BBC World Service Online

The Why Factor

Documentaries

Factual

The Why Factor  logo

The extraordinary and hidden histories behind everyday objects and actions

The Why Factor: Why do we feel heartbreak?

Why Do We Feel Heartbreak?

03/09/2018 GMT

Why do we feel heartbreak?

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Why do we feel heartbreak?

We take a look at heartbreak and discuss why we suffer pain when a relationship ends.

Love is a powerful emotion and can lead us to go to extremes for the people we care about. But when that relationship breaks down, why do we feel such pain?

Heartbreak after love lost has been written about for generations. Who can forget the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet? Or how Rose lost Jack in Titanic? Some of our favourite songs were inspired by heartbreak and as most of us have felt heartbreak in one form or another, relating to their words comes easy. But what causes these feelings? Is it all a figment of our imagination prompted by our society and culture or is there more to it than that? Can we fall sick or even die from a broken heart? And what does science have to say about it? 



(Photo: Broken Heart. Credit: Getty Images)

BBC World Service

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Why Factor

Why do we feel heartbreak?

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service