The Grieving Body: How to Heal After Loss with Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor

Forrest Hanson and Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor explore the physiological toll of grief. They discuss how the brain creates maps of loved ones' presence and how loss disrupts that internal prediction, leading to physical symptoms. Dr. O'Connor explains the health risks of bereavement, the concept of prolonged grief disorder, and practical tools for taking care of the healing body. The conversation covers how attachment relationships function as external regulators for our nervous system and what happens when they disappear. Throughout, they emphasize that grieving is a biological process we must understand to support ourselves and others through.