One of the hardest challenges we may face in life is grieving over a loved one. Grief has been proven to negatively effect both our emotional and physical health in a number of ways. These ways can include the following:

Poor Sleep

People dealing with grief often have trouble sleeping. This effect has been seen whether the individual was dealing with depression or not, and seems to be related to the grief itself – not the potential of depression in a grieving person.  In many cases, the grieving person may have trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep.

Weakened Immune System

Experiencing grief can have an impact on your immune system, which may actually lead to illnesses and infections. Many studies have shown that those who experienced a loss become ill much more frequently in the following year while still dealing with their grief.

Substance Abuse

In some cases, people who are grieving may be more likely to abuse substances such as alcohol.

Depression

Approximately one in every four people who experience the loss of a loved one go through an episode of clinic depression in the following year. This is especially true in the case of dealing with the loss of a spouse.

Grief is hard on our whole body – both physically and emotionally. When dealing with grief, it is important to recognize that we made need to take extra care of our bodies, and may need to reach out for help from a professional.