Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

When someone you love dies, you are immersed in mourning. So much so that you may feel that you are dying a slow, painful death yourself. It might feel as though your heart is falling apart at the seems. The truth is, you very well might be. There exists a condition known as Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, wherein the brain releases certain chemicals, mainly adrenaline, which in the released dosage will quickly erode the walls and lining of your heart. This can lead to heart irregularities, failure, and even rupture.

This disease is the main reason why the death of one spouse can be the direct cause of the death of the other. While that is the most common occurance, the affliction can also strike the hearts of people who have never known companionship, yet always yearned for it. Hopeless romantics who have sought the joy of love, but have never been fortunate enough to find it. Wallowing in deep depression, self loathing, and angst, they may contract a much slower version of the disease, one that may take many years to finally destroy the heart. This is a blessing, though, because it leaves plenty of time to search for a soul-mate, though it is ironic that the very search for the cure is what causes most of the damage. The truly unlucky, however, will die a slow and painful death, alone and unloved.

So the next time you get shot down by the one you've been pining for, and you feel as though you are wasting away, you should know...

...Your brain agrees with you.