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cover of episode Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor

Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor

2025/4/3
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Mary Frances O'Connor: 我是亚利桑那大学的心理学教授，同时也是悲伤、损失和社会压力实验室的主任。我的研究表明，悲伤是一种生理反应，它会对我们的身体产生多种影响，从免疫系统到压力荷尔蒙。长期悲伤相关的慢性压力与长期疾病有关，包括心脏健康、疾病抵抗力甚至癌症。在亲人去世后的头三个月内，丈夫死于心脏病的可能性几乎是已婚男性的两倍。此外，大型研究还显示，悲伤会增加癌症和呼吸系统疾病的发生率，有些人甚至更容易患上肺炎和流感。 我的研究发现，悲伤会通过免疫系统和压力系统损害我们的身体。炎症是自然的免疫反应，但持续强烈的悲伤会使炎症成为慢性压力源，从而加剧问题。炎症会影响身体产生血清素的能力，而血清素调节情绪，悲伤引起的炎症反过来可能会加剧悲伤，形成恶性循环。此外，免疫系统过度活跃会导致自身免疫紊乱或过敏反应等问题。当我们无法放松身体时，皮质醇水平会升高，皮质醇控制着许多重要的东西，包括新陈代谢、调节血糖、能量分配以及睡眠-觉醒周期。 虽然悲伤是一种痛苦的经历，但它也可能成为治愈的机会。悲伤会放大我们的情绪和反应，使我们更容易获得经验，并学习如何应对生理症状、孤独感和身体疼痛。学习如何管理悲伤的自然波动，找出什么能够帮助我们平静或抚慰自己，也能帮助我们的身体在悲伤的波动结束后放松和恢复。 我们应该像对待潜在疾病一样对待悲伤，提供教育、扫盲和检查机制。医疗专业人员的悲伤和丧亲培训不足，这可能是因为对死亡的禁忌以及对悲伤的误解。我们需要提高所有帮助专业人士的悲伤素养，并考虑如何支持我们国家中正在悲伤的人们。我们需要确保没有人独自悲伤，并提供资源来防止人们对世界产生负面看法。

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The episode explores the physiological impact of grief, challenging the common perception of grief as solely an emotional experience. It introduces Mary Frances O'Connor, a professor of psychology, and her research on the physical effects of grief, highlighting how it can affect various bodily systems and increase vulnerability to illnesses.
  • Grief is a physiological response, not just an emotional one.
  • Prolonged grief is linked to longer-term illnesses affecting cardiac health, disease resistance, and even cancer.
  • Science can help explain how grief impacts the body and suggest ways to cope.

Shownotes Transcript

When we lose someone, we love, we often say we have a broken heart—but what if that’s not just a metaphor?

In her new book “The Grieving Body: How The Stress of Loss Can Be An Opportunity For Healing” University of Arizona Professor of Psychology Mary Frances O’Connor shares groundbreaking insights into the biological and physiological impacts grief has on our bodies. O’Connor reveals how profound loss can lead to serious medical conditions, from heart attacks to immune system breakdowns, and explains why grieving can make us more vulnerable to diseases like cancer, pneumonia, and even autoimmune disorders.

Drawing on her personal experiences and extensive research, O’Connor outlines why our medical system—and society at large—needs to rethink how we support grieving individuals. She makes a powerful case for viewing grief not only as an emotional experience but as a medical event deserving careful monitoring and intervention, similar to pregnancy or chronic illness.