Question: My 14-year-old dog died last month, and I'm really heartbroken about it. Why is it so hard to get over the loss of a family pet?
Dr. Amen's Answer: Many people become as attached to their pets as they do to the significant people in their lives. Pets often give unconditional love and connect with our innermost, caring selves. I often have felt that holding one of my cats or petting my dog during a scan would have a positive effect on the deep limbic system of the brain (the emotional center).
Some time ago, my dog Samantha died of cancer. The sadness in my family was great. That's because the pets we love come to live inside our brains, and when they die, our brains are still searching for them.
When Samantha died, we all had problems sleeping, no one felt like eating, and anything that reminded us of her would quickly bring up tears and feelings of intense sadness and loss. It was especially tough for my daughter Breanne. She didn't stop grieving until we got another dog that began to occupy the space in her brain where Samantha had resided.
Appreciating this significant grief is often necessary to healing. Just know that, over time, your brain will eventually stop searching for the pet you lost, and the grief will begin to subside.
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