Physical Aspects of Grief

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Hello everyone, I hope you all are doing alright. I know that If you are here and seeing this you must being going through a tough time, just like me. 

Its been one week since I lost my precious mother... she was only 56. It was INCREDIBLY unexpected and I’m utterly heart broken. I’m still quite young... so it’s crazy to think that I’m going to continue growing up without her, but I know she’s watching me from above and she’s not going to miss a thing. 

 

I came here though to ask if anyone else is feeling their grief physically? A couple moments when they announced she passed I started to feel some pain in my left arm. That pain freaked me out so much but I got checked out and they said nothing was wrong. That pain continued to shift through my body and I felt sore for a few days. Then the morning after her passing I felt an intense pain on the left side of my head and my jaw was very sore. It went away after about an hour. Now I keep getting sudden little headaches on different parts of my head and my chest and throat felt right earlier today and it made me feel really lightheaded. I also had a bad headache yesterday that resulted in lightheadedness... I get anxious when it comes to my health and I’m sure this has to do with my grief but I wanted to see if anyone can relate so I can feel a lot less nervous about how my body is feeling.

 

God bless you all.

[MartyT]

Yes, my dear, grief can affect you physically, just as you describe. See, for example, Physical Reactions to Loss ~ and note the Related articles at the base, too.

[kayc]

I lost my beloved soulmate in a dog one week ago...I keep catching myself holding my breath.  My hips started hurting, my arthritis flaring up, canker sores in my mouth...all stress related, I'm sure.  I have to keep reminding myself to breathe.

I have not hurt like this since my husband died 14+ years ago.

56 is so young to die, her pain is yours now, so hard to continue living without those we love.  I talk to my husband and now my dog too.  Don't worry about what anyone else thinks, if it helps you, that's what matters.  I hope you have a place you can come to to honor her.  My husband's ashes and my dog's body, along with other furry members of our family are in my back yard.  I have memorial stones for them, my dog's should be arriving today.

[Kieron]

In my experience, my arms and shoulders ached like crazy for many months.  My forearms, in particular, had this phantom pain that seemed to be bone-deep.  When I decided to see a bodywork professional who did deep tissue massage, she told me that she believes grief is carried in the arms and shoulders and it manifests there quite often.  In another way, I felt the grief and loss as a sensation of starving.  I eventually realize that Mark's cooking was literally an act of love, and he put love into whatever he made, and when I was deprived of it, it felt like I was starving to death.  I know I am not imagining this.  After 2+ years, it's not as noticeable, so I guess one can get used to anything, but on occasion, on my way home from work, I long to come home to one of his stick-to-your-ribs meals.  😔