How Grief Impacts Memory and Cognitive Functioning

Grief, one of life’s greatest tragedies, is a universal experience that touches us all. It brings immeasurable emotions that are so profoundly difficult to define but yet felt so deeply. Along with these deeply seeded emotions, grief impacts other areas of our lives such as our memory and cognitive functioning. A key to understanding how grief impacts our memory and cognitive functioning is a general understanding of what occurs in our bodies when we experience the pain of grief. 

3 Biochemical Effects of Grief

Cortisol

When our bodies experience grief the stress hormone, cortisol, is released. The release of cortisol is the biological process of preparing your body to react to a challenging situation, such as a loss of an attachment figure. Cortisol gives our bodies the ability to cope with the major life events through an increase in alertness. While the hormone cortisol release is biologically useful in the moment, when its release is continued it can leave our bodies in a heightened state of stress causing a decrease in the ability to focus and consolidate memory. 

Amygdala 

Grief is a profoundly emotional experience which heightens our body’s emotional center, the amygdala. One of the roles of the amygdala is to aid in the processing of emotions and memory. When our amygdala is overwhelmed with the painful experience of grief our ability to process and cope with this experience decreases. Meanwhile, the amygdala aids in memory consolidation with a special emphasis on these heightened emotions which can make the memory of the grief stronger. In the emotional state of grief our bodies do it’s best to process and understand these emotions; however, to our detriment it can also cause a decrease in cognitive functioning outside this painful event. 

Prefrontal Cortex

As previously stated our bodies are biologically designed to aid in the processing of major life events, such as a painful loss of an attachment figure. When we experience the pain of grief our prefrontal cortex serves as a decelerator for grief by regulating emotions, helping to control the intensity of emotions, and decision making. The prefrontal cortex also plays a role in cognitive functioning and memory. When our bodies, particularly the prefrontal cortex area of our brain, becomes overwhelmed with grief there is a marked decline in activity resulting in a decrease in cognitive functioning and memory. 

Experiencing Grief

Grief impacts the release of hormones and activates the emotional control center as well as the executive functioning area of our brain. However, when the threshold of grief becomes too overwhelming these biological processes meant to aid in healing become consumed by emotions which in return negatively affects our cognitive functioning and memory. People who are suffering with the pain of grief may also experience other symptoms that impact their daily lives such as difficulty in making decisions, remembering tasks, attention, and processing information.

The presence of grief signals that we have lost something significant whether that is the loss of a loved one, the loss of what could have been, or even the loss of resolving explicit or implicit emotions. Working alongside a Grief Counselor can help you understand your grief and work towards healing. Grief counseling offers a safe haven to the untangling and processing of underlying emotions in our grief that might be keeping us stuck in the throes of grief. In working through the emotions of grief, your counselor will also help support you in coping with the impacts on memory and cognitive functioning.

If you’re experiencing the excruciating pain of grief, reach out to book a consultation for grief counseling today.