Have you ever been brokenhearted? While most heartbreaks are associated with romantic relationships, it can happen with platonic and familial relationships as well. What may seem like ordinary moments of sadness may actually be heartbreak. Recent research has shown that there are distinct ways heartbreak can impact your mind and body. So here are nine signs of a broken heart.
1. Your stress levels are higher than normal
Do you find yourself more stressed out than usual after experiencing a loss or breakup? The experience of heartbreak can actually lead to the release of certain hormones in your brain. Stress hormones like cortisol may be released as a reaction to your heartbreak, making your stress levels abnormally high. It may be triggered by the event or the surrounding events of your heartbreak.
2. You experience physical pain
Did you know that the experience of a broken heart can cause real pain in your body? A sudden surge of cortisol can affect not only your mind but also your body. Prolonged stress is tough to overcome and can have a multitude of physical effects. According to WebMD, some of the physical signs of stress are headaches, chest pains, having an upset stomach, and frequent colds.
3. You’re depressed
Has your heartbreak made you feel miserable for a long period of time? This sadness can be emotionally exhausting and may even lead to depression. According to Healthline, if your brain responds to heartbreak in an unhealthy way, you may experience some depression-like symptoms such as drastic appetite changes, feelings of worthlessness, and chronic fatigue.
4. You feel emotionally empty
Do you feel like your emotions are blocked or numbed? You’re bound to endure some emotional repercussions when the relationship you’ve invested so much time, love, and energy in ends. Emotional emptiness and numbness may be your brain’s way to protect you from all the intense emotional pain that comes with heartbreak. It should be noted that prolonged emotional emptiness can be damaging to your mental health.
5. You start to ruminate
Do you constantly think about the breakup? What went wrong? Why did it end? While a little bit of thought and analysis is pretty common, it may turn into rumination if your thoughts become excessive and unwanted. It’s a sign of heartbreak since the constant intrusive thoughts show that your experience is still consuming you.
6. You lose your self-control
Have you found yourself going back into your bad habits? A broken heart can bring out less self-control in your actions. According to Jonathan Strum from the Recovery Village, people who have overcome addiction in the past are more susceptible to relapse after a heartbreak. The potential emotional triggers from a breakup and the loss of self-control may be the cause of relapse.
7. You experience withdrawal symptoms
Did you know that love can affect you in a way that’s similar to having an addiction? When in love, a chemical called dopamine stimulates your brain’s reward system. A breakup, therefore, will cause your brain to suddenly lose this chemical and feeling. During this time, you may experience withdrawal symptoms similar to ones associated with drug addiction. The symptoms may be different but can produce
similar psychological effects, such as cravings for the relationship you lost.
8. You’re grieving
Do you experience some signs and symptoms of grief? Many experts have described a significant overlap between grief and heartbreak. While grief is a very personal experience and can look different for everyone, experts agree that you may experience the general stages of grief following a breakup in a similar way to losing a loved one.
9. You’re exhausted
Have you noticed changes in your energy levels or in your ability to move through the day? It could mean that your broken heart may be taking a physical toll on you. Exhaustion could come from potential insomnia brought about by heartbreak. Any changes in your sleep patterns can affect your mental and physical well-being. If you’re consistently losing sleep, it will definitely impact your energy and productivity level throughout the day.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Mikail Duran on Unsplash
