Researchers concluded that rejection, emotional, and physical pain are all processed in the same regions of the brain.⁠ ⁠ According to author Meghan Laslocky, who has written books about heartbreak, this could be because both the sympathetic and parasympathetic activation systems are triggered simultaneously.⁠ ⁠ The parasympathetic system is the part of your nervous system that handles relaxed functions like digestion and saliva production. It slows the heart rate and breathing. The sympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, gets the body ready for action. It’s the “fight or flight” response that sends hormones rushing through the body to increase heart rate and wake up your muscles. When both are turned on simultaneously, it stands to reason that the body would experience discomfort — possibly even chest pains.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ #breakup #emotionalpain #heartbreak #science #biology