Picture this. You are in love and have been for what seems like a while. This person makes you the happiest you have ever been. The world revolves around you and the moments you share together. Then all of a sudden it’s over. Now you’re hurting so bad you feel the pain lingering through your whole body. With Valentine’s Day around the corner there are many emotions in the air. Some may be feeling the love and some may be feeling the loneliness.
Many have heard of the term “heartbreak” before, but most hear about it well before they ever know what it truly feels like. Saying “my heart is broken” is all fun and games until…it actually breaks.
According to mayoclinic.org, “Heartbreak” is a temporary heart condition that is often brought on by stressful situations and extreme emotions. A student who would like to remain anonymous shares her experience with heartbreak.
“I couldn’t breathe. My heart hurt so much because I never expected it to happen,” she said. “Automatically, my stomach hurt. I was walking to the light rail and it hurt so much, because of the emotional pain.”
Although heartbreak can hurt, it can also be seen as a learning experience. Senior Autumn Gales looks at it as a blessing, because it has helped her with her growth.
“At the moment, I thought the pain would never end. Looking back at it, it was definitely a lesson for both him and I,” Gales said.
Healing a broken heart is easier said than done. Watching movies, listening to music, hanging out with friends to distract yourself, are some coping methods that you can use. But the most important ones are time and focusing on yourself.
“To cope, I kept myself busy with school and after school activities. Then when summer came around, I took care of my mental health and learned to love myself more,” Gales said. “However, I think everyone copes differently because not everyone has the same mental and emotional strength as me.”
Everyone has their own ways of coping and moving on from the experience. People often hold the conviction that females are more vulnerable when faced with heartbreak, meanwhile men just hide their feelings. That stereotype is harmful, because no matter the gender everyone has their own ways and it is a universal thing. Sometimes, people handle it better than others, yet we all feel the pain. Freshman Dylan Sookdeo feels like this is not a one-gender kind of circumstance.
“I feel like this is a universal thing as men and women around the world get their hearts broken every day,” Sookdeo said. Just think about it; someone’s heart is being broken right now.”
Surely, almost all of us have been through an experience where we felt like our heart was breaking. However, it feels better to take this negative experience and turn it into a positive one. Rather than using it as a dark cloud hovering over us as the days pass, use it as an umbrella to help us be careful the next time around. When someone is no longer in your life, it is always their loss. Everyone gets their heart broken and even though in the moment it may feel like you’re going to die, at the end it’s a learning experience; and you are one heartbreak closer to meeting the love of your life.