Psychologist Şule Ataş: brain treats breakup pain like physical injury

Clinical psychologist Şule Ataş explains that the brain does not fully separate physical and emotional pain. The same neural regions activated by a cut finger or other bodily injury also light up during intense romantic heartbreak, which can produce physical symptoms such as throat tightness, stomach discomfort, insomnia, loss of appetite and a feeling of burning.

She notes that the intensity of the pain is shaped not only by the separation itself but also by the thoughts that follow, such as beliefs that one will never be happy again. Following a breakup, monitoring an ex‑partner on social media can delay recovery, while coping mechanisms like alcohol, binge eating or compulsive shopping do not resolve the underlying distress. The aim, she says, is to understand the experience, allow the mind time for a grieving process, and emerge stronger rather than simply trying to erase the pain.