Contents:
- Medical Video: The Science of Heartbreak
- What happens to the brain when we are broken hearted?
- How do you deal with a healthy broken heart?
Medical Video: The Science of Heartbreak
Have you ever experienced a breakup, rejection in a social environment, or even lost someone you really loved? When experiencing these events, of course you will feel sad, hurt, or even broken hearted. Broken heart is an emotional thing. However, why when you are broken hearted, you also feel physically ill? Isn't physical and psychological different?
When experiencing rejection or experiencing separation from someone who means, each person will experience pain or injury that is psychological. When experiencing separation, there are various reactions that can arise. Starting from disbelief, sadness, crying, to feelings of anger and loneliness.
Apart from feeling sadness, heartbreak and separation can also cause some physical complaints. For example the feeling of tightness in the chest, abdominal pain, dryness on the lips, and weakness like not powered.
What happens to the brain when we are broken hearted?
Feelings of sadness and loss can activate several parts of the human brain. When you feel sad and heartbroken, the activity in the part of our brain called the anterior cingulate cortex - abbreviated as ACC - will increase. Feelings are excluded from the social environment, low self-confidence, and rejection will also trigger ACC activities, especially on the back of the ACC.
ACC is located in the middle wall of the brain and is a very unique part. This is because ACC has emotional functions (ability to manage feelings) as well as cognitive functions (ability to think).
In the human body, there are many recipients of recipient aliases. These receptors function to channel signals that arise due to stimuli or changes that occur in the body. One type of receptor that appears to be abundant in ACC is opioid receptors. These receptors will play a role when you feel happy or sad.
When happy, there will be an increase in work on opioid receptors. Whereas when you are sad there will be a decrease in endogenous opioid receptors, especially μ-opioid receptors (read: mu-opioid). Decreasing the opioid receptor will also cause a decrease in the system reward inside, which makes you feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, the pain received by the opioid receptor will be processed and converted into nervous system activity so that it will bring physical discomfort and pain to the body, not just feeling. This is why you can experience abdominal pain or chest tightness when broken hearted.
How do you deal with a healthy broken heart?
Broken heart will certainly cause deep sadness, especially if the separation is very unexpected. Certainly very difficult formove on and forget about ex-lovers. Here are some tips so you can recover from a haunting heartbreak.
- Don't cover up your feelings. Often, due to experiencing too much sadness, someone tries to lie to themselves and thinks everything is fine. Acknowledge the feelings of sadness and disappointment that you have. Accept it as part of yourself and try to do positive activities that can help forget the sadness.
- Try to write about your sadness, this can be done if you feel uncomfortable sharing stories with friends. Write down every feeling you experience and all of your thoughts so you can feel relieved.
- Maybe separating is indeed the best decision for you and your ex-lover.
- Don't blame yourself for causing the relationship to run out. A good relationship is a commitment from you and your partner, not just yourself. The quality of a relationship is not only the result of yourself, but because of your ex-partner's share too.
- Try to provide yourself with comfort, like eating at your favorite restaurant, reading your favorite books, exercising, and gathering with people nearby.
- Keep doing the routine as usual so you can distract yourself from sadness with a variety of busyness.
- Don't be discouraged, especially if you experience a very bad romance. Don't assume all men or women out there will be the same as your ex. This will make you lose the chance to get the best.
- Don't continue to depend and communicate intensely with the ex. This will make it difficult for you to forget him. You may communicate and make friends with your ex if your emotions are more stable.
- Eliminate bad thoughts to take revenge on your ex due to feelings of sadness or hurt that you experience.
