Dealing with heartbreak changes you and impacts you on a molecular level. This type of pain should never be minimized, even though you can’t see it the way you see bruised skin or a broken bone.

When it comes to the science of heartbreak, you should be fully aware that our brains create stress hormones whenever we get agitated.

When a relationship comes to an end, you are biologically primed to start releasing stress hormones.

Depending on how long you and your partner were together, your bodies started syncing up. Your heartbeats regulated to match each other’s whenever you were asleep together.

Your cortisol levels lined up in the mornings and the evenings. Even your respiration rates sometimes fell into alignment.

When your relationship comes to an end, your body notices it on a subconscious level.

The science of heartbreak is legitimate

Your cortisol levels will spike as you subconsciously start to wonder where your partner is and why you haven’t physically been around them for a while.

Because you’re suddenly alone after spending so much time synced up with someone else, your nervous system will suddenly feel like it’s under attack.

Once your nervous system feels threatened, it makes your heartache feel even worse.

In the worst possible cases, people who are mourning the loss of a relationship will deal with literal “heartbreak disease,” otherwise known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

Therapists are the best help for people dealing with heartbreak

Therapists are fully aware of the way heartache impacts your thought process and physical body! They are the best people to talk to if you’re going through this painful life transition.

You might have tons of friends and family members you can vent to at the drop of a hat, but odds are, they aren’t professionally trained when it comes to responding to some of the heavier emotions you might be feeling.