3 Ways Your Brain Is Impacted By Heartbreak

1) EMOTIONAL PAIN FEELS LIKE PHYSICAL PAIN. Heartbreak activates similar mechanisms in the brain to those activated when we experience physical pain MRI studies of heartbroken people shows. The emotional pain people experienced, in some studies, was rated as equivalent to "nearly unbearable" physical pain. The pain of heartbreak can linger for days, weeks, and even months. Because of this, the suffering heartbreak causes can be so extreme. 2) WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS Heartbreak, studies have found, activates the same mechanisms in the brain that get activated when addicts are withdrawing from substances like cocaine and opioids. Our ability to think, focus and function in the broadest terms are impacted by these powerful withdrawal symptoms from the loss of love. 3) INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS THAT KEEP US STUCK Our brain will generate intrusive thoughts of our ex that invade our thoughts without warning when our heart is broken. It may be a snippet of conversation, a memory, a mental image of the partner or some other reminder, It interrupts us, reopens our wound, reactivates our emotional pain and triggers our withdrawal symptoms each times such a though appears. Psychology Today Guy Winch PH.D The Squeaky Wheel