THE SOLAR ECLIPSE HERALDS NEW BEGINNINGS 20 MARCH 2015

Astrologically generally eclipses are associated with beginnings or endings, in this case a solar eclipse is associated with the beginning of things. I don't profess to be an expert in astrology as my forte is mediumship but I have a working knowledge of it as it helps give me an idea of someone's character. Whatever happens with this solar eclipse it will come as a surprise and planning for it won't make any difference as the new beginning will be unexpected. 

Many people tend to fear eclipses, simply because they often bring about a crisis of sorts that leads to a significant event or change. However, this event or change can be very positive. Personally if you are a positive person you will attract more positive energy towards you. So view this as a positive event, embrace it and be prepared for a new and exciting beginning.

Article below is from the Daily Mail

 

Europe's biggest solar eclipse since 1999 is on its way - and 84 per cent of sunlight could be blocked out over London

• Total solar eclipse set to take place over Europe next month
• London can expect 84% coverage with parts of Scotland reaching 94%
• Total eclipse of the sun will occur in Northern Norway and Faroe Islands
• It will be the biggest event of its kind since 11 August 1999
• Astronomers said there will not be another total eclipse until 2026
• March solar eclipse may cause power supply glitches across Europe
• Solar power is now 10.5% of renewable sources, up from 0.1% in 1999

A solar eclipse is set to block out nearly 90 per cent of sunlight across parts of Europe next month - and it will be the biggest event of its kind in 16 years. 

On 20 March, the moon's orbit will see it travel in front of the sun, casting a shadow over Earth. 

The eclipse will see up to 84 per cent of the sun covered in London - and around 94 per cent in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Meanwhile, electricity system operators have warned the eclipse poses a serious risk of blackouts all over Europe as the continent increasingly relies on solar power.

The path of totality for next month's eclipse will travel from just beneath the Greenland peninsula, heading north into the Arctic Circle. The left-hand animation shows the totality of the 1999 eclipse. The right-hand animation shows how the shadow created by the eclipse on 20 March will travel over Europe

The event is taking place on the morning of 20 March, and a partial eclipse will be visible across Europe, North Africa and Russia for about 90 minutes. 

Northern Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands will experience a full eclipse, known as totality. 

Dr Steve Bell, head of the HM Nautical Almanac Office told MailOnline that Torshavn in the Faroe Islands will see two minutes and two seconds of totality. 

And the maximum duration of totality will be two minutes 47 seconds at a point 186 miles (300km) to the east of Iceland in the Norwegian Sea.

In London, the partial eclipse - when the moon starts touching the sun's edge - will start at 8.45am GMT. The maximum eclipse will hit at 9.31am and this will be the point when the moon is closest to the centre of the sun.

By 10.41am the moon will leave the sun's edge and the partial eclipse will end. 

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The solar eclipse is set to block out nearly 90 per cent of sunlight across parts of Europe next month. On the morning of the 20 March the moon's orbit will see it travel in front of the sun casting a shadow over Earth - and the eclipse will be the biggest event of its kind since 11 August 1999 (pictured over Germany)

This animation is designed to appear from the 'point of view' of the eclipse as it will occur on March 20. It shows the shadow being cast over the UK, Greenland, Europe and into Russia

The path of totality of next month's eclipse travels from just beneath the Greenland peninsula, heading north into the Arctic Circle. 

Totality is the path the full shadow travels across the surface of the Earth, while a partial solar eclipse will be visible over a region thousands of miles wide.

Dr Bell added: 'The path of totality lies well to the northwest of the UK making landfall over the Faroe Islands and Svalbard as totality moves towards the North Pole.

WHAT IS A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE? 

A total solar eclipse is only visible from a certain region on Earth and those who can see it are in the centre of the moon's shadow when it hits Earth. For a total eclipse to take place, the sun, moon and Earth must be in a direct line. The totality of the 11 August 1999 eclipse is shown

An eclipse occurs when one heavenly body, such as a moon or planet, moves into the shadow of another. On Earth there are two types - lunar eclipses and solar eclipses.

Lunar eclipse: For a lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the sun and the moon and blocks sunlight normally reflected by the moon. 

Instead of light hitting the moon’s surface, Earth's shadow falls on it and a lunar eclipse can only happen when the moon is full. 

