𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 ‘𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀’: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸, 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

While the season of love is ending, the pains of the heart could withstand the testament of time. It is in this utmost sorrow that the body wallows in pain—suffering degradation in health.

You might just be Carson, whose seven years of love never got reciprocated by Dio, or Basha and Popoy trying to fix a relationship that keeps on failing both of them, but nonetheless, you need to keep your heart in check lest you die from a heartbreak. 

According to Carlo Ventura, a medical service nurse from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), a person can actually die from heartbreak. It’s not likely, but still possible, primarily due to the latent connection between physical and mental health.

Heartbreak Syndrome

The keyword isn’t love. It’s stress. 

Stress is a normal biological response to physical or emotional tension. The stress hormones trigger a person’s “fight-or-flight” response through the release of adrenaline and cortisol, which helps you respond to pressure.

While short bursts of stress can be helpful for meeting deadlines, long-term stress caused by major life changes like heartbreak can be detrimental to both your physical and mental health.

"Kasi 'yong pagiging heartbroken, isa yan sa pinakamabigat na stress na nagca-cause ng stress sa isang tao. Of course, your emotions are always valid... and nagre-react 'yong katawan mo by releasing 'yong mga stress hormones," Ventura explained.

This is how Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, popularly known as “Broken Heart Syndrome", affects the body of a victim.  Broken Heart Syndrome occurs when a person is swept away by an intense emotion, particularly sadness, where adrenaline is overproduced, causing the heart to beat so fast that it creates an episode similar to a cardiac arrest.

Thankfully, this syndrome is only a temporary heart problem, often accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain. According to Harvard Health, 90% of reported cases are women, from ages 58-75, often misdiagnosed with a heart attack.

It is not fatal and usually heals after a month, so long as the patient does not overexert themselves within the time period. However, Ventura still notes that complications may occur if the patient already has a concurrent heart issue, which can be fatal. 

While there are no direct cases of death due to Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, there are recorded incidents of partners dying after the other, despite being healthy. 

For one, Marcus Ringrose died of a suspected heart attack while delivering his eulogy at the funeral of his wife, Mary Tamm—who once played as Romana, the companion of the doctor in the titular series Doctor Who.

James Callaghan, a former prime minister of the United Kingdom, also died due to kidney and heart failure just 11 days after his wife, Audrey Callaghan, passed away. 

In the Philippines, the concept of dying due to heartbreak is culturally popular, often compared to how lovebirds die shortly after their partners die. An example of this was the death of Rodrigo Sr. and Paulina Benedicto in 2021, with Paulina passing on July 28 and Rodrigo Sr. following on July 31. This is due to extreme feelings of grief that can overload a widow or widower’s mental health, resulting in aggravation of existing health problems. 

This is why Ventura highlights the weight of mental health in surviving a heartbreak.

Mind over heart

For Ventura, it’s all about the mind, “‘Yong stress hormones na ‘yan is nakaka-affect sa performance [ng heart.] Nakaka-complicate [ng issues.] Pero mayroon din sa psychological, ‘yong tinatawag na psychosomatic symptoms. Naapektuhan ng utak ‘yong katawan.”

With psyche meaning “mind”, and soma meaning “body”, psychosomatic aptly refers to how our mind affects our body. 

Students, for example, often experience panic attacks, especially during exam season. In moments of anxiety, the hands become cold, and the body starts to sweat. When the mind perceives something is wrong and panics, the person starts to struggle to breathe and faint.

It is because of the way we perceive stressful moments, such as heartbreak, that affects our body, leading to health problems.

“Hindi ko sinasabing matakot tayo, pero sinasabi kong totoo siya. Hindi natin pwedeng hayaan ‘yong condition natin. Ang masasabi lang natin is lahat naman tayo pagdadaanan ‘yang [heartbreak],” he clarifies. “Ang concern natin is huwag silang mawala sa tamang condition ng mindset.”

He expounds on how the body often reflects the mind, noting that heartbreak health problems are deeply associated with the heart. 

If a person perceives themselves negatively after a rejection, the body might react negatively. This is also similar to how other conditions like body dysmorphia or depression develop. So in this regard, Ventura recommends visiting a psychologist.

"Kasi, once na na nagbago ‘yong mindset ng patient, sinasabi na niya na, break na siya, wala nang pag-asa, pangit na ako. Talagang papangit talaga siya. Papangit yung condition niya," he adds.

Mending the heart

Moving on takes time; that much is true. But a person must receive proper sustenance during these times of struggle, as their body needs to be able to handle stress.

When asked how to handle these kinds of issues, Ventura stresses the need to have a proper diet and a good amount of sleep.  After all, only a strong body could counteract the issue of a feeble mind.

He also emphasized the importance of visiting a psychologist to receive advice and a checkup in case a patient needs to take medications. He specifically advised students to visit the university’s psychology clinic whenever a student feels mentally ill.

Ventura laughingly notes that being brokenhearted is a canon event — an experience each of us is bound to get. While he couldn't help with matters of the heart, he stressed the crucial need to take care of oneself.

So perhaps, the secret to overcoming heartbreak is loving yourself; for only recognizing your own importance could lift you up over any rejections and separations.

Article: Marc Nathaniel Servo

Graphics: Jan Mike Cabangin