Breaking up for any reason is mostly bad and usually extremely painful. While there are numerous ways to overcome the loss of your loved ones as advised by psychologists, there are some astounding scientific facts that prove that a breakup can physically manifest as much pain as an external wound or injury would. Some amazing scientific findings about breakups are as follows:
Activation of pain centers in the brain
When a breakup happens or you face rejection, the pain centers, mainly the insula and anterior cingulate cortex get activated in the brain and that is the reason why breakups and rejections become so painful to bear. There are many studies to prove this fact that a breakup can really inflict physical pain and restlessness, because of the activation of the pain centers. So, while it is all in your mind, it is really there!
It is not the person you miss, it is the dynamic of your relationship that you miss after a breakup
This is a strange scientific phenomenon that 45% of relationships are based on the satisfaction that the partners get being with each other, and this is what they miss when they break apart. It is not the person exactly that you associate a relationship with, but the affection, care, sexual pleasure, and other forms of emotional satisfaction that you derive from a relationship is that you miss more.
Commitment readiness guarantees a sustainable relationship
Studies suggest that different people with different life histories, past relationship details, and their own individual mindsets affect their readiness to commit. But once they are ready to settle down, the relationships can be predicted to have a higher rate of stability and chances of sustainability. A confused mind will only lead to a confused relationship! So, next time start and indulge in a relationship only when you are ready to commit. Meaningless flings can have negative impacts on your mental well-being at the end of the day.
Men mostly look for a post-breakup friendship with their ex-partners
Some studies suggest that men are more prone to look for post-breakup friendships with their ex-partners on the basis of several reasons including: civility, practicality, confusion over unresolved romantic feelings, sexual access, and pragmatism. Women on the other hand are mostly not interested in lingering on with their emotions, which is quite surprising because women are usually more emotionally volatile and at times become more unstable because of various hormonal changes that their bodies experience on a regular basis too.
The pain of a breakup is neuro-chemically real and the placebo effect can help to deal with it
If you believe that you are doing something positive for yourself by breaking up with a partner, you try to make yourself feel good about an otherwise dire situation. While it is a false cry initially, the more you try to have this placebo effect, the more you will start feeling better about it. With the placebo effect, you can activate an area of the midbrain called the periaqueductal gray (PAG) that deals with the modulation of pain-killing chemicals and give a boost to the feel-good neurotransmitters. So, your self-belief and your will help you overcome a breakup.
You start losing yourself after a breakup
It is also a scientifically proven fact that you start losing up your self-concept, a sense that defines ‘you’ and your emotions. Everything starts going haywire as your sense of self-concept gets vulnerable when you lose a partner. It happens because, in a relationship, couples tend to complete each other, and when they lose this sense of completion, changes start occurring in their own perception of themselves. Sometimes people even start losing their self-confidence and self-esteem after a breakup too. Make sure that does not happen with you, though!
Social media accelerates the pain of breaking up
Even if you block or unfollow your ex-partner, you are most likely to feel the pain of a breakup if you do not distance yourself from social media platforms. Various things happening in others’ lives become a bitter reminder of what you had with your partner and what you could have if you had stayed together.
Frequent on and off short-term relationships can have a poorer impact on your mental well-being
If you think that an “on-again and off-again” short-term rocky relationship with your partner can help you and protect you from heartbreak, you are wrong. Because such relationships only cause more disturbance, more emotional vulnerability, poorer communication, and a higher chance of you becoming a target of more pain with low endurance.
Emotional binge-eating and subsequent weight gain may not be a real thing after all!
Media feeds us that the majority of people start binge-eating in order to emotionally satisfy themselves after a breakup. However, this is not as common as they like to portray. Food comfort is definitely a thing, but not everyone starts eating and gaining weight after a breakup. So, it is more like a ‘norm’ that people think happens than it’s actually happening.
Talking about a breakup can be therapeutic
Even if it is initially painful and makes your friends miserable to continue hearing about your breakup story, it is a good practice to keep talking about it. If you shut it all down, your painful feelings may continue to linger for a longer period. However, if you talk it out occasionally, you may start getting over it sooner than later. So, this is a good therapy that can help you a lot in overcoming the loss of your loved one.