Chapter 16. Gender, Sexuality and Anti-Oppression
GS.30: Case Study – Anjali and the Science of Heartbreak
Approximate reading time: 3 minutes
Background
Anjali, a 22-year-old university student, recently experienced a difficult breakup. She noticed that the emotional pain was accompanied by physical symptoms like a tight chest and a loss of appetite. Intrigued by her own reactions, Anjali, a psychology major, decided to explore the biochemistry of love and heartbreak for her class project.
Researching her project
Anjali began by researching the role of neurotransmitters in love. She learned that feelings of love are associated with increased levels of oxytocin, vasopressin, dopamine, and serotonin. These chemicals contribute to feelings of happiness, trust, and bonding. Anjali related this to the intense joy and connection she felt in the early stages of her relationship.
Heartbreak and the Brain
Delving deeper, Anjali discovered that romantic love activates the brain’s limbic system, which is also involved in fear and anxiety responses. The physical pain of heartbreak, she found, could be linked to this part of the brain. The vagus nerve, which transmits sensations, plays a role in the emotional intensity experienced during both love and heartbreak.
Conclusion
For her project conclusion, Anjali presented the idea that love, influenced by biochemical processes, has significant mental and physical implications. She proposed further research into how understanding these processes could lead to better mental health strategies and therapies.
Discussion Questions
- How might Anjali’s upbringing have influenced her reaction to the breakup?
- What are the implications of Anjali’s findings for understanding the physical symptoms of heartbreak?
- How could this knowledge of biochemistry be applied in therapeutic settings?
To calculate this time, we used a reading speed of 150 words per minute and then added extra time to account for images and videos. This is just to give you a rough idea of the length of the chapter section. How long it will take you to engage with this chapter will vary greatly depending on all sorts of things (the complexity of the content, your ability to focus, etc).