Solar eclipse: By comparison, a solar eclipse occurs when the orbit of the moon moves it between the sun and Earth. 

A solar eclipse occurs when the orbit of the moon moves it between the sun and Earth. When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun 

When this happens, the moon blocks the light of the sun reaching Earth and the moon casts a shadow on Earth. 

Types of shadow: During a solar eclipse, the moon casts two shadows on Earth.

The first shadow is called the umbra, and this gets smaller as it reaches Earth.

The second shadow is known as the penumbra, and this gets larger as it reaches Earth. 

There are additionally three types of solar eclipses:

Total: A total solar eclipse is only visible from a certain region on Earth and those who can see it are in the centre of the moon's shadow when it hits Earth. 

For a total eclipse to take place, the sun, moon and Earth must be in a direct line.

People standing in the umbra will see a total eclipse and this will occur over the Faroe Islands on 20 March. 

Partial solar eclipse: This occurs when the sun, moon and Earth don't line up exactly.

People standing in the penumbra will see a partial eclipse. 

Annular: An annular eclipse happens when the moon is farthest from Earth. Because the moon is further from Earth, it appears smaller.  

As a result, it doesn't block the entire view of the sun. The moon in front of the sun resembles a dark disk on top of a larger sun-colored disk and creates what looks like a ring around the moon. 

Source: Nasa 

'The UK will see this eclipse as a deep partial eclipse.

'The place that sees the deepest partial eclipse of the sun in the UK is the west coast of the Isle of Lewis close to Aird Uig.

'Here 98 per cent of the sun will be obscured at mid-eclipse at around 9:36am GMT. 

'Skies will darken for any location where the maximum obscuration exceeds 95 per cent which includes north-western Scotland, the Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetland Islands.'   

Solar eclipse hits the United Kingdom in August 1999

The solar eclipse will see up to 84 per cent of the sun covered over London and around 94 per cent in the main cities in Scotland (pictured is a full eclipse over Australia in 2012). Northern Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands will experience a full eclipse for two minutes and nine seconds

The last solar eclipse of a similar size took place on 11 August 1999 and had an eclipse magnitude of 1.029.

An eclipse magnitude is the fraction of the sun’s diameter obscured by the moon. 

It is based on a ratio of diameters and differs from an eclipse obscuration, which is a measure of the sun’s surface area covered by the Moon. 

The value given is taken at the moment when the eclipse is at is maximum. 

The path of the moon's shadow in August 1999 began in the Atlantic Ocean before covering the south of the UK, northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. 

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF 1999 

The last solar eclipse of a similar size took place on 11 August 1999 and had an eclipse magnitude of 1.029.

An eclipse magnitude is the fraction of the sun’s diameter obscured by the moon. 

It is based on a ratio of diameters and differs from an eclipse obscuration, which is a measure of the sun’s surface area covered by the Moon. 

The value given is taken at the moment when the eclipse is at is maximum.  

The maximum of two minutes and 23 seconds of totality for the 1999 eclipse occurred close to Ramnicu Valcea in Romania.

It was said to have been the first total eclipse visible in Europe since 22 July 1990, and the first visible in the UK since 29 June 1927.  

It was said to have been the first total eclipse visible in Europe since 22 July 1990, and the first visible in the UK since 29 June 1927. 

Dr Bell continued: 'In a global context, the maximum duration of totality for next month’s eclipse will exceed the maximum of two minutes and 23 seconds of totality for the 1999 eclipse, which occurred close to Ramnicu Valcea in Romania. 

'This is still quite a long way short of the theoretical maximum duration of totality which can reach seven minutes 31 seconds.' 

There will not be another total eclipse until 2026. 

Tom Kerss, astronomer at The Royal Observatory Greenwich told MailOnline: 'Since the Moon is smaller than the Earth, and very far away, the properly dark shadow it casts will only be about 100 miles wide, and will spend most of its time darkening the chilly waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. 

'However, if the weather is clear, observers on Svalbard and the Faroes should experience almost three minutes of extraordinary day-time darkness.

'What’s more, lunar perigee - the time in the Lunar month when the Earth and Moon are closest together - will occur the evening before the eclipse. 

