FB 6I

GUIDED MENTAL HEALTH COMMENTARY

Here we find Eva in a middle-of-the-night video recording, achingly elucidating her heartbreak. Taken out of context, it can parallel many of your own experiences.

Heartbreak is universal.
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Eva looks like she is in physical pain, perhaps because she is. There is research to show that the brain registers the emotional pain of heartbreak in the same way as physical pain. Furthermore, research does tell us that heartbreak causes activation in brain areas similar to addiction and cocaine craving, which may explain the obsessive behaviours associated with heartache.
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In context of her wider recovery process, this clip is a good sign – because it shows her allowing the dam to break, and allowing herself to show, and process the negative emotions of heartbreak and loss.

You can only work through emotions you are willing to feel. Likewise, Eva can only process emotions when she allows herself to bring down her walls.
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This also explains why the first few sessions of therapy are meant to help you bring your walls down, they are meant to make you feel safe enough to acknowledge, and feel, your underlying emotions.

However, one should note: if you are already struggling with other issues before this heartbreak (or if a heartbreak proves difficult to overcome) it might not be helpful to process this on your own.

The key here is to gently, gently, turn the spotlight away from the other person. Instead we can heal by focusing on ourselves. Trauma-based therapy or medicine can help relieve the acute, physical symptoms of heartache - this allows one space to grieve and to move forward with life. Getting help in the grieving process, especially from a professional, would equip you with different tools and healthier coping mechanisms to safely navigate through this crisis.

For Eva, this heartbreak sits on top of her avalanche of different struggles, including depression and suicidal ideation. It is therefore key to take things slowly through the therapeutic process – and understand that recovery is not linear – there will be days where roadblocks feel harder to surmount.

Keep faith, and work through the issues with your therapist and your support system.

(Note that Eva is referring to a character in her story that will appear more than once — watch till the end, we won’t spoil it for you here.)