The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing

In this wise and lucid guide, O’Connor (The Grieving Brain), a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, examines the ways grief wreaks havoc on the brain and body and how those effects can be mitigated. Drawing from scientific research and personal experience—including her mother’s early death from cancer and her own multiple sclerosis diagnosis—O’Connor catalogues the physiological changes that can result from loss, as blood pressure and cortisol levels spike and a weakened immune system makes the body more susceptible to infection. As she explains, those effects are partly because close relationships “regulate our physiology,” stimulating the production of such feel-good chemicals as oxytocin; their sudden withdrawal is akin to a piece of one’s own body being “cut away.” But by noticing signs of stress, readers can use the grieving process to heal both physically and emotionally—for example, by viewing reduced energy levels as motivation to prioritize what’s important. Throughout, O’Connor balances sharp scientific insights with elegant observations about the nature of loss. The result is sure to be a balm for mourners. (Feb.)