This makes our 2015 Spring Equinox eclipse a ‘supermoon’ eclipse - perhaps we should call that a supereclipse.

'Since the shadow of the moon will be ever so slightly larger in this scenario, it might appear slightly darker during totality, but in practise I think this would be difficult to detect, even by an experienced eclipse chaser. 

'Nevertheless, it’s nice to have a supermoon, equinox and eclipse all falling on the same day.

'It’ll be well worth taking a look outside to see the two most important astronomical bodies in our lives rising together, and witness the last eclipse to cover so much of the sun from Europe in over a decade.'

Since 1999, the use of solar power in Europe has gone from 0.1 per cent of electricity produced from renewable power sources to 10.5 per cent. 

These four animations illustrate how the eclipse will appear over Rome (top left), Paris (top right), London (bottom left) and the Faroe Islands (bottom right). Reloading the page will replay the animations. They were designed by the HM Nautical Almanac Office and reveal the time of the events and altitudes 

This could mean that transmission networks will have to cope with sharp drops and sudden surges in capacity as the eclipse takes place in the early hours of 20 March.

HOW TO WATCH THE ECLIPSE

Projection: Place a pinhole or small opening in a card, and hold it between the sun and a screen – giant sheet of white paper works – a few feet away.

Filters: The sun can be viewed directly only when using filters specifically designed for this purpose. Such filters have a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver on the surfaces.

Telescopes with solar filters: There are sun-specific telescopes available for sale - or perhaps through a local astronomy club - that are also safe for viewing a partial eclipse. 

'Solar eclipses have happened before but with the increase of installed photovoltaic energy generation, the risk of an incident could be serious without appropriate countermeasures,' European grid company lobby ENTSO-E said.

'Under a clear morning sky on 20 March, some 35,000 megawatts of solar energy, which is the equivalent of nearly 80 medium size conventional generation units, will gradually fade from Europe's electrical system before being gradually re-injected: all in the space of two hours.'

The organisation, which represents 41 electricity transmission system operators (TSOs) from 34 countries across Europe, added that the eclipse poses an unprecedented challenge for grids. 

Continental Europe overall has 87 GW of solar capacity, mainly in Germany, Italy and France.

German solar capacity alone has risen from just a few hundred MW in 2003, when the region last witnessed a major eclipse, to 38,200 MW now. 

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The spread of huge solar arrays across the EU means that more than 10 per cent of the continent’s electricity now comes from solar panels. With power supply so reliant on the sun’s rays, the solar eclipse on 20 March might lead to blackouts. Experts have warned the eclipse poses ‘an unprecedented test for Europe’s system’

Under German renewable laws, solar power takes priority when being fed into the grid to reach consumers.

Germany's four high-voltage power firms, in the heart of Europe, said separately they had commissioned studies on likely scenarios and are currently preparing for an 82 percent loss of sunshine between 08.30am and 11am on the day. 

The eclipse in 1999 saw no great impact on solar power because the industry was still in its infancy.  

...AND THE ECLIPSE COULD CAUSE POWER BLACKOUTS

The eclipse next month could disrupt solar power supplies across Europe, energy experts have warned.

The spread of huge solar arrays across the EU means that more than 10 per cent of the continent’s electricity now comes from solar panels.

With power supply so reliant on the sun’s rays, the solar eclipse on 20 March might lead to blackouts.

Electricity system operators have warned that the eclipse poses ‘an unprecedented test for Europe’s electricity system’.

The European Network Transmission System Operators for Electricity, a group of power supply organisations, said: ‘The risk of incident cannot be completely ruled out.

‘Solar eclipses have happened before but with the increase of installed photovoltaic energy generation, the risk of an incident could be serious without appropriate countermeasures.’

The organisation said it had been planning so-called ‘countermeasures’ for months, with suppliers across Europe set to help balance the load with more energy from other power stations as solar electricity drops off.  

The eclipse is not expected to cause blackouts in Britain because so little of our power comes from solar power.

Despite a boom in British solar arrays in recent years, particularly in southern England, solar power today provides just 1.5 per cent of our electricity needs.

The National Grid said it expected solar power output in Britain to halve from an average March figure of 3,000 megawatts to 1,700 megawatts.

