Everyone who has ever lost a loved one has experienced the feeling of absolute hopelessness that can follow. I remember when my abuelita passed away, my heart was totally broken and I literally fell to the floor in grief. I honestly felt that I might not be that far behind and I know my mother felt the same way.
Was this an overly dramatic reaction? Perhaps–but it turns out that there might actually be scientific evidence that the pain we felt was not just imagined.
A new study has been published by the Mayo clinic that proves that people who are grieving a loved one are 20 times more likely to suffer heart attack. I totally believe this, not only because it's been proven scientifically, but also because I've seen it and felt it firsthand. As a matter of fact, I would take this one step further and say that it is possible for people to die of a broken heart even if they aren't grieving the death of a loved one.
There are many instances in which disappointment, betrayal, anger or resentment can mimic the same feelings of grief you feel when someone passes and probably lead to a higher instance of heart attack.
I have a beloved aunt who passed away just a couple of years ago. It's hard for me to even talk about to this day because her death was incredibly sudden and happened way too early (she was just 55 years old). What hurts most about her passing though is the feeling that it could have possibly been prevented. You see, my Titi lead a complicated life and her son made it all that more difficult. He was in and out of jail from the time he was 16–a pattern that continues to this day. He's struggled with drug addiction and psychological problems. My aunt and family always tried to be there for him, but there finally came a breaking point where she felt like she had to put her foot down, in part, to protect his own children (who she raised from birth).
Shortly after making this decision, she got into a huge fight with her son and later that evening, died of a massive heart attack. I truly believe that my Titi died of a broken heart, and I definitely didn't need a big scientific study to know I was 100% correct.
Do you think people can die of a broken heart?
