What Is a Broken Heart?
Recently I had a patient who saw me in my cardiolgy practice who had recently suffered a heart attack. She was a 58 year old woman, thin, with auburn hair and fine thready streaks of gray.
Although she possessed some minor risk factors for heart diease, her mother had passed away just a year ago and three weeks before her heart attack her husband had died.
She was certain that her intense grief had helped cause her heart attack. And I agreed with her.
It's well know that our emotions can help to cause actual heart disease. It got me thinking about "Broken Hearts." Although people often think of love relationships going sour as the cause of broken hearts, I think of "Broken Hearts" as hearts damaged by more than love relationships.
I believe that hearts are cracked and strained by many things. Loneliness, anger, fear, anxiety and many other challenging life problems can injure hearts in such a way as to be considered "broken."
My own experience with thousands of heart patients has confirmed this idea.
I once had a patient whose only risk factor for having a major heart attack was having his dog die. I've seen anxiety cause irregular heart rhythms, and have witnessed a man dying suddenly because of a violent argument.
Hearts get twisted and stretched to such a degree that their inner support starts to creak and tremble. Eventually something inside snaps and real disease happens.
Thomas Moore writes about a "dark nights of the soul": he says,"most people go through a period of sadness, trial, loss, frustration, or failure that is so disturbing and long-lasting that it can be called a dark night of the soul." He suggests that these periods of trail are not just issues to be overcome, but rather may be gifts for personal growth and transformation.
Thomas Moore's description of "Dark Nights"- equates with the idea of a broken heart.
A "Broken Heart" doesn't always have to be a bad thing. It can be the catalyst for growth and inner freedom.
take care,
Kirk Laman, D.O.
www.drlaman.com
Although she possessed some minor risk factors for heart diease, her mother had passed away just a year ago and three weeks before her heart attack her husband had died.
She was certain that her intense grief had helped cause her heart attack. And I agreed with her.
It's well know that our emotions can help to cause actual heart disease. It got me thinking about "Broken Hearts." Although people often think of love relationships going sour as the cause of broken hearts, I think of "Broken Hearts" as hearts damaged by more than love relationships.
I believe that hearts are cracked and strained by many things. Loneliness, anger, fear, anxiety and many other challenging life problems can injure hearts in such a way as to be considered "broken."
My own experience with thousands of heart patients has confirmed this idea.
I once had a patient whose only risk factor for having a major heart attack was having his dog die. I've seen anxiety cause irregular heart rhythms, and have witnessed a man dying suddenly because of a violent argument.
Hearts get twisted and stretched to such a degree that their inner support starts to creak and tremble. Eventually something inside snaps and real disease happens.
Thomas Moore writes about a "dark nights of the soul": he says,"most people go through a period of sadness, trial, loss, frustration, or failure that is so disturbing and long-lasting that it can be called a dark night of the soul." He suggests that these periods of trail are not just issues to be overcome, but rather may be gifts for personal growth and transformation.
Thomas Moore's description of "Dark Nights"- equates with the idea of a broken heart.
A "Broken Heart" doesn't always have to be a bad thing. It can be the catalyst for growth and inner freedom.
take care,
Kirk Laman, D.O.
www.drlaman.com
posted by Dr. Kirk Laman at 10:26 AM
2 Comments:
thanks for the info. It's two weeks since my Border Collie died. I've had dogs and cats before, but I've never felt grief like this. We were soul mates. I will get through this.
no prescription viagra side effects of viagra recreational viagra use viagra faq recreational viagra use buy viagra in london england how to buy viagra viagra paypal how does viagra work viagra jokes viagra substitute female use of viagra viagra sample viagra online uk
Post a Comment
<< Home