Grief can hurt — in more ways than one - Harvard Health

Grief is the one feeling nobody can escape from throughout one’s lifetime. Unfortunately, we all end up knowing it.

That is not even the beginning of it: grief can lead to risky states when combined with stress or depression. Among the negative effects that the combination of grief and stress can have on us are worth remembering the fact that these two can lead to weaker immunity, insomnia, changes in appetite or the so-called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or broken-heart syndrome.

Grief can very easily lead to depression. And depression is nothing to be joking around with: it can put your health at risk in no time.

Among the symptoms that can be identified with depression there are: extreme hopelessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, suicidal thoughts, persistent feelings of worthlessness, and marked mental and physical sluggishness.