Grieving Brain (eBook)

NPR SciFri Book Club PickNext Big Idea Club's "e;Top 21 Psychology Books of 2022"e;Behavioral ScientistNotable Books of 2022A renowned grief expert and neuroscientist shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning.InThe Grieving Brain, neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances OConnor,PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. OConnor has devoted decades to researching the effects of grief on the brain, and in this book, she makes cutting-edge neuroscience accessiblethrough her contagious enthusiasm,and guides us through how weencodelove and grief. With love, our neurons help us form attachments to others; but, with loss, ourbrain must come to terms withwhere our loved ones went, or how to imagine a futurewithout them.The Grieving Brainaddresses:Why its so hard to understand that a loved one has died and is gone foreverWhy grief causes so many emotionssadness, anger, blame, guilt, and yearningWhy grieving takes so longThe distinction between grief and prolonged griefWhy we ruminate so much after we lose a loved oneHow we go about restoring a meaningful life while grievingBased on OConnors own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and her real-life stories,The Grieving Braincombines storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge that will help us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.