It may be painful but we can get over it, in other words. It's not only the case that a serious break-up affects our personality; our personality also influences the way we are likely to respond to such a split.
A broken heart may not only increase the chance of depression or anxiety. Emotional distress and grief may also cause other health conditions.
Heartbreak can trigger psychological shock, a very real condition. Heartbreak, like any other trauma, can put you into psychological shock, also called 'emotional shock' and 'acute stress reaction'. And emotional shock doesn't just cause anxiety, fear and a sense of unreality.
When we break up, our brains lose their regular supply of these neurotransmitters, and we go into neurological withdrawal. This is how broken hearts break brains. Subjectively, the deficit in these chemicals can make us feel anxious, depressed, and isolated.
A person with a broken heart often has episodes of sobbing, rage, and despair. They may not eat or sleep for days and may also neglect their personal hygiene. A few may repress their feelings so that they do not have to face the pain of the loss, which may cause panic, anxiety, and depression a few months later.
When looking at the timeline of breakups, many sites refer to a “study” that's actually a consumer poll a market research company conducted on behalf of Yelp. The poll's results suggest it takes an average of about 3.5 months to heal, while recovering after divorce might take closer to 1.5 years, if not longer.
Luckily, heartbreak doesn't last forever. Your heart will eventually mend, and you will find love again. To help you reach the point where you can date and love again after experiencing a broken heart, we spoke to two sex and relationship experts: Todd Baratz, LMHC and Rachel Wright, MA, LMFT.
Going through a breakup can be traumatic. Similar to other traumas, like the death of a loved one, breakups can cause overwhelming and long-lasting grief.
But a real-life broken heart can lead to cardiac issues. Depression, mental health and heart disease have established ties. Read on for more information about how an extremely stressful event can have an impact on your heart.
A breakup usually sinks in for a man when they start to regret their mistakes when he misses the intimacy and connection he had, and once he acknowledges that there's no way to get the good times back. Sometimes, it can take a long time for all of this to sink in.
The following statements might not feel comforting to someone with a broken heart—either because they're aggressively positive/cheerful (which hurts), or aggressively cruel/critical of their ex (which hurts, too), full of pressure (“hurry up and stop feeling sad”), dismissive (“get over it, things could be much worse”) ...
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Research has shown that in extreme cases, some who experience a broken heart go on to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
THE BREAKUP
The brains of people who've been dumped are "active in regions linked with profound addiction." withdrawal from the drug that was the partner and the love she or he offered. This explains the uncontrollably obsessive feelings so many people experience after being left behind.
Breakups can be brutal—and can easily trigger bipolar symptoms. The end of a relationship often ushers in dark feelings like abandonment, guilt, and rejection. Even if the relationship was toxic and getting out was the right decision, there may be a sense of failure or self-blame.
Some people describe it as a dull ache, others as piercing, while still others experience it as a crushing sensation. The pain can last for a few seconds and then subside, or it can be chronic, hanging over your days and depleting you like just like the pain, say, of a back injury or a migraine.
The loss triggers a stress response, and in the initial aftermath of a breakup, you can be left reeling from the impact of this shock. The impact of cortisol, a key stress hormone, can be incredibly disruptive. It can create unpleasant side-effects, such as digestive problems, aches and pains.
Stressful life events such as a breakup or divorce can sometimes trigger prolonged and severe emotional distress. Experiencing depressive and other symptoms following the end of a relationship is sometimes diagnosed as an adjustment disorder with depressed mood, also sometimes referred to as situational depression.
It triggers the release of “feel good” chemicals in your brain. Losing it in a breakup can cause emotional and physical problems, like anxiety and tiredness. Emotional stress can also send out a rush of stress hormones that make you feel like you're having a heart attack.
"We see changes in our heart rate and blood pressure, we release more stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, our blood gets a bit stickier, our immune system can be a bit vulnerable and our sleep can be disturbed."
It is possible to find love after heartbreak, to find joy with another if you give yourself time to reflect on what happened and to resolve your feelings about the past before moving on.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The Good News: Though you may feel defeated, God is closer than you realize. He is always with you and can heal your heart. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
How long heartbreak lasts. After six weeks most people start to adjust to life without their ex, says Durvasula. “It could be a lot quicker, but typically it's not much longer,” she says. “I tell my clients all the time: Give everything six weeks before you think you are not coping well.”
Even ifyou were the one who initiated the split, there are five stages ofgrief that you will go through. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, according to Mental-Health-Matters. These are the natural ways for your heart to heal.