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What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?
By Dianne Hart Pettis, MS,
FNP-BC
The Truth Contributor
Can you really die of
a broken heart? Well, yes and no. Usually when we talk about
a broken heart, we’re talking about some form of grief –
sadness, anger, loneliness, and rejection. These are all
powerful emotions, and they also have a powerfully negative
affect on the body, especially the heart and immune systems.
Studies have shown
that people who have lost loved ones through death tend to
have more heart-related illnesses than those who have not
experienced the death of someone close. A study by Elizabeth
Motofosky and her colleagues studied
heart attack patients, and found that the majority had lost
someone to death in the recent past.
They were 21 times as
likely to have a heart attack the next day, and six times as
likely to have a heart attack in the next week. The risk
goes down with time, though.
The loss isn’t always
related to death. It can come from a breakup (one you
didn’t want or didn’t see coming), divorce, abuse, loss of a
job, or rejection. Those are traumatic events that wreak
havoc on the entire body. It’s been shown also that many
people tend to develop serious illness, tumors, cancers, or
autoimmune diseases. The body just “falls apart”.
I’ve seen it in many
patients, and even experienced it myself. If you have an
ailment, think back to when it first started. Many people
can tell me of a major traumatic even that occurred in the
previous three to six months.
Why does this occur?
First, let’s look at the “Broken Heart.” This is an actual
syndrome with the official name of Stress Cardiomyopathy. It
mostly affects post-menopausal women. The symptoms mimic a
heart attack; chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart
muscle weakness. The symptoms start shortly after a
traumatic, emotionally-charged event. There is a rush of
signals from the brain to the adrenal glands.
This, in turn causes
a release of stress hormones that affect the heart muscles
and cause them to malfunction. It rarely causes death or
permanent damage. With a heart attack, there is heart and
blood vessel damage that leads to blockage and tissue death
in the diseased heart.
As for the rest of
the body; all that grief, sadness and anger trigger the
Autonomic Nervous System (the Fight-or-Flight System) to
release those raging stress hormones meant to get you back
on track. The well-meaning chemicals that are released
damage the immune system, increase blood pressure and heart
rate, cause inflammation and damage to the cells, cause
increased blood clot formation, and cause destructive
behavior changes.
You don’t eat well,
you can’t sleep, you can’t focus, and you are more
accident-prone. When all this goes on for a period of time,
the body can’t keep up the good fight and illness occurs.
We all experience
trauma if we live long enough, but if we work with our
bodies, and treat ourselves gently as we get through the
going through, we can more easily get back on track.
Remember: This too shall pass.
In the meantime, be
mindful of what you put into your body – go for good
nutrition and avoid destructive substances. Work on getting
sleep and rest. Exercise regularly. Manage stress with
relaxing activities. Avoid isolation. Get professional and
spiritual help if the dark days seem to drag on.
And one more tip:
break the habit of saying, “It breaks my heart…” or “I’m
heart-broken!” Your words are powerful and your body hears
everything you say.
Dianne Hart Pettis, MS, FNP-BC
Family Nurse Practitioner
724-375-7519
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