Science
Grief Study Links Oxytocin Receptors in Nucleus Accumbens to Intensity of Yearning
Huberman Lab
Essentials: The Science & Process of Healing from Grief
"The people that experience intense grief and a deep yearning and a motivation to reconnect with the person, animal, or thing that is lost in many cases have heightened levels of oxytocin specifically, or I should say oxytocin receptors to be exact, specifically within the brain regions associated with craving and pursuit."
Huberman cited comparative research between monogamous and non-monogamous prairie voles and human brain imaging studies showing that oxytocin receptor density in the nucleus accumbens predicts the intensity of grief and yearning. This neurochemical variance explains why some people experience prolonged grief while others move through it more quickly, independent of the depth of attachment.
From this episode
Huberman Lab