Getting Over a ‘Heartbreak’ – the ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’

If the broken heart is not ‘mended,’ it can lead to a long-term fear of commitment.

‘Heartbreak’ is perhaps one of the most universally established terms for conveying distress.

We throw that word around for different situations – as a substitute for a dish gone wrong in the kitchen, by fans to emphasise the frustration when your team loses, by parents to underline the anger of disappointing results, and of course, to symbolise the emotional pain of a recently ended relationship.

In Medicine, ‘Broken heart syndrome’ refers to a form of ‘Stress Induced Cardiomyopathy’, which is accompanied by sudden, intense chest pain — the reaction to a surge of stress hormones.