Corpus Callosum: Behavior
Why Do Hearts Ache After A Breakup?
If you just went through a bad breakup right before Valentine’s Day, this one’s for you.
It’s a universal experience: you meet someone and things are going great. Then one day, maybe after a few months or a few years, it happens. The breakup. Regardless of its form — via text message, phone call, or the local rumor mill — unwanted breakups don’t just emotionally scar us, but they can physically damage us as well.
Most of us have dealt with breakups in our lifetime. Whether we’re blindsided or see them coming from miles away, they’re difficult to deal with. While emotionally traumatizing, unwanted breakups can cause tangible pain to individuals.
A breakup can really burn — literally.
In a study conducted at Columbia University, participants were shown a picture of an ex-partner and asked to think about how they felt during the breakup. Alternatively, they were shown a picture of a close partner and asked to think about the most recent positive experience they had with that person.
Participants also had a hot probe placed on their left arm to elicit sensations of physical pain, which switched between a comfortable level of heat to…
