At this point, the meaning behind the saying, "It's better to have and lost than never to have loved at all", finds itself in the toilet along with the flowers, love letters and the chocolate hearts. Then, like clockwork, comes the pain. In fact, my dear readers, the emotional course of heartbreak has been paralleled to the stages experienced after the death of a loved one (and often just as intensely).
As one walks the path seemingly less travelled by love, the common emotive phases include at any point:
Can the pain of losing that little love break your heart, literally? Other than the possibility of precipitating a heart attack through severe emotional stress, during which a poor baseline function of the heart is usually already present, an interesting condition has been documented to occur in an otherwise normal heart which has suffered recent loss.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, commonly referred to as "The Broken Heart Syndrome", presents identical to a heart attack and is handled as such up until the point of cardiac catheterisation, where the heart is found to be completely normal other than mild ballooning at the apex of the ventricle.
The mechanism of the syndrome is postulated due to the release of noradrenaline and adrenaline in response to the severe stress of heartache. This is postulated to 'stun' the heart, precipitating the dilation. Echoing the treatment of any heartbreak, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy requires time, not medication, to heal.
"Time heals all wounds" and a broken heart is no different. By allowing sufficient time to heal the hurt of loss, you are able to reflect on your feelings and work through any questions you may have. Talking to others and participating in activities that make you happy is imperative to a smooth transition into being able to 'accept' love again.
When you find yourself ready to expose yourself to potential loss again, you'll know you're healed. You'll see that hazel-eyed hottie across the room from you and feel the old spark return. With a spring in your step, through smiling lips, you ask: "Is this seat taken?"