Astrid Brown (Author)

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A BEAUTY PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION "BALANCE SYNAKE VENOM EYE CREAM"

A beauty blog today and I can't rate this highly enough and I don't recommend anything on this site unless I've tried it myself.

In winter I often suffer from eczema around my eyes due to cold winds and drying central heating. The skin around the eyes is very thin and fragile and easily damaged and because of this steroid cream cannot be used in this area. Other creams suitable for eczema are too heavy and would cause puffiness. I had forgotten I'd bought this some months ago and was looking for something to soothe the skin around my eyes and if you suffer from eczema you will know the skin takes on a thickened scaly appearance. Well I tried this I noticed an immediate improvement, the puffiness started to disappear, two days later my skin was no longer dry and scaly and the overall colour around my eyes improved immensely. It can even be patted around the eyes over make up, it's marvellous.

I obtained mine on Amazon but I'm sure you will be able to obtain it elsewhere as well, but here is the link none the less. CLICK HERE

Astrid Brown (Author)

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ANTI-MICROBIAL SILVER A TREATMENT FOR ACNE

Article below is from the Daily Mail and I'm happy to publicise anything that improves the skin of Acne sufferers

 

Woman with such severe acne strangers asked if she'd been in an accident finally has clear skin - and now hopes to find love

• Keeve Angline, 27, developed severe acne at the age of 24

• She felt like a 'monster' and spent 2 hours putting on make-up before work 

• Too insecure to speak to men, she has never had a boyfriend

• One man she tried to chat to asked if she had been in an accident

• Despite trying antibiotics and other medications, nothing cleared her skin

• Her mother stumbled across a silver-containing cream and sent it to her

• She claims this miraculously cleared her skin in a matter of months 

A young woman has spoken of the horror of suffering acne so severe she felt like a 'monster'.

Keeve Angline, 27, from Dublin, felt so unattractive she was too terrified to speak to men, let alone go on a date.

The only time ever she plucked up the courage to talk to a man, he mistakenly asked if she had been in an accident, leaving her in tears.

'The night before, in a fit of anger that my acne would not go no matter what I did, I had scrubbed my face viciously with one of those cleansing mitts ,' she told MailOnline.

'The scrubbing meant I had removed several top layers of skin and the next day my skin looked burned with infected acne on top.' 

Scroll down for video 

Keeve Angline, 27, developed severe acne at age 24, which left her feeling like a 'monster' and too shy to talk to men, let alone go on a date. She would wake up two hours early every day in order to put on make up and pluck up the courage to go to work. She would go to the gym at 2am in case anyone saw her bare faced

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After discovering a cream made of anti-microbial silver, which acts as an anti-bacterial agent, Miss Angline claims her skin cleared up dramatically. This has changed her life and given her more confidence, she says 

For years, she tried different medications and antibiotics, which left her skin dry, flaky and sensitive to sunburn.

Desperately unhappy, once she tried to scrub off her acne with a wire exfoliating mitt and ended up removing half the skin on the side of her face.

She had also tried traditional methods of clearing her skin, such as going on the Pill, or taking antibiotics.

But, despite years of medication, nothing had worked.

The antibiotics left her feeling ill and one of the topical treatments, benzoyle peroxide left her skin hypersensitive to sunlight.

After reaching the point of despair, her mother saw an advert for silver serum, a cream containing the anti-bacterial agent anti-microbial silver.

Dubious at first, within a few months of applying the cream her skin had cleared, and she is now confident enough to go to the pub with friends – some of whom are male – after work.

While she still feels nervous around men, she now feels confident enough to approach and talk to them, and hopes to find love.

Miss Angline, who works as a make-up artist, told MailOnline: 'Since becoming an adult I have never had a relationship.

'The problem was when I began working my acne got even worse. It was probably the stress but by the time I was 24 my acne was horrific.

'As a result, my confidence about dating men completely disappeared.

'I became too insecure to even get beyond that initial conversation with a man.

Now she is able to wear make up without being in pain, and even goes to the pub with friends after work on a Friday nigh

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Despite trying years of treatments including the contraceptive pill and oral and topical antibiotics, nothing had worked to clear Miss Angline's skin (left). She had reached the point of despair when she discovered the Silver Serum cream that worked (right)

What is the best skin care regimen to prevent acne

'I found it too painful to try and start the whole process of going on a date, I was too worried that he'd be looking at my skin.

