased motivation, and feel a tremendous amount of guilt for still being alive. Many people who experience depression feel very isolated. They may not even realize that they are experiencing these symptoms. Grief-related depression occurs when you are unable to function in your daily life because of the sadness that comes with losing a loved one. While it is normal to experience a certain amount of sadness after losing someone, grief-related depression interferes with your daily functioning. This emotion can last for months or even years after a loss and can make it difficult to function on a day-to-day basis.
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal physical and emotional reaction to stress and challenging situations. When we feel anxious, our bodies produce cortisol, the “fight or flight” hormone. This hormone causes our heart rate and blood pressure to increase. It also releases sugar and amino acids into our bloodstream so we have more energy to escape from danger or solve a problem. At times, anxiety is a very helpful emotion that prepares us for anticipated stressful situations. However, when you experience anxiety long-term, it can negatively impact your daily life. When someone you love dies, many people experience anxiety as a result of the constant reminders of death. This can make it difficult to function on a day-to-day basis.
Difficulty Sleeping
Sleep is an essential part of overall health and wellness. When you sleep, your body repairs itself, and your brain has the chance to rejuvenate itself, too. Unfortunately, many people who are grieving have a difficult time sleeping. Grief-related sleep problems are the most common health problem reported by people who are grieving. When someone dies, you often have a lot of questions about why this happened, and you may replay moments you shared with the person in your head. This has the potential to keep you awake at night, impacting your ability to sleep. During periods of grieving, it is important to seek help if you are having trouble sleeping. Sleep can help you feel less tired and more energized to face the next day. Sleep can be helpful in easing your grief symptoms and reducing your risk of developing health issues related to grief.
Cardiovascular Problems
When you experience the death of a loved one, your risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and high blood pressure, increases. This is often referred to as “broken heart syndrome.” When someone dies, your body goes through a process called acute stress response. This process floods your body with stress hormones, such as cortisol, norepinephrine, and dopamine. While these hormones are helpful in times of crisis, when they are present in high amounts, they have the potential to cause harm to your body. Heart disease is one of the biggest health problems that can develop when you experience broken heart syndrome. When someone dies, your heart rate increases as your body tries to repair itself. When this happens frequently, your heart has to work harder, which can lead to cardiovascular problems.
Digestive Issues
After a loved one dies, many people experience digestive issues such as heartburn and acid reflux. This is because your body goes into a state of stress when you lose a loved one. This stress activates the fight-or-flight response in your body. During this response, your digestive system slows down to divert blood flow to your muscles so they are ready to fight or flee from danger. This slowing down of your digestive system can cause heartburn and acid reflux. If you are experiencing these symptoms after a loved one passes away, it is important to see a doctor. Heartburn and acid reflux can become very serious if they are not treated.
Loss of Sense of Smell and Taste
When someone you love dies, you may experience changes in your sense of smell and taste. You may no longer enjoy foods that you used to love or find comfort in. This is because death has a strong impact on your nervous system. When you experience the death of a loved one, it impacts your brain in a very significant way. When someone you love dies, your brain goes into a state of hyperarousal. If you are experiencing grief symptoms like these, it is important to get help. Although these symptoms are normal after losing a loved one, they can continue for several months or even years. If you have experienced a loved one’s death and are experiencing these symptoms, it is important to get help.
How To Get Through It
Grief impacts your body, and while it is normal to feel sad, depressed, anxious, and have difficulty sleeping, digestive issues, and loss of taste and smell when you lose a loved one, it is important to seek help if these symptoms last for a long time. Having a support system in place can help you cope with your grief more effectively. When you have people you can rely on, it is easier to share your feelings, and you are less likely to experience feelings of isolation. Now that you understand how grief impacts the body, it is important to get help when you need it. If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to seek help from a grief counselor.
Build Up Your Support System With Grief Counseling in The Bay Area
Sometimes when trying to get through grief we need to add members to our support system that are not family members or friends. A grief counselor in the bay area can provide you with that additional support so you can start addressing the symptoms that you are experiencing.
If you are ready to get help with grief counseling then Bay Area Therapy for Wellness is here for you. To get started follow these steps:
Start meeting with a grief counselor
Watch as the physical impact of grief on your life decreases
Other Online Therapy Services Offered in The San Francisco Bay Area
At Bay Area Therapy for Wellness, we understand that you may be dealing with things other than loss in your life. This is why we also offer support for caregivers and those living with chronic illnesses. As well as family therapy, depression help, and anxiety treatment.
