Mary-Frances O'Connor, a clinical psychology and psychiatry professor at the University of Arizona and author of The Grieving Body, reveals how grief profoundly impacts both mind and body. She discusses the startling statistics showing heightened risks of heart attack and stroke following the loss of a loved one. O'Connor emphasizes the link between emotional pain and physical health, explaining how grief can lead to increased inflammation and stress on the cardiovascular system. She advocates for understanding grief as a natural process requiring self-compassion.
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insights INSIGHT
Grief's Physical Impact
Grief is a physiological response, not just emotional, impacting blood pressure and heart rate.
This physical response validates the feeling that grief manifests in the body.
insights INSIGHT
Broken Heart Syndrome
Studies show a significantly increased risk of heart attack after a loved one's death, especially for men.
The risk is almost double in the first three months for men compared to married men.
insights INSIGHT
Grief's Impact on the Immune System
Grief affects the immune system, increasing inflammation and impacting various organ systems.
This can increase risks for cancer recurrence, pneumonia, and other health issues.
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The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss
Mary-Frances O'Connor
In *The Grieving Brain*, neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, offers a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. The book addresses why it’s hard to understand that a loved one has died, why grief causes various emotions, why grieving takes so long, the distinction between grief and prolonged grief, why we ruminate after loss, and how to restore a meaningful life while grieving. Based on O’Connor’s trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and real-life stories, the book combines storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge to help navigate loss with more ease and grace.
The Grieving Body
How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing
Mary-Frances O'Connor
In *The Grieving Body*, Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor delves into the physiological effects of grief, exploring its impact on the cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems. The book combines scientific research with personal stories to provide a comprehensive understanding of how bereavement affects physical health and offers pathways for healing. It addresses questions such as the physical effects of grief, how coping behaviors influence health, and why stress increases susceptibility to illness.
We have lots of expressions to describe the pain of loss—heartache, a broken heart, a punch in the gut. These aren’t just figures of speech: While grief is an emotional experience, it’s also a physical one. Studies show that grief can change your physiology, most dramatically in the cardiovascular and immune systems.
One staggering finding? A heart attack is 21 times more likely to happen in the 24 hours after the death of a loved one. And after the death of a parent, risk of ischemic heart disease rises by 41%, and risk of stroke increases by 30%.
Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor has dedicated her career to understanding the physiology behind grief and grieving. She joins Host Flora Lichtman to discuss what she’s learned over the years, and her new book The Grieving Body.
Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.
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