'When I looked in the mirror at myself all I saw was a monster, I assumed men saw the same thing.'

Her friends would point out men who were approaching, but she would stare at the ground, too nervous to talk to them.

'I always thought to myself that there were so many beautiful women around with perfect skin, why would any guy ever want to talk to me?' she said.

And the few experiences she had of trying to talk to men did not go well.

'Earlier this year I plucked up the courage to try and get chatting to a guy at work.

I was so desperate, I tried to scrub off my acne with a wire exfoliating mitt and ended up removing half the skin on my face

'We chatted for about ten minutes and it was going well and then he asked me if I had been in an accident as he said my face was all swollen and raw on one side.

'I hadn't been in an accident of course, it was my acne. I was so mortified that I made an excuse to leave work and went home and cried.'

It wasn't only her love life that was affected by her skin.

She couldn't go to the gym during normal hours for fear of her make up running off.

She went at strange times like 2am in the morning so there was no-one there to see her bare face.

Last summer she was going to a festival with friends where they planned on camping for three days.

Before they left, her friends excitedly mentioned they knew some guys who they might be meeting to camp with.

But this caused Miss Angline to panic.

'As soon as they mentioned this, I freaked out,' she said. 

Miss Angline's skin was once so bad she cancelled a holiday to Berlin as she couldn't face the trip. She also paid for a hotel while her friends camped at a festival, as she was terrified of waking up without make up on and boys seeing her face

'The thought of guys seeing me without make up scared me so much that I ended up forking out and stayed in a hotel.

'My friends camped and had a wonderful time, and each day, I made the long trek back and forth to the hotel. It cost me a fortune in taxis - and everyone just thought I was weird.'

Another time, she even cancelled a holiday to Berlin that she had already paid for.

'My skin was so bad I just couldn't face the trip,' she said.

If she went on holiday with friends, she would sit under a blanked for fear of getting burnt.

'One time on St Patricks Day in 2012 I went out in the sun for half an hour and when I got home my skin was blistered due to the sun burn,' she recalls.

'Even water burned my face it was so sensitive and sore.

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Now her skin is clear, Miss Angline has tried surfing, something she always wanted to do but couldn't before as the sea would have washed away her make up.

'I also couldn't wear contact lenses, my lips were constantly chapped. Acne isn't just skin deep. It affects you at every level, inside and out.'

Wearing make-up was agony, as her skin was so sensitive, but she didn't feel confident enough to leave the house without it, waking up two hours early every day to slather it on.

'I simply learnt to bear the pain,' she said.

'As a makeup artist I specialise in covering up people's flaws but no matter how much make up I put on myself I always see my flaws poking through.'

I also couldn't wear contact lenses, my lips were constantly chapped. Acne isn't just skin deep. It affects you at every level, inside and out

The crunch point came when her dermatologist suggested she tried RoAccutane, a treatment for severe acne that is highly effective but has been linked with a number of side-effects, including mental health issues.

She said: 'I had been prescribed so many pills and drugs over the years that this was the final straw. 

'I knew the effects of RoAccutane and I was shocked that I was being recommended to take it, especially as my self-esteem was already very low.

'Instead of feeling helpless I suddenly felt angry that I was being fobbed off with stronger and stronger medications.' 

'I took the very hard decision to stop seeing my dermatologist and decided to begin finding my own solution to beating my acne.' 

However, as soon as she stopped taking the medication her skin broke out in the worst acne flare up she had ever experienced. 

She took a holiday from work, stopped putting products oN her skin and stayed in her house researching acne on the internet. 

For a week, she didn't see friends or leave the house. 

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While she is still single, she doesn't feel like a monster anymore, and is building up her confidence, hoping to start dating and eventually have a boyfriend. She is pictured (left and right) after her skin cleared

'I was in complete despair and I didn't know how I was going to face the world,' she said. 

Just as she began to wonder how she would cope, her mother called and said she'd seen an article on a product called Silver Serum. 

Silver Serum contains anti-microbial silver, an anti-bacterial agent used in the NHS in medical dressings to treat infected skin ulcers.

