Broken Heart Syndrome

Is caused by severe emotional trauma.

When my son, Emile died the grieving pain I experienced didn't only feel like emotional pain. It felt more like a physical pain in my heart. There were days when I was convinced I was having a heart attack. In the months to come I had heart palpitations and severe anxiety attacks. My doctor took a blood pressure test but it was normal except for my heart rate which was about 120 beats per minute. He attributed this to the anxiety and the shock and trauma I endured with the loss of my son.

broken heart

There is a physical condition called The Broken Heart Syndrome (BHS). We think it is all just a fallacy when hearing about people who die from a broken heart, but this condition has been researched and proven by doctors and scientists. BHS has been written about for many years in Japan, where it is called "octopus trap cardiomyopathy" when the apex of the left ventricle of the heart "balloons" outward in an unusual fashion. Still, until relatively recently it has been poorly recognized in the rest of the world.

BHS is triggered by sudden and extreme emotional trauma like the unexpected death of a loved one, an armed robbery, or domestic abuse. The symptoms are the same as having a massive heart attack, severe pressure-like chest pain, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom. Many people in that instance may suffer severe heart failure. The cause of this is unknown but is linked to the shock that triggers adrenaline after emotional trauma.

If you feel your heart is broken, it may very well be the case.

Namaste