Episode 21: Is Grief a Psychological Experience or a Full-Body Disease? with Mary Francis O'Connor, PhD

Grief is not only an emotional experience, it is a biological one.

In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Stein speaks with grief researcher Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor. Dr. O’Connor is ideally placed to interpret this research for people with complex chronic disease due to her decades-long personal experience with multiple sclerosis.

Drawing on neuroscience, psychoneuroimmunology, and clinical research, they explore how grief, irrespective of the cause, can drive inflammation, disrupt sleep, impair cognition, and increase vulnerability to chronic illness. 

This conversation gently challenges the cultural myth about “moving on” and offers a more compassionate, science-based understanding of grief, particularly for people living with complex chronic disease, long-term loss, or invisible illness.

Key Takeaways 

• Grief is a biological process, not a personal failure.
  
• Why the brain struggles to update after loss.
  
• How grief and chronic illness can amplify each other.
  
• The hidden cost of being told to “move on.”

(00:00)  Is Grief a Psychological Experience or a Full-Body Disease?
(00:44)  Introduction
(02:39)  The impact of grief on the immune system;  Dr O’Connor’s story
(04:25)  Grief and inflammation
(10:47)  Time doesn’t automatically heal grief
(19:30)  Sleep, cognition, and nervous system effects of grief
(34:57)  Research on the benefits of acceptance
(38:23)  Dealing with ‘self-blame’
(41:53)  Healing doesn’t mean forgetting

Below are some links related to this episode:
Dr. O’Connor’s website https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/
The Grieving Body book https://maryfrancesoconnor.org/books/the-grieving-body
Dr. Stein’s updated book Let Your Light Shine Through contains tools for living with chronic illness, loss, and identity change https://www.eleanorsteinmd.ca/manual-2

Dr. O'Connor's Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/doctormfoconnor/https://www.facebook.com/maryfranceso
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21476471.Mary_Frances_O_Connor
  

Welcome to my podcast!
I am a retired medical doctor and psychiatrist specializing in chronic complex diseases. With over 33 years of experience, I have worked with thousands of patients, integrating both conventional and integrative approaches to enhance health and function. Since retiring from medical practice at the end of 2022, my passion is to help others find healing by sharing science-based, no-to-low-cost health strategies.

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