Brains…. So much recent research has attempted to understand how numerous human difficulties play out in the brain. Grief and prolonged grief are no different. While there are wonderful therapist resources available for supporting grieving clients, learning the neurological basis can provide additional context. Research in new grief theories and the brain has begun to uncover fascinating neurological explanations for the experience of grief.
Grief is naturally difficult for all of us. It can include a range of different emotions, deep longing for the individual lost, and rumination about events experienced with that individual. But newer brain research has also helped increase understanding of more prolonged experiences of grief over time.
All sorts of things in our life provide reward: a nice cup of coffee, praise on a job well done from a supervisor or colleague, or a fun vacation activity. Forms of reward lead us to want to engage in those activities again. Enter the behavioral principle of positive reinforcement…. Researchers see that the nucleus accumbens (a key brain region) is associated with that reward. This area seems to light up extensively when we experience reward.
Deep interactions with close loved ones provide an extreme amount of reward for us! They meet our biological need for attachment and lead us to strive for continued interaction. Those interactions also seem to be highly associated with our sense of self. We experience yearning for those individuals when they are not present. And we can fulfill that need to interact with them when they are present. This process is natural!
For all grievers, the brain just can’t make sense or understand that the lost loved one is physically not there. We have to learn that the person is no longer present, cannot fulfill our attachment needs, and cannot shape our sense of self.
This newer neurobiological research has suggested that the nucleus accumbens may work differently for those who have the most difficult time adjusting to loss. They tend to have more difficulty learning over time that the lost individual can no longer fulfill their attachment needs or sense of self. They find themselves continually in that grief experience with continued longing and rumination for the lost loved one.
Modern brain research and its nod to the role of learning fits with newer conceptualizations of grief and prolonged grief. New grief theories emphasize the self and ways to recapture newer forms of reward to promote sense of self. This includes how rumination can often get in the way of that new learning process. These models also de-emphasize stages in favor of evidence pointing to a more fluctuating picture of grieving as individuals contend with that difficult new learning process.
Grief is so hard for us all. Luckily, new brain research is helping to contribute to a better understanding of grieving and prolonged grief overall. This can help us be present for clients who’s brains are still locked into being present for those who are not.
