5 Reasons Grief Hurts So Much
Everyone experiences grief at some point in life. Loss is unavoidable. While people deal with grief differently and work through it at their own pace, there’s no denying one thing–it hurts.
Grief comes after a loss. Whether it’s losing someone you love, a job, a marriage, or anything else that means a lot to your life, losing something is difficult.
Most people understand that grief hurts, but have you ever really thought about why? The more you understand the source of that pain, the easier it can be to work through the stages of grief and eventually move forward. Let’s look closer at why grieving can make you feel like you can hardly get out of bed in the morning.
Lowered Immunity
When dealing with grief, you’re likely also going through a lot of stress. Your life is changing, and you’re trying to cope with things you weren’t prepared for.
That kind of sudden stress can take a toll on your body. Too much stress can weaken your immune system, make it easier to feel sick and tired, and may make you more susceptible to illness. Practicing self-care and naturally boosting your immune system can help, especially if you feel run down.
Broken Heart Syndrome
When you experience a major loss in your life, it can feel like your heart is breaking. That might hold more truth to it than you realize.
While your heart can’t literally “break” due to grief, something called “Broken Heart Syndrome” can occur after losing a loved one. This syndrome occurs due to a disruption of the blood being pumped to certain areas of the heart. The symptoms are similar to a heart attack, causing sharp pain and shortness of breath.
Aches and Pains
The same stress that can weaken your immune system during the grieving process can also cause you to feel achy. When too many stress hormones are released, your muscles and joints start to feel “stunned.”
That process can lead to a lot of pain throughout the body, as well as stiffness and headaches. While the pain should eventually subside as you work through your grief, it isn’t easy to deal with it while it’s happening.
Sleep Troubles
Sleep is essential for mental and physical healing. Unfortunately, grief can make getting the rest you need and deserve difficult. A lack of quality sleep can cause fatigue and negatively impact nearly every aspect of your life. It’s not uncommon for grief to cause you to toss and turn all night. No sleep also increases your chance of getting sick, making you feel run-down, weak, and sore.
Digestive Problems
Grief can lead to feelings of anxiousness, which often cause a queasy stomach. Additionally, when you’re anxious, depressed, or overly stressed, your eating habits are likely to change. You might not be eating the things you usually do. You might even overeat or seek out “comfort food” as a coping mechanism. All of these issues can lead to digestive problems and leave you with an upset stomach more often than not. Things like nausea and irritable bowel syndrome can become problematic and wreak havoc on your stomach.
There’s no “ideal” way to grieve. As long as you’re moving forward and coping with your loss in healthy ways, you’ll eventually work through your struggle. In the meantime, you might have to deal with some of the pain associated with stress and loss. Taking care of yourself, prioritizing sleep, eating healthy, and spending time with loved ones can help.
Therapists at Wellness Matters specialize in dealing with issues of grief and loss. Feel free to contact us today to set up an appointment. You can connect with the Wellness Matters Intake Coordinator by texting or calling (218) 616-1276
At Wellness Matters, the intake process is all on-line and can be done in less than fifteen minutes. On-line appointments make it possible to attend appointments from the comfort from your home or office. In-person services may also be available for people living in northern MN.