Breaking Up Is Like Cocaine Withdrawal: Research Shows

For a study recently published in the Journal of Neurophysiology , researchers scanned the brains ofpeople who had recently been dumped. They found the areas of the brain that were activated were the same as in those who are withdrawing from cocaine. Breaking up can be painful, we all know. But now researchers are showing that heartbreak produces many of the same physical symptoms as cocaine withdrawal. The study used MRIs to record thebrain activity of 15 university-aged women and men who had recently been dumped by their long-term partners and who described themselves as still being “absolutely and very intensely in love.”