One of the most painful things that a human being could experience is a heartbreak. A person who has been scarred by this experience can succumb to depression, anxiety, and sometimes, even post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Love and heartbreak often go together. Sometimes, the suffering that comes with the end of a relationship helps us grow. It can force us to slow down, reflect on what happened, and learn to avoid repeating past mistakes. But other times, the suffering just crushes our soul. The pain becomes too much to bear, and it prevents us from moving on with our lives or opening ourselves up to positive relationships.
Thankfully, there are many ways that can help us move on, and one of these is science.
Early this year… a real-life technique for memory modification in response to heartbreak hit the newsstands. The coverage centered on Alain Brunet, a psychiatrist and expert in post-traumatic stress disorder at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. In his lab, Brunet works with victims of what he calls “romantic betrayals.” These can range from harassment by a former lover to sudden abandonment by a long-term partner. He uses a technique known as reconsolidation therapy, which combines a drug-based treatment with practical exercises to change the emotional content of disturbing recollections. “We don’t treat the symptoms,” Brunet says of his method, “we treat the memory.”
Know more about Brunet’s method over at Nautilus.
What are your thoughts about this one?
(Image Credit: Ben_Kerckx/ Pixabay)
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