Broken Heart Syndrome: It's Real and It's Rough

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Valentine's Day is not always a candy-coated day of love and romance.

For many who've lost a loved one, suffered a breakup, or are on the brink of separation or divorce, this day is anything but sweet.

The emotional and physical challenges may result in Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, more casually known as Broken Heart Syndrome.

Learning about Broken Heart Syndrome can help you heal from the pain and trauma of love and loss - and make it through emotional calendar events like this.

Facts About Broken Heart Syndrome

• Profound emotional sadness doesn't just weigh heavy on your mind. It significantly impacts your body.

• The depths of being heartbroken lowers your immune system, increases blood pressure and heart rate, and causes significant muscle weakness, just to name a few.

• Stress from heartbreak grief can flood the body with hormones, specifically cortisol, which causes that heavy-achy-feeling you get in your chest area.

• The heartache that comes from lost love can increase the likelihood of a heart attack. In fact, a recent study showed that a person who has a tendency to be depressed and has recently suffered a love trauma was five times more likely to die than a person with depression alone or a heart condition alone.
• Women are 10 times more likely to suffer from Broken Heart Syndrome than men.

Tips for Preventing Broken Heart Syndrome

• Take control. Prepare yourself for the holiday crush that comes from television, radio, online, and print. Limit your exposure to such things if the overblown seasonal attention becomes too much.

• Take stock in knowing that you're not alone in feeling lonely, letdown, or unhappy during this time. Many are quietly suffering through just like you.

• Don't hold in your emotional pain. Studies show that expressing emotions greatly reduces the body's stress response.

• Don't put a time limit on your grief. And don't let others set one for you either. Your healing time for this love trauma is uniquely yours.

• Make sure you tend to your physical needs. Softness, warmth, and touch can be healing. Feed your other senses too — music, scents, and beauty. Don't forget to taste the world.

• Don't ignore chronic aches or pains. Check in with your physician to make sure that you're in good medical health.

• Make sure you eat well, choosing healthy foods to keep you nourished during difficult times.

• Keep a routine sleep schedule. If you require medication to help you with sleeping, or to regulate moods or for cardiac management, don't feel ashamed. You're going through a significantly stressful time.

• A broken heart leaves many people feeling stunned and stuck. Move. Get out of bed. Take a shower. Go for a walk. Feel the sun on your face.

• If you feel fragile, limit your exposure to emotionally driven holiday events. That doesn't mean you should avoid people completely. Decide what social connections will give you support, and which ones may be too taxing.

• Don't forget your spiritual side. Prayer, even meditation, has been shown to comfort a broken heart.

• Above all, remember: A broken heart doesn't make you're unlovable. At this moment in time, you are healing. But remind yourself to be open when love presents itself again.