Grieving Brain

NPR SciFri Book Club Pick

Next Big Idea Club's "Top 21 Psychology Books of 2022"

Behavioral ScientistNotable Books of 2022

A renowned grief expert and neuroscientist shares groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning.

InThe Grieving Brain, neuroscientist and psychologist Mary-Frances O'Connor,PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. O'Connor has devoted decades to researching the effects of grief on the brain, and in this book, she makes cutting-edge neuroscience accessiblethrough her contagious enthusiasm,and guides us through how weencodelove and grief. With love, our neurons help us form attachments to others; but, with loss, ourbrain must come to terms withwhere our loved ones went, or how to imagine a futurewithout them.

The Grieving Brainaddresses:

• Why it's so hard to understand that a loved one has died and is gone forever
• Why grief causes so many emotions—sadness, anger, blame, guilt, and yearning
• Why grieving takes so long
• The distinction between grief and prolonged grief
• Why we ruminate so much after we lose a loved one
• How we go about restoring a meaningful life while grieving

Based on O'Connor's own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and her real-life stories,The Grieving Braincombines storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge that will help us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.