Grief and the Toll it Takes

Grief is a consumptive disease. Not only does it impact one’s mental well-being, but their physical health as well. Studies have shown that those with existing illnesses often get worse after loss. Those who suffer intense grief have higher rates of morbidity and mortality

From the standpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is because one’s physical and mental states are inextricable. When so much energy is used in fighting off grief the body has fewer resources to utilize for itself, or it becomes exhausted from the strain. These old concepts are confirmed by modern science. Grief activates stress hormones which can damage the heart over time. Furthermore, chronic grief increases generalized inflammation in the body which contributes to physical pain and reduces our immune system’s ability to fight off illness.

Another major area of impact is sleep. Sufferers of grief may find it more difficult to fall asleep. Constant rumination over loss can make settling enough to fall asleep almost impossible, which when it becomes chronic is diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. With lack of sleep, those negative health impacts noted above are even further compounded and the spiral of disease continues.

One of the ways in which TCM is different from modern medicine, is that its focus isn’t solely on the physical and quantifiable. Emotions aren’t just chemical triggers in the central nervous system and their effect on the body. Ancient physicians in China treated the body, the mind and the spirit because it was believed that disease in one meant disease in all. That is why in the Su Wen – or Simple Questions, one of the oldest tomes on Chinese Medicine – it states the following:

Anger injures the liver… joy [obsession] injures the Heart… pensiveness [rumination] injures the Spleen… sadness injures the Lungs… fear injures the Kidneys.

Excesses in any emotion can have a damaging physical effect on its paired organ and the system it influences. For grief and sadness, that is the lungs. People who experience grief report tightness in the chest, shortness of breath and a feeling like they can’t get air in. The Lungs do more than just regulate breathing, though. They are also responsible for the skin and our ability to fight off exogenous disease, hence why sadness depresses the immune system. The lungs are responsible for keeping things moving throughout the body so when depression impedes this mechanism, stagnation and inflammation develop.

In terms of sleep, we can see via the meridian clock how the pathomechanism works:

Apart from obsessive thinking keeping people up, many who suffer from grief and sadness will wake up between 3 and 5, often for no discernible reason. In TCM theory this is because the Lungs are meant to control the Liver but are too weak to do so. When this happens, the active energy of the Liver overcomes the Lungs and we lose the ability to sleep fitfully.

Due to its unique stance on health, Traditional Chinese medicine is a useful addition in the treatment of grief and the symptoms it causes. Best results are found when TCM is used in conjunction with behavioral therapy, and in severe cases medication. Research has found that acupuncture alone may be as effective as counseling for issues of mild depression. A practitioner will craft a specified treatment plan that includes active methods of care like acupuncture and medication, as well as lifestyle suggestions to help outside of the treatment room. If you or someone you know if suffering from grief, reach out for help.

Sources:

Utz, R. L., Caserta, M., & Lund, D. (2012, August). Grief, depressive symptoms, and physical health among recently bereaved spouses. The Gerontologist. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3391379/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, November 24). Broken heart syndrome. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/broken-heart-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354617

The physical trauma of grief and loss. Official Media Integrative Practitioner. (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2022, from https://www.integrativepractitioner.com/practice-management/news/body-trauma-grief

MacPherson, H., Richmond, S., Bland, M., Brealey, S., Gabe, R., Hopton, A., Keding, A., Lansdown, H., Perren, S., Sculpher, M., Spackman, E., Torgerson, D., & Watt, I. (n.d.). Acupuncture and counselling for depression in primary care: A randomised controlled trial. PLOS Medicine. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001518