5 Things Your Body Goes Through After a Break-up

Break-ups aren’t a walk in the park. We all know there’s a painful emotional process to go through, but don’t forget about your body. A break-up is more than emotions; it also has physical side effects as well. By knowing what happens, you’ll be able to better connect with yourself and choose the right self-care for your body, mind, and soul. So, you’re going to find out what your body goes through after a break-up?

You may feel Broken Heart Syndrome

Who knew broken hearts could cause a medical condition called the Broken Heart Syndrome? Well, this isn’t a joke. Yes, it’s a real condition. Broken Heart Syndrome is a condition that occurs when the heart of the person temporarily enlarges and decreases in pumping, while the rest of the heart functions as normal. This leads to short-term heart muscle failure. I repeat, short-term. You will recover from this if you happen to get this condition.

You may experience situational depression

Going through a break-up is emotionally very difficult. This is why many people who experience a break-up see a change in their sleeping routines, eating habits, and overall motivation. They’re experiencing a decrease in serotonin production -— a feel-good chemical — and when there’s a lack of serotonin produced in the body, it can cause situational depression, which have symptoms similar to a major depressive episode. The only difference is situational depression has a shorter lifespan.

Your blood pressure many increase

Don’t forget about your blood pressure. Thanks to this pesky stress hormone called Cortisol, it can do some damage to the body when we’re going through a stressful period. Cortisol, also known as the ‘fight or flight’ hormone and is released when the body is fighting for survival. In this case, it’s released due to the emotional and physical stress of the break-up.

You may experience withdrawal symptoms

When you’re in a relationship and in love, the brain releases happy hormones like oxytocin and dopamine. These hormones have you feeling happy and relaxed. However, when you go through a break-up, the brain experiences massive withdrawals of these hormones. And this withdrawal is similar to quitting drugs. People who are going through a break-up can experience around six months of withdrawal symptoms.

You may have skin outbreaks

You may not want everyone to know you’re going through a hard time, but your skin may be the one who lets everyone know. One common side-effect from break-ups includes acne and rashes. This contributes to the increase of cortisol levels in your body. Cortisol levels increase when your body is under stress. A study from Wake Forest University found that participants who broke out during stressful times were over 20 percent.

Now, you know what happens to the body and mind after a break-up. If you’re feeling any of these symptoms, but this is what your body goes through after a break-up While you’re going through this experience, reflect on yourself, and see how you’re reacting to the break-up. This will help you learn more about yourself during times under extreme stress.