031: Your Brain on Grief with Dr. Mary-Francis O’Connor, Grief Expert, Neuroscientist, and...

Losing a loved one is an unavoidable cost of having close relationships. When loss happens, there’s a period of grieving that’s experienced differently from person to person.
But one thing happens to all of us - our brains try to solve the problem of where that person went. This deeply rooted neurobiology leads to a grieving process where our brains are trying to update with our new reality.
Podcast guest, Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD, says you haven’t failed because you’re feeling grief. Dr. O’Connor is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, which investigates the effects of grief on the brain and the body.
Her book, The Grieving Brain, brings together accessible science and practical knowledge that provides a more nuanced understanding of what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.
In this episode, Mary-Francis describes what happens in our brains when we lose a loved one. She explains the difference between grief and grieving, and how it looks different for everyone.
Mary-Francis debunks the five stages of grief, and we discuss how it’s not a linear journey. Finally, she leaves us with some ways we may get stuck in grief and how to be a friend to someone grieving.
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[@roadieric9472]

In a world where access to competent consistent therapy is almost impossible, thank you both SO very much for articulating the mess which is whatever is left of my so-called life. Onwards thru the fog...

[@growingthruit]

I'm so sorry for the grief you're going through. It's truly an attack on your brain and emotions! Glad this interview was helpful.

[@sueprice4082]

Of course the type of bonding matters! A spouse of fifty years is something very different to Grandparents and even parents.At the grand age of 73 I now know what grief is!!