Its manufacturers claim it works on acne by destroying bad skin bacteria that causes acne - while crucially preserving good skin bacteria that helps keep skin strong and fights infection. 

Worried about her daughter, Miss Angline's mother had already ordered it and it arrived the next day. 

She claims her skin felt calmer initially, and the product didn't sting her skin as others did. After a month of using the product, her spots began to clear. 

She said: 'The deep cysts that never cleared up started receding. 

'I was able to return to work after a week and face people as my skin had improved enough for me to feel just about confident enough to leave the house.

'I was also able to wear makeup without it stinging if I put the Silver Serum on first. 

'Within two months my skin was completely clear. 

She says her skin becoming clear has changed her life.

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Silver Serum contains anti-microbial silver, an anti-bacterial agent used in the NHS in medical dressings to treat infected skin ulcers. Its manufacturers claim it works on acne by destroying bad skin bacteria that causes acne - while crucially preserving good skin bacteria. Miss Angline is pictured after using the cream

She said: 'I can now go to the gym in normal hours, instead of at weird early hours of the morning.

'I don't have to wake up two hours in advance to make up my face and coach myself to pluck up the courage to leave for work in the morning.

'I never used to swim in the sea or in the pool on summer holidays as I was so worried about my makeup coming off 

'Since my skin has cleared I recently started surfing lesson as I have always wanted to learn how to surf.' 

While she is still single, she doesn't feel like a monster anymore, and is building up her confidence, hoping to start dating and eventually have a boyfriend. 

She said: 'I now actually go to pub on a Friday night with friends (some of them men) from work. I would never have done that six months ago. 

'I now speak to guys and I've even managed to flirt a bit. 

'Its early days but I feel confident that I'll meet someone soon. 

'I'm planning to go all the parties this year. I have my fingers crossed that maybe I'll meet someone.'

WHAT IS ANTI-MICROBIAL SILVER AND HOW DOES IT HELP ACNE? 

Silver is a well known anti-bacterial agent

Silver Serum contains anti-microbial silver, a well known anti-bacterial agent.

Silver is used in by the NHS in some medical dressing for treating infected skin ulcers. 

It is also used by NASA for keeping water supplies for crew members free from bacteria while in space.

Manufacturers claim Silver Serum works on acne by destroying ‘bad’ acne-causing bacteria.

However it also preserves ‘good’ skin bacteria that helps keep skin strong and fights infection, they say.

Normal anti-bacterial agents for acne penetrate all levels of the epidermis killing all skin bacteria, both good and bad.

This is much in the same way that antibiotics kill all bacteria in the body, both good and bad.

This leaves the skin stripped of all protection and makes it much more vulnerable to future infections, according to Silver Serum's manufacturers.

It is claimed the anti-microbial silver in the product kills the ‘bad’ bacteria that enters the skin via the open skin pore immediately.

The the good skin bacteria breeding at the base of the hair shaft remains intact and multiplies, making the skin stronger and better prepared to fight off infection on the next acne outbreak, they say.

For more information visit the Skin Shop website. 

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IS THERE SUCH A THING AS A BROKEN HEART?

The answer; yes indeed there is. A broken heart causes real pain, not just mental and emotional pain but it manifests in physical pain too as the article from the Daily Mail below explains. We are holistic beings our spirit, our emotions and our physical well being are intertwined. Believe me I understand I've been there the pain isn't just like a physical pain for I wish it was as that is easier to deal with and most people understand and can sympathise with physical pain not everyone understands nor sympathises with emotional pain as I'm sure those of you who have felt this know. Because we are holistic beings emotional pain if not dealt with can manifest in physical ailments. I have written many times on this site how stress manifests in physical ailments. I have a well tested exercise (below the Daily Mail article) that will help heal a broken heart but the pain won't disappear overnight but practising this exercise regularly will help you cope and lessen the pain, it really does help. You won't forget the memories and pain, I'd be lying if I said you will, but you'll realise life goes on and life is worth living and your broken heart will heal albeit it may have a scar. All life's experiences teach us something and serve a purpose, those experiences teach us understanding, empathy and compassion so those of you who have been there can in turn help others hearts heal. There will come a time when your heart will laugh again.

