Neurologist Lisa M. Shulman, MD, FAAN, explains how tragedy affects the brain
In the recent American Brain Foundation webinar “Healing Your Brain After Loss: A Neurologist’s Perspective,” Lisa M. Shulman, MD, explains the effects of traumatic events, such as loss and personal tragedy, on the brain. Dr. Shulman is the director of the University of Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center and is The Rosalyn Newman Distinguished Scholar in Parkinson’s Disease. She has also served as treasurer for the American Academy of Neurology as well as on their Board of Directors, and in 2018, received the President’s Award from the AAN for contributions to the Academy and the neurological profession. Discover the key learnings from the virtual event below.
The Brain’s Response to Grief
Grief comes in many forms. Whether brought on by the death of a loved one, a serious illness or injury, divorce, abuse, or another cause, the brain interprets grief as emotional trauma or PTSD. Dr. Shulman explains that the human brain handles emotional trauma and stress using the same set of processes.
“Traumatic loss is perceived as a threat to survival and defaults to protective survival and defense mechanisms,” says Dr. Shulman. This response engages the fight or flight mechanism, which increases blood pressure and heart rate and releases specific hormones. Grief and loss affect the brain and body in many different ways. They can cause changes in memory, behavior, sleep, and body function, affecting the immune system as well as the heart. It can also lead to cognitive effects, such as brain fog. The brain’s goal? Survival.
“Grief is a normal protective process,” says Dr. Shulman. “This process is an evolutionary adaptation to promote survival in the face of emotional trauma.” Changes in brain function go largely undetected when an individual continues functioning normally, but these experiences still affect how the brain works.
How Tragedy Affects the Brain
In response to traumatic events, the brain creates connections between nerves and strengthens or weakens existing connections depending on the duration and degree of the emotional response. Neuroplasticity, or the ability to alter neural connections, allows the brain to compensate for injury, illness, loss, and other life-altering traumatic events by forming new neural connections based on these experiences. This helps an individual adapt to new situations or environments.
Low to moderate stress increases nerve growth and improves memory while reducing fear. However, chronic stress causes a reduction in nerve growth and memory and increases fear to help an individual focus on survival. This stress response can have a negative effect and the more it happens, the more it becomes hardwired.
“When a circuit fires repeatedly,” Dr. Shulman says, “it’s reinforced and becomes a default setting.” Over the long term, grief can disrupt the diverse cognitive domains of memory, decision-making, visuospatial function, attention, word fluency, and the speed of information processing.
Healing the Brain After Loss
According to Dr. Shulman, even the effects of long-term chronic stress are reversible. She points to mindfulness and relaxation practices like journaling, cognitive behavior therapy, counseling, creativity, and meditation as outlets for post-traumatic growth. These strategies allow feelings of safety, security, and calmness to return so that one can move forward.
“If we don’t work through the traumatic experiences that we have, they will continue to be an obstacle in our lives,” says Dr. Shulman.
Learn more about how grief, loss, and tragedy affect the brain by watching the webinar or reading Dr. Shulman’s book, “Before and After Loss: A Neurologist’s Perspective on Loss, Grief and Our Brain.”
The American Brain Foundation was founded to bring researchers and donors together in the fight against brain disease. Interested in more events? Check out our upcoming events and webinars.
FAQs
How Long Does Grief Brain Last? There's no definitive length of time you will experience grief brain because it's different for everyone. Studies have shown that 60% of people have resilient brains that can recover within weeks to months, while 40% may take longer.
How can you rewire the brain after trauma? ›
You can imagine your best future, be thankful for what you have, pay attention to the present, meditate, and exercise to help rewire your brain and think more positively. Finally, therapies like EMDR are especially good for people who've been through relational trauma.
Does grief rewire your brain? ›
Particularly if this loss is devastating and “changes everything,” such as when a devoted spouse dies or a beloved partner unilaterally ends a relationship, our grieving brain has an enormous rewiring job to do.
How does grief rewire the brain in psychology today? ›
Key points
In grief, our brains must rewire to function in a world minus our loved one. When in grief, what happens to neurons that developed to respond to the presence of the loved one? By avoiding painful feelings, you do not give your brain the opportunity to learn to manage them.
How to fix grief brain fog? ›
The best way to help start clearing brain fog is to acknowledge it. It is normal for your mind to drift in response to memories of the person who died. When you notice this happening, take a moment to stay with the feeling and acknowledge your grief. Afterward, you will be able to refocus your mind on the task at hand.
What is the widow brain disease? ›
Widow Brain is a term used to describe the fogginess and disconnect that can set in after the death of a spouse. This feeling is thought to be a coping mechanism, where the brain attempts to shield itself from the pain of a significant trauma or loss.
What are the three C's of grief? ›
As you build a plan, consider the “three Cs”: choose, connect, communicate. Choose: Choose what's best for you. Even during dark bouts of grief, you still possess the dignity of choice. “Grief often brings the sense of loss of control,” says Julie.
When is grief the hardest? ›
Your grief will take longer than most people think
The first few months may be particularly intense. The first year is difficult: especially the first Christmas or Hanukkah, the first birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, “a year ago today day” and many other times that remind us of our loss.
Where does grief sit in the body? ›
Where do we hold grief in our body? Grief affects the entire body, including the organs, skin, brain, and tissues. It can create issues with muscle tenion, sleeping difficulties, and affect how the brain and body process information and emotions.
How does grief change your personality? ›
Personality changes like being more irritable, less patient, or no longer having the tolerance for other people's “small” problems. Forgetfulness, trouble concentrating and focusing. Becoming more isolated, either by choice or circ*mstances. Feeling like an outcast.
Focus is on the amygdala because this limbic brain region is implicated in sadness, separation distress, storage of emotional memory, and detecting threats to attachment.
How does grief transform you? ›
Grief introduces us to the possibility of our own resilience. Through our grief, we can learn to live with a deeper awareness and appreciation for healthy connection, meaningful growth, and intentional purpose. Grief shows us on a cellular level that change is inevitable. We can not escape loss.
How long does bereavement fatigue last? ›
Grieving isn't just an emotional process. It can be surprisingly physical too, leaving you exhausted, achy, restless and even with cold or flu-like symptoms. Your mind and body are run down and burnt out, and you might feel that way for weeks or even months.
How fast does the brain deteriorate after death? ›
Different cell types die at different rates. Contrary to previous notions that brain cells die within 5 to 10 minutes, evidence now suggests that if left alone, the cells of the brain die slowly over a period of many hours, even days after the heart stops and a person dies.
How long does it take to feel normal after a death? ›
It's common for the grief process to take a year or longer. Grief most often gets less intense over time, but the sense of loss can last for decades. Certain events, mementos or memories can bring back strong emotions, that usually last for a short time.
What stage of grief is confusion? ›
Yearning and Searching: This phase is characterized by a variety of feelings, including sadness, anger, anxiety, and confusion. The grieving person is experiencing a longing for the deceased person and wanting them to return to fill the emptiness created by their death.
