There’s nothing quite like the unique pain of heartbreak. While you may know deep down that you will be okay and that these feelings may pass, as they’re happening, it can feel like the end of the world.
The mental toll of knowing you need to start again, get used to no longer having your person be ‘your person’ and that an important era of your life is over is nothing to sniff at.
However, it doesn’t just end at our emotional anguish. According to the hormonal health experts at TRT UK, there are actually physical impacts of heartbreak that are very common but may feel a little concerning at first.
TRT UK said that when your brain is experiencing heartbreak, the part of the brain that interprets physical pain is stirred. Basically, as far as the brain is concerned, when you’re heartbroken, you’re in pain.
The hormone experts added: “When a person realises that they are encountering heartbreak, the body’s hormones immediately shift at speed. The brain believes that it is under threat and signals to the adrenal glands above the kidneys to release the stress hormone cortisol.
“As a result, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, and the body enters its ‘fight or flight’ mode. Fight or flight raises blood pressure and heart rate, causing a spike in blood sugar levels and even suppressing the workings of the body that the brain doesn’t deem vital, for example, digestion.”
When you’re experiencing heartbreak, your body can remain in fight or flight mode for prolonged periods as the brain feels that it’s under constant threat. This can cause ongoing anxiety, frequent shortness of breath and even chest pains.
Some people experience changes in their skin such as Eczema, Psoriasis, and redness of the skin. This is because of the adrenaline constantly circulating the body, causing inflammation. The skin’s glands also produce excess sebum which then clogs the pores, causing breakouts.
While we are all familiar with the term ‘gut feeling’ in relation to a person’s intuition, the feeling of butterflies, nerves and nausea are all tied to what’s happening in the gut.
TRT UK said: “The brain signals to the gut via the Vagus nerve, which sends more signals throughout the body than any other. The gastrointestinal tract aids in telling us that we are on the road to encounter something that we will not like.
“The combination of the two sees that we experience physical gut symptoms and lose our appetite. ”
The habits that you create throughout a relationship quickly become routine. This means that when your relationship breaks down, these habits break down with it. This undoing of our everyday life leaves our bodies craving what they once knew.
TRT UK explained: “In a relationship, your brain engages its reward system and attaches it to your partner. Releasing the feel-good hormones dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin whilst with your partner, these hormones suddenly fall when the relationship breaks down.”
This may leave you feeling physically lost and even craving your ex in a way that mirrors addiction.
Studies taken place in New York showed that when participants were shown images of their former partners, the same part of the brain lit up as those who are addicted to the likes of cocaine. Such dramatic and sudden shifts in hormones lead to a person physically craving their former partner once the relationship is over.
TRT UK recommends taking the following steps to begin to recover from heartbreak:
