Can grief cause physical pain?

Grief can be a very physical experience. Many people describe the sensation of their heart as physically aching. Memories may be triggered that rush over you and cause your heart to leap, your stomach to lurch, or chills to move across your skin. The feelings of sadness, racing thoughts, tearfulness, and shock are familiar parts of grief. Grief is also described physically – as though waves of it come and go. Being hit with a wave of grief on a day that seems to be going relatively well is a common experience for grieving.

Grief has many impacts on the body. Inflammation can be caused by grief, and this may increase the symptoms of other health conditions that you already experience or even cause new ones. The immune system can become depleted, and you may be more likely to experience colds and other illnesses. Blood pressure rises as a result of grief, resulting in an increased risk of cardiovascular issues.

These physical impacts of grief occur due to the activation of the stress response cycle or fight or flight response. Our loss is perceived as a threat in some way, which activates this system, and may continue to do so as we are hit with waves of oncoming and receding grief. If we aren’t able to return to a pre-stress level due to an ongoing stressor or situation like grieving, we are exposed to the stress hormones and processes in the body in a long-term way that can have lasting impacts on overall health.

Emotional pain also activates the same parts of the brain that physical pain does, so in the brain, there is little difference between processing a physical injury resulting in pain and an emotional injury resulting in pain. If you’re experiencing grief and physical symptoms, talking with a grief counselor can be helpful. Grief is unique to each person, and there is no right or wrong way to move through it. If you begin to notice that grief is ongoing, there is less respite in the form of “waves,” you may consider talking to your doctor or a licensed mental health professional for treating complex grief or the potential of depression triggered by grief.

If you’re experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-272-8255.