Broken heart ? Lovesick ? Scientific way to heal a broken heart

How to heal a broken heart ?

How to Heal a Broken Heart When a Relationship Ends

Dr Zac Turner reveals scientific way to heal a broken heart

Love is a “drug” that most adults have experienced and a doctor has called it the “most potent” there is. This is how to detox from it.

This week Dr Zac Turner reveals a scientific way to heal a broken heart.

Question: Hi Dr Zac, my girlfriend and I made plans to escape Covid lockdowns and settle down in a new city together. We decided on Darwin, and I went first without her to start my new job. Only, after a few weeks she rang me to let me know she won’t be coming and that she doesn’t want to be with me anymore.

I’m heartbroken. If I’m not at work, I’m in bed. The only food I eat is fast food that’s delivered to my apartment. I’ve fallen into a depression and I’m starting to become anxious.

Lovesick? Scientific way to heal a broken heart, revealed by Dr Zac Turner

Is there such a thing as a broken heart, and can it be cured by a doctor? – Anon, Darwin

Answer: I’m sorry to hear you aren’t feeling so flash-hot right now, but trust me, time heals all wounds. Have a glass of water, spend 30 minutes outside (leave your phone behind) and take 10 deep breaths. You will be OK.

Patients often come to me after breakups asking if there is a cure for heartbreak. I always tell them the same thing. The reason for their distress is because they are currently detoxing from one of the most potent drugs there are: Love.

Love is a drug, and explaining the brain chemistry behind it may make you feel better. There are also a few Dr Zac tips and tricks for you to get back on track.

We’ve all felt the numbing sensation of falling for someone, the tight ball of butterflies in our stomach, the almost drunk-like feeling as you get to know this new person. All these feelings can be explained by the cocktail of chemicals mixed in our brains as we fall in love.

A new relationship boosts our levels of oxytocin, also known as the ‘love hormone’.

Think of this like Amortentia, the powerful love potion in Harry Potter. This chemical makes you irresistibly attracted to the other person, which is why the start of a relationship is the most intense.

Dopamine is mixed into the cocktail, which is the pleasure and reward chemical. A dash of serotonin is added which regulates mood and is associated with happiness.

Love (oxytocin) + Pleasure (dopamine) + Happiness (serotonin) = a pretty powerful neurological love potion and now throw into the mix all the endorphins from sex and BAM! You’ve got a powerful cocktail. If only I could make that into a product, I’d be a rich man.

The best way to describe the feeling of a breakup is that you have been cut off from this cocktail and have begun to feel withdrawals. The supply of these neurotransmitters is halted and the deficit makes us feel anxious, depressed and isolated. To add salt to the wounds, the brain begins to release stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine.

Rather than saying your heart is broken, it is in fact the neurons in your brain that break.

Breakups can be difficult to deal with, especially because they can stir up feelings of rejection, alter your daily routine and make you feel generally upset. The reaction can be worse if it’s unexpected, and sometimes your body may register it as an emergency and go into ‘fight-or-flight’ mode.

An unexpected breakup will cause your body to release hormones that are meant to prepare your body to stay and deal with a threat or to run away to safety. A common symptom is a rapid heartbeat. Your muscles will tense, you’ll lose your appetite and you’ll most likely have trouble falling asleep. You’ll even find it harder to concentrate on anything. Sound familiar?

My first recommendation is to find alternative ways to supply your brain with the chemicals it is craving. This can be spending time with close friends, and remember a video call is a good motivator as you’re forced to get out of bed. Extra points if you have a hot and cold shower to really get the blood circulating.

Opening the blinds for some sunlight and turning on the lights stimulate the pineal gland to stimulate more serotonin and melatonin releasing and is a sure-fire way to feeling and sleeping better.

Rather than hugging your dog non-stop, the key is to find a holistic approach to maintaining your neurological balance. Focus on diet, exercise and regular sleep. These three things, when done in unison and consistently, will make you feel exponentially better.

Steer clear of social media entirely for the first few weeks, or at the very least delete your ex from Facebook and Instagram. You don’t need to see their face anymore! Research has shown that a heartbroken brain is similar to one going through cocaine withdrawal. More contact makes the cravings stronger. You don’t need to see what your ex is up to on Instagram – you need to stop caring about them and care about yourself.

And lastly, don’t drink copious amounts of alcohol. It is a depressant that will worsen your mood.

Maddie & Tae – Die From A Broken Heart (Official Music Video)

Broken heart

Broken heart (also known as a heartbreak or heartache) is a metaphor for the intense emotional stress or pain one feels at experiencing great and deep longing.

The concept is cross-cultural, often cited with reference to unreciprocated or lost love.

Failed romantic love can be extremely painful; sufferers of a broken heart may succumb to depression, anxiety and, in more extreme cases, post-traumatic stress disorder.

What does a broken heart feel like?

