 Whether it's the loss of a relationship, a friendship, or a loved one, grieving is never easy. However, it's always part of the process. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and self-care topics more accessible to everyone. We may think we've already moved on from something or someone, but that may not always be the case. In today's video, we'll be discussing the unexpected signs that you're still grieving. If you have experienced significant loss but a long time has passed and you still experience some of the following symptoms, you may be experiencing complicated grief, also known as unresolved grief. Research shows that emotional pain activates the same regions of the brain as physical pain, so it's important not to take these symptoms lightly. Okay, let's start the video. One, your chest might feel tight, painful, or sinking into your stomach. A physical symptom of grief is an increase in blood pressure. It also increases the risk of blood clots. According to Harvard Health Publishing, intense grief can alter the heart muscle so much it can even cause broken heart syndrome, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy. The main symptoms are chest pain and shortness of breath, as if when we're experiencing a heart attack. Experts think that surging stress hormones can essentially stun the heart, preventing the left ventricle from contracting effectively. This occurs more often in women than men. Two, you may be extremely focused on reminders of your loss or be excessively avoidant towards them. While these are opposite behaviors, obsessing over details and reminders or avoiding them excessively may be signs that you're still grieving. It's normal to feel pain upon being reminded of your loss, but if you find yourself constantly focused on reminders, it may be hard to move through the grieving stages. But why is constantly avoiding reminders also problematic? Do you find yourself pushing away painful or uncomfortable memories when you're reminded of them? Excessive avoidance can have long-term health consequences. Efforts to avoid the reality of loss demand energy and block the natural abilities of the body and mind to heal. Research by Strobee and others shows that avoidance makes depression, complicated grief, and the physical health problems associated with them more likely to occur. Three, you feel like you're getting sick more easily or taking longer to recover from your sicknesses. Grief increases inflammation and disrupts the immune system. This means that it can worsen existing health problems or cause new ones and leave you vulnerable to infection. Essentially, grief causes you stress not only on an emotional level but on a physical level too. It can leave you feeling fatigued and can give you headaches, stomach pain, nausea, and less appetite too. And four, you're still showing signs of stress. Your body may be showing you signs of stress, even if you may not realize it. Adding on to the previous point, feeling uncomfortable physical symptoms and recovering slower from illnesses are signs of stress. Are you experiencing a range of unpleasant feelings? Do you have cravings to misuse substances more than normal? You may be showing residue signs from stress. If you want to know more about stress, check out our video Six Signs of Stress You Shouldn't Ignore for more details on signs of stress. Are you grieving? If so, how are you handling it? Also, if you know someone who may benefit from online counseling, we've actually partnered up with BetterHelp. It's an affordable online counseling platform that you could utilize. They're constantly striving to improve their services in terms and conditions. The link will be in the description box below.