Title: Physical Symptoms of Grief
Headings: How Grief Shows Up In Your Body
How Grief Shows Up In Your Body
Normal vs. Pathological Grief
How Does Avoidance Harm Your Health?
How Do Role Adjustments Affect Your Health?
What Can You Do to Cope With Grief?
Health Solutions

Content: It batters the immune system, leaving you depleted and vulnerable to infection. The heartbreak of grief can increase blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Intense grief can alter the heart muscle so much that it causes " broken heart syndrome ," a form of heart disease with the same symptoms as a heart attack. Stress links the emotional and physical aspects of grief. The systems in the body that process physical and emotional stress overlap, and emotional stress can activate the nervous system as easily as physical threats can. When stress becomes chronic, increased adrenaline and blood pressure can contribute to chronic medical conditions. Research shows that emotional pain activates the same regions of the brain as physical pain. This may be why painkilling drugs ranging from opioids to Tylenol have been shown to ease emotional pain. Normal vs. Pathological Grief
Depression is not a normal part of grief, but a complication of it. Depression raises the risk of grief-related health complications and often requires treatment to resolve, so it's important to know how to recognize its symptoms.