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.

How do u heal a broken heart?

Self-care strategies

Give yourself permission to grieve.
Take care of yourself.
Lead the way in letting people know what you need.
Write down what you need (aka the ‘notecard method’)
Go outdoors.
Read self-help books and listen to podcasts.
Try a feel-good activity.
Seek professional help.

What are some signs and symptoms of a broken heart?

Signs and symptoms of broken heart syndrome include:

Sudden, severe chest pain (angina) – a main symptom.
Shortness of breath – a main symptom.
Weakening of the left ventricle of your heart – a main sign.
Fluid in your lungs.
Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias).
Low blood pressure (hypotension).

What causes broken hearts?

Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition that’s often brought on by stressful situations and extreme emotions. The condition can also be triggered by a serious physical illness or surgery. It may also be called stress cardiomyopathy, takotsubo cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome.

How can I get over someone I love?

How To Get Over Someone You Deeply Love

Remember There’s No Time Limit. …
Let Yourself Feel Your Emotions. …
Remove Your Ex From Social Media and Your Phone. …
Remember To Love Yourself. …
Write Down How You Feel. …
Turn Your Energy Into Something Positive. …
Don’t Hold On To Anger And Blame. …
Don’t Torture Yourself.

How do you sleep after a break up?

There are some ways to make the process easier to bear, though. We’ll go through some tips and tricks to help you sleep better after a breakup. These will help you stay as healthy as possible during this stressful time.

Is Broken Heart Syndrome Real?

“You can die of a broken heart — it’s scientific fact — and my heart has been breaking since that very first day we met. I can feel it now, aching deep behind my rib cage the way it does every time we’re together, beating a desperate rhythm: Love me. Love me. Love me.” — Abby McDonald, Getting Over Garrett Delaney

When you think of a broken heart, you may picture a cartoon drawing with a jagged line through it. But a real-life broken heart can actually lead to cardiac consequences. There are established ties between depression, mental health and heart disease. Read on for more information about how an extremely stressful event can have an impact on your heart.

Heart attack and broken heart syndrome: What’s the difference?

Some signs and symptoms of broken heart syndrome differ from those of heart attack. In broken heart syndrome, symptoms occur suddenly after extreme emotional or physical stress. Here are some other differences:

EKG (a test that records the heart’s electric activity) results don’t look the same as the EKG results for a person having a heart attack.
Blood tests show no signs of heart damage.
Tests show no signs of blockages in the coronary arteries.
Tests show ballooning and unusual movement of the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle).
Recovery time is quick, usually within days or weeks (compared with the recovery time of a month or more for a heart attack).

The Practical Guide to Healing a Broken Heart

Heartbreak is a universal experience that comes with intense emotional anguish and distress.

While many people associate a broken heart with the end of a romantic relationship, therapist Jenna Palumbo, LCPC, emphasizes that “grief is complicated.” The death of a loved one, job loss, changing careers, losing a close friend — all of these can leave you brokenhearted and feeling like your world will never be the same.

There’s no way around it: healing a broken heart takes time. But there are things you can do to support yourself through the healing process and protect your emotional wellbeing.

How to Heal a Broken Heart When a Relationship Ends

In real life, relationship woes aren’t usually resolved in two hours like they are on the silver screen, and the stories don’t always have tidy endings.

If you’re trying to come to terms with the end of a relationship, commonly repeated platitudes, adages, and cliches are not likely to be helpful.1 Although people may mean well when they say, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” offering such sentiments doesn’t give you much by way of practical advice for coping with your emotions.

Healing from heartbreak is not the same process for everyone. It may even vary within the same person throughout their life, changing from one relationship to the next.

Ways to Mend a Broken Heart

In the immediate aftermath of a breakup, know that it’s OK to allow yourself time to grieve the loss. You don’t need to jump straight into problem-solving mode—in fact, doing so when you haven’t allowed yourself to fully embody your feelings may make the process more protracted and difficult.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Rule

Try not to view the end of a relationship as a failure. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to learn and grow.2 It doesn’t matter if it was your first relationship or if you’ve had others before. Everyone, whether they’re 15 or 50, can get to know themselves better and work on improving their relationship skills.

Do Take Care of Yourself

Good self-care is emotional, physical, and spiritual. You have your own unique needs in each area, but there are some general acts of self-care that are beneficial for almost everyone, such as a nutritious diet, regular exercise, a social support system, and strategies for coping with stress, to name a few.

Don’t Get Stuck in the Past

We all have the tendency to look back on our lives, or certain relationships, with “rose-colored glasses.” The effect of “rosy retrospection” is that you may refuse to see the problems and only focus on the good parts (which you’re likely to miss).

Sometimes, both the good and bad memories may feel as though they’re playing on an endless loop in your mind. These intrusive thoughts can slow down the process of healing and can be quite distressing.