“Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell.” – Joan Crawford
Love, when all goes well, feels wonderful and exhilarating but romance is always a rocky road that can sometimes lead you astray. Maybe the one you love isn’t aware of your feelings and you might not have found the courage to tell them.
Or maybe you’ve been burned with rejection and that’s making you afraid to confess. Perhaps, the person you’ve fallen for isn’t the one you can get.
Any kind of romantic situation, like an unexpected breakup, can make you experience emotional or psychological distress. When your love (unrequited or not) causes you to experience depression, longing, and heartache with the potential to disturb your daily life as well as your mental, emotional, or physical health, then we can term this as being lovesick.
But what does it mean to be lovesick? Is it an illness? Or just another to describe heartache?
Let’s find out!
What Is Being Lovesick?
While the term “lovesickness” or “being lovesick” isn’t recognized as a mental health condition, it can be described as a biological response. When you are lovesick, you’re constantly consumed by feelings of yearning or longing for someone.
In other words, being lovesick refers to all the unpleasant feelings and aspects that come with loving someone. You can feel lovesick from various situations, including:
When you’re grieving the loss of a partner (due to death, divorce, or separation)
When you’re unable to emotionally connect with someone
When you experience unrequited feelings for someone
When you miss your partner
When you’re longing to experience love, in general
Lovesickness symptoms typically follow the initial positive symptoms of love such as excitement, lust, or euphoria. Feeling lovesick can make you experience jealousy, impulsive feelings, unhealthy attachment, etc.
Is The Term “Lovesickness” New?
Nope! Lovesickness isn’t a new term! This term can date back to the middle ages, albeit with different names. You can find the description of lovesickness in medical texts and literature ranging from Greek philosophy to literary works of classical authors such as William Shakespeare and Jane Austen.
The concept of lovesickness can be traced back to Hippocrates who believed that, like any other illness, being lovesick is real and can result from an imbalance of the four bodily humors.
Interesting Fact: Ever heard that someone died of a broken heart? Well, did you know it was believed that if left untreated, lovesickness could cause one to die?
Something to think about… right?
Signs You’re Lovesick!
In so many centuries, lovesickness has gone through many name changes but the symptoms of lovesickness haven’t!
Lovesickness symptoms can be:
Insomnia or trouble sleeping
Changes in appetite
Restlessness
Having a fever
Racing heart
Rapid breathing
Dizziness
Chest pain
Headaches
Nausea
Being constantly on the verge of tears
Frequent mood changes
In the case of lovesickness, you may experience feelings that may range from longing to frustration and from anger to anxiety. Sometimes, you may even experience hopelessness, nervousness, and despair.
Is Lovesick Real?
Well, being lovesick can make you feel like you’re coming down with the flu. For example, one of the symptoms of lovesickness is running a fever, thus making you feel “sick with love”. But, love can’t make you sick, not really.
The hormones related to love and heartbreak, namely cortisol, can prompt physiological symptoms that can affect your overall health.
When you experience changes in sleep patterns, appetite, or dehydration, you can begin to feel physically sick. While other symptoms like melancholy and irritability can affect your daily performance and other relationships.
Lovesickness can also make it difficult for you to get over someone after an unexpected breakup or separation. When you can’t move on from a relationship, it can cause feelings of depression and even cause thoughts of suicide in some cases.
Lovesickness can increase feelings of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and ruminating thoughts. Some people, in an attempt to rid these feelings, might engage in compulsive behaviors or other unhealthy avoidance behaviors.
Feeling Lovesick Or Lovestruck?
I’ve seen many people use “being lovesick” interchangeably with “being lovestruck” but there’s a difference between these terms. Being love-struck means falling in love with someone very quickly while being lovesick is when you feel sad or depressed because you’re not with the person you love.
How To Cure Lovesickness?
Yes! Lovesickness is a temporary illness that can be cured with time and employing the right steps. To ease your healing, here are some self-help tips you can try:
1. Turn To Expressive Arts
You can turn your heartache and lovesickness into expressive arts. You can paint your emotions, sculpt your feelings, write your thoughts into poetry, and so much more! Expressive arts can help you express the difficult emotions inside your heart.
2. Music Helps Heal
Cheery, feel-good music can help you feel better but listen to music when you feel melancholy. Did you know that music can lift your mood and improve your mental as well as emotional health? Well, go listen to some uplifting music!
3. Explore Your Boundaries
Healing means giving yourself some space as well. Set some boundaries and adhere to them. You’ll want to text them, call them, follow them on social media but here you need to be firm with yourself and avoid these situations.
4. Give Yourself Time
You might not feel like taking care of yourself but give yourself time. Don’t force yourself to feel better. If you don’t feel like eating full meals, try to eat in small intervals. Try to go to bed at the same time every night. Meditate or go for a walk in the park. Just take one day at a time.
5. Distract Your Mind
Exercise, engage in DIY crafts, pursue your hobby. There are so many positive distractions around you, look for them! A feel-good movie or a lighthearted read can help you cope with your feelings of lovesickness.
Writer’s Thoughts
If your lovesickness is getting in the way of your performance at school or your productivity at work, then you can try seeking help from a mental health professional. Therapy can help you understand the source of your feelings, understand your thought process, process your feelings, and come up with creative solutions.
Repressed or unresolved feelings can be easily triggered and can put you back firmly into square one. It’s better not to bottle up your feelings but let them out. Talk about your feelings with someone you trust.
Remember, lovesickness can be cured but only if you give yourself time and remain compassionate towards yourself.
If you’d like to connect with a professional you can contact us at info@calmsage.com or click on the link below. With trained and licensed therapists, BetterHelp can help you take the first step towards your healing journey!
I hope this blog helped you understand what it means to be lovesick and how to deal with lovesickness.
Have you ever been lovesick before? How did you cure lovesickness? Let us know in the comments below!
Take Care!
The post Is Lovesickness Real? Here Are The Signs Of Being LoveSick (And How You Can Cure It) appeared first on Calm Sage – Your Guide to Mental and Emotional Well-being.