How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?

“You’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore.” — Taylor Swift

Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash

Have you ever been heartbroken?

If you have, you won’t have to think too long about it. You’ll remember the emotional pain and sadness, perhaps the confusion — certainly the gaping hole of loss.

In therapy, we’re often dealing with heartbreak — the idea that you’re so crushed by sorrow or grief that it feels like your heart has broken inside your chest.

Although heartbreak is often seen as a cliche, science gives it weight. Intense emotional shock, such as the death of a loved one or a relationship breakup , can trigger a rare condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome.”

Your heart muscle suddenly weakens, mimicking a heart attack. It’s more common in women over 50 and, while most recover, it can be fatal. Actress Debbie Reynolds, for example, died the day after her daughter Carrie Fisher, with her son citing heartbreak: “She wanted to be with Carrie, and then she was gone.”

While broken heart syndrome is rare, any grief can impact your health and wellbeing, especially when it’s prolonged. Studies have shown that suffering intense grief can make you more vulnerable to a range of physical…