Dealing with Heartbreak

“The heart will break, but broken live on.” – Lord Byron

Heartbreak is something terrible and unfortunately we all experience it at some times in our life. The feeling of heartbreak usually accompanies us when we lose someone or something we loved, may it be a romantic relationship, friendship, a family member, job or a pet. Whatever the reason maybe, the pain is real and we all want to avoid it. For me personally, I was heartbroken when my dogs were taken away from me. I was really close to them. The first 2 weeks were terrible for me. Though I still can’t get over the fact that they are gone, it was much more difficult when it happened. I couldn’t sleep or eat properly and I just used to cry everytime remembering and seeing everything related to them.

Heartbreak can cause a lot of stress, which can affect us both emotionally and physically. It may take days, weeks, months or even years to recover from it.Heartbreak can even trigger psychological shock, also called emotional shock and acute stress reaction. Emotional shock is when you experience a rush of strong emotions and the corresponding physical reaction in response to a stressful event like heartbreak. Emotional shock doesn’t just cause anxiety and fear but also physical reactions like sleeplessness, racing heart, headache, upset stomach, nausea, shortness of breath, restlessness and lack of energy. It causes both mental and physical exhaustion.

Heartbreak can have serious effects which may immensely affect our daily life. Heartbreak can even lead to mental health disorders like anxiety, chronic stress, depression or even post traumatic stress disorders. If you’re having symptoms like thinking about it all the time , blaming yourself for everything , suicidal thoughts (thinking you can’t live without them) , feeling worthless and unlovable after a breakup from a romantic relationship , avoiding loved ones (friends and family) , stopped enjoying things you used to love , sleeplessness, etc even after a long time of the heartbreaking event, then you may seek help.

DEALING WITH A HEARTBREAK

“Of course! It takes a lot of strength to mend a broken heart. Channelising energies into your work helps, but also to be able to accept situations for what they are instead of questioning them helps immensely.” – Deepika Padukone

It’s not easy to deal with a heartbreak, but it becomes less difficult when you accept it, and decide to take care of yourself, the situation and your life. The saying “time heals everything” is true, but you need motivation, self care and proper emotional support simultaneously.

• Understand and accept your emotions : Do not bottle up your feelings inside and try to carry on a brave face. It’s Okay to feel sad and hurt and it is okay to cry. If we keep on avoiding these emotions, it’ll keep on giving more pain.
• Social and emotional support : surround yourself with positive, understanding and supportive people. Higher the level of social support, lower the level of pain. Spend time with family and friends, who make you feel loved and worthy.
• Vent out (share your emotions) : It’s important to get things off your chest. Talk to a trusted friend or a family member and tell them how you feel. Vent the anger and frustration. It’s good to pour your heart out. If you don’t have that person, then take help of some apps. WeHeal is an amazing app , which helps to anonymously share whatever we are feeling and going through. It is available on android.

You can download it – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weheal.weheal

WeHeal aims at helping people to heal, just as the name suggests. It is an anonymous chat platform where we can share anything that is making us feel heavy and stressed. This app basically provides help to people who are facing some issues and troubles in their life. This app allows you to anonymously share your problems through open letters. The healers who are the users of the app will read them and reply to them. They help you see things through a different perspective and to find solutions. Since the app keeps you anonymous, it becomes easy for you to pour your heart out without the fear of being judged. If you don’t have someone to lean on or share what you’re going through, you can rely to this app. This app allows people to share anything that is troubling them, whether it is related to career, jobs, relationships, or you’re feeling demotivated and confused. Anonymous chat feature will help you to talk personally about your situation.

There are also three inbuilt features which provide you with meditation sessions, happiness quiz that will detect your mood, and a mini game to improve your patience level. There are also short inspirational stories, quotes and experiences written by the users which may encourage you.

• Write it out : write what you’re feeling. It helps you process emotions and think clearly.
• Exercise : Indulge in physical activities. Join sports or go for a walk or a run . Do exercise and yoga. They boost mood and energy.
• Healthy diet : eat a healthy and balanced diet as a good diet boosts immune system and it helps in fighting stress.
• Help others : doing something for others helps boost your self esteem and it also distracts you. Doing good also releases feel-good hormones, which is something you would want right now. So volunteer and find ways to help people. With WeHeal app, you can also help others by replying to their situations and help them find solutions and ways to go through it.
• Don’t blame yourself : it’s not right to blame yourself for everything. Don’t attach negative qualities with yourself. Think and write positive things about yourself.

We all experience heartbreak and it’s important to know how to deal with it. One should never lose hope and belief in oneself. We cannot avoid heartbreak but we can prepare ourself to cope with it.