Neuroscientist Anne Freier was dumped by her great love. And that arrived. She started studying her own symptoms. For example, what was the biological explanation for her crying spells? She found that her grief became more manageable when she got it. And she thinks it might help other heartbroken people. Hence the book with explanations and tips about surviving heartbreak.
Heartbreak affects the same areas of the brain as physical and emotional pain. Such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which is considered the brain’s “alarm system,” the anterior insula, which is responsible for emotional sensitivity and empathy, and the amygdala, that regulates tension. That is, when I burn my hand, the same areas in the brain are activated as when someone leaves me. There are evolutionary reasons for this: we are social creatures, and to survive in the wild we have to work together – homo sapiens beat the saber-toothed tiger better together Our need for security is also the reason why we sleep better at night when we have our partner by our side We can alleviate our heartbreak a little by stimulating certain areas of the brain, for example by actively activating the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of our brain, we can, in a way, talk ourselves out of the pain ten.” Her suggestion: be aware that your grief is caused by processes in your brain. Your own body is responsible for the pain. That helps.
“There are studies that say it’s best to distract yourself and do as much as you can. As long as you don’t have time to think about your ex or reminisce, you’ll feel better, and if I give myself a month For a long time, I may be really over him after that. On the other hand, there are also studies that say that reflection is important. I think the healthiest thing to do is cry first and then try to get over it.”