Is it possible to die of sadness? How to prevent grief burnout

Throughout the history of literature and poetry, hundreds of stories have been told dramas in which one of the characters suffered such affliction after the loss of his being dear what I would die of sadness. However, can this happen in real life?

Grief and sadness do not tend to be clinically valid causes of death, but numerous studies point to the possibility that a healthy person may end up suffering serious heart problems and even death due to great psychological suffering.

• Related article: "85 phrases of sadness and emotional pain"

Relationship between emotional health and heart disease

Studies that try to find different correlations between emotional health and physical diseases, specifically heart diseases, have increased in recent years. Some of this research suggests that in people suffering from moderate or severe depression, this functions as a risk factor when it comes to heart failure.

These studies conclude that the more severe depressive symptoms become, the more the risk of heart disease increases. Therefore,

yes, it is possible to die of sadness if the person does not monitor their symptoms nor does he go for help.

Such is the level of connection that exists between depression and heart problems that the American Heart Association was raised the possibility of including depression in the list of risk factors when suffering a heart accident.

• Related article: "Major Depression: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment"

Dying from sadness?

One of these studies carried out by a group of Norwegian researchers establishes a direct connection between hormonal imbalance, generated by depression, and the different effects that this causes in the heart. According to this work, depression can favor the release of stress hormones, which cause the appearance of inflammatory phenomena or atherosclerosis.

At the same time, other investigations link the experience of a recent duel with the death of the person experiencing it. According to these studies, after the death of the couple, the person is much more susceptible to heart disease or stroke, even going so far as to specify that this risk is much greater between 14 and 18 days after the death of the loved one.

This same study warns of the gloomy perspective after the death of a life partner. Since, despite the fact that the person is healthy, during the grieving process the risk of death from a heart condition increases by 57 percent.

The physical symptoms associated with this grieving process include from irregular heartbeat or racing pulse to atrial fibrillation. These symptoms favor the appearance of heart diseases or accidents, the most common causes being Common of these deaths "by grief" the following are cerebrovascular attacks and dementia.

• You may be interested: "[Grief: coping with the loss of a loved one](/psychology/grieving-coping-loss"

broken heart syndrome

Broken heart syndrome also designated as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or heart-induced cardiomyopathy stress, in a muscle condition of the heart likely to appear after an experience of very emotional stress intense.

This broken heart syndrome can appear in healthy people who did not suffer from any type of previous cardiac alteration. Despite being a bad passenger for the heart muscles, it can become important enough to cause death.

This phenomenon is located within the classification of myopathies, since the weakening of the muscles of the heart causes difficulties in pumping blood, leading the person to suffer from heart failure cardiac.

In broken heart syndrome, this weakening occurs after experiencing an experience with a high emotional charge, such as the death of a loved one.

Approximately 90% of people affected by this disease are elderly women, specifically women from 66 years of age. But it can also occur in men or in younger people who have predisposing factors to it.

• Related article: "Broken Heart Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment"

symptomatology

The list of symptoms associated with broken heart syndrome is very similar to that of a myocardial infarction. These include:

• Pain in the chest area.
• Difficulty breathing.
• hypotension
• Arrhythmia.
• Failures or collapses.

However, these symptoms rarely end the life of the patient. Only in 10% of the cases the patients are at real risk of dying, and are those who present symptoms of severe hypotension, decreased consciousness and pulmonary edema.

Causes

At the moment, the medical and scientific community has not been able to understand the exact cause of this syndrome. Just as it has not been able to find out why it mainly affects women.

The main theory states that a rush of stress-related hormones released into the bloodstream at certain moments that carry a great emotional charge, it can be the cause of this type of myopathy.

This theory details that the abundance of these stress hormones can trigger a contraction of the arteries of the heart; producing ischemia of the heart muscle and causing the symptoms of cardiomyopathy.

The main difference between this syndrome and the rest of myopathies is that, in broken heart syndrome, the arteries are not clogged by atherosclerotic plaques, being the person healthy in all aspects physical.

Also, as discussed on several occasions throughout the article, broken heart syndrome usually occurs after the person experiences a strongly emotional event.

Treatment

There is no established treatment for broken heart syndrome. Usually, the intervention focuses on support aimed at both the psychological symptoms originated after a stressful incident; well as physical symptoms, through administration of diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors recommended for the control of heart failure.

If treated on time, the mortality rate of this type of cardiomyopathies is less than 5%, with the person being fully recovered in approximately two weeks.

Tips to avoid reaching this point

The most important point to keep in mind to avoid reaching the extreme of almost dying, or dying, of grief is to take care of our own mental and emotional health.

Experiencing grief is an empowering experience if done properly and without trying to suppress it. In the case of feeling lost or disoriented, it is necessary to request the help of a psychologist to guide the person through the different stages of this process.

Also, if the person perceives any of the symptoms described above, it is vital It is important that you go to a primary care center to rule out the possibility that the symptoms are develop.