Chasing Life The Science Behind a Broken Heart
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Feb 13, 2026 
Yoram Yovell, psychiatrist and neuroscientist who studies emotional pain and attachment. He explains how mental pain overlaps with physical pain. They discuss why separation hurts, when heartbreak can mimic heart problems, chronic emotional pain, medication research, and how social reconnection supports recovery.
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Early Loss Felt Like Crushing Chest Pain
- Yoram Yovell described losing his father to late-diagnosed cancer at 14 as a crushing weight on his chest.
- He said the raw hurt stayed with him for a long time but eased to a small pang over years.
Mental Pain Uses The Body's Alarm System
- Yoram explained mental pain and physical pain share brain circuits and serve as alarm systems.
- He argued acute mental pain signals imminent social loss, driving reconnection behaviors that aid survival.
Separation Distress Is Evolutionary Glue
- Separation distress evolved to keep social mammals close to caregivers and mates.
- Yoram said this lifelong sensitivity explains intense attachments and distress when bonds threaten to break.