Our greatest battles are those with our own minds.
Anonymous
If you have gone through the loss of someone significant in your life, you surely know that grief is an emotional response to this experience, which can be intense and prolonged depending on the psychological characteristics of each individual. Our survival mechanisms are activated as a way to cope with something that our body interprets as dangerous or threatening.
We feel sadness, anxiety, anger, and sometimes a feeling of emptiness that can last for weeks or years, but do you know what happens to the brain during grief and why these emotional alterations appear?
The neurobiology of grief
Our most important emotional bonds are the result of continuous coexistence full of stimuli for our brain. When prolonged exposure to this person is interrupted, the neural connections created in that period are altered and begin to restructure. It is normal to feel sadness, anguish and fear, but we must give our brain time to adapt to the absence.
1. The initial impact: the amygdala and stress
When we receive news of a loss, the amygdala, a part of the brain involved in emotions, is intensely activated. This activation triggers a stress response, releasing hormones such as cortisol. These hormones prepare the body to face a threat by increasing heart rate and blood pressure.
2. Emotional pain: the anterior cingulate cortex
Physical and emotional pain share similar neural pathways. The anterior cingulate cortex is a region of the brain that is activated in both physical and emotional pain. This explains why grief can be so painful, almost like a physical wound. In fact, the emotional shock is so strong that studies have shown that people over 60 who have suffered a loss are more likely to have a stroke or heart attack.
3. Memory and loss: the hippocampus
The hippocampus, responsible for forming new memories and retrieving memories, plays a crucial role in grief. During grief, we constantly remember the deceased person, which can intensely activate this region of the brain. However, compulsive thoughts and stress also cause short-term memory to be affected, making it difficult to recall recent events or learn new things.
Eventually, the emotional charge of memories will decrease, because the interruption of oxytocin and dopamine, substances that stimulate the brain and generate attachment bonds, will cause the strength of our neural networks to decline.
Strategies to manage memory disorders
- Maintain a routine: Establishing a daily routine can help reduce stress and provide structure. Writing down important tasks and events on a calendar will be helpful.
- Stimulates the brain: Try doing some activities such as crossword puzzles, word searches or mazes to free your thoughts and put your mind to work.
- One task at a time: Concentration and attention are key to remembering information. Reducing the number of activities to do will prevent you from getting distracted.
- Stimulate your senses: listen to and admire works of art (music, painting, theater, cinema) and smell those aromas that make you feel better.
- Meditate and close your eyes: Conscious attention makes it easier to assimilate your surroundings and, therefore, keep new information. Closing your eyes when you want to remember something increases your ability to do so by 23%.
Grief is a challenging process that can significantly affect memory and daily life. Recognizing these disruptions and adopting strategies to manage them is crucial to navigating this difficult period. If you are facing significant difficulties, do not hesitate to seek professional help. Remember that at Del Pueblo Funeral Home we make the most difficult moments easy.