 

The PHYSICAL pain of breaking up: From chest pain to drug-like withdrawal symptoms, we reveal the real effects of heartache

• Emotional pain activates the same pathways in the brain as physical pain, so rejection really does hurt and people often feel a pain in their chest
• Studies show withdrawal symptoms for an ex are like cravings for cocaine
• During a break up, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released
• These have damaging affects on the body, from the skin to the muscles 
• The lovesick also may switch healthy behaviours for more unhealthy ones

You feel miserable, you don't eat and you can't sleep.

But a break up also affects the body in other ways.

Doctors agree the stress hormones released after a split wreak havoc on the body and damage health.

From bad skin and weight gain to digestive problems and heart attacks, we reveal how a break up affects the body...

From bad skin to weight gain and heart attacks , we reveal how a break up affects the body...

WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

They say love is a drug, and it turns out people do suffer withdrawal symptoms from their partner after splitting up, similar to the cravings drug addicts experience for cocaine.

The anguish experienced during a split activates the same part of the brain that is stimulated during addiction, according a Stony Brook University.

Analysing brain scans of the broken-hearted, they found similarities between romantic rejection and cocaine craving.

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND DIFFICULTY SLEEPING 

After a break up, people are at risk of suffering depression and anxiety, conditions which can bring on insomnia, and are also in turn made worse by a lack of sleep.

Psychologist Dr Susan Quilliam says the anguish of a break up brings back deep-seated memories about being abandoned as a child that everyone holds – even without knowing it.

She told MailOnline: ‘Human babies cannot survive on their own. They might die of lack of warmth or food.

‘A human is programmed to need human contact, and to be affected when human contact is withdrawn.

‘We are programmed to suffer when we are abandoned, so we don’t lose our mothers, so we are cared for.’

‘But at some point everyone in childhood thinks "oh my god I’m alone I’m going to die".

‘So a break up revokes those emotions and makes us feel insecure, angry and sad.’

The anguish of a break up activates the same part of the brain that is stimulated during cocaine addiction, a Stony Brook University found. Pictures are scans of brains on cocaine (file photo)

People go through a similar bereavement process during a break up as when someone has died, she added.

‘They go through the bereavement cycle, typically shock, denial, grief, anger, blame, self-blame helplessness, fear of the future, depression and then acceptance,' she told MailOnline.

‘If people feel abandoned but don’t feel anger, they come depressed, they lose confidence in their ability to have a relationship in the future. 

They (couple) go through the bereavement cycle, typically shock, denial, grief, anger, blame, self-blame, helplessness, fear of the future, depression and then acceptance 

 Psychologist Dr Susan Quilliam

‘They become anxious, they may relive conversations and the break up in their minds. They may not sleep, which makes anxiety and depression worse.’

Remembering the reasons for the break-up, and trying to remember why it is a good idea can help prevent sinking into depression, she said.

‘Particularly if a break up is wise, and you know it happened for a reason, you can come out a lot wiser. It can leave people stronger.

‘It can be the kick up the bum that leads you to learn how to love.’

And remembering an old Japanese saying is particularly helpful, she said.

‘They say the Japanese Kitsuki bowl is the most beautiful bowl. But if it is broken and melded with gold it is even more beautiful.'

Just as a person can be more beautiful if they have suffered a break up and have had to put themselves back together again, she added.

CHEST PAIN

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Cardiologists advise a fortnight after a break up or a divorce, there is a high risk someone will suffer a heart attack, as the body is flooded with stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline

Intense emotional pain can activate the same networks of nerves as physical pain, according to Colombia University psychologists.

So being rejected or grieving over a lost love can actually really hurt, and feel a bit like being punched.

Researcher Edward Smith took MRI scans of participants’ brains and then asked them to look at pictures of old flames.

He found an overlap between the pathways for emotional and physical pain.

Rejection stimulated the same nerve signals that cause pain when a person spills tea on themselves or stubs their toe, he said.

HEART ATTACK

After a break up or a divorce, the body is flooded with stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

This leads to the heart beating faster and triggers abnormal heart rhythms.

Dr Graham Jackson, a retired cardiologist and now chairman of the Sexual Advice Association said he often saw people dying of a heart attack within the first fortnight after a break up.

He told MailOnline: ‘It seems to happen the next day after the break up – up to one to two weeks ‘

‘People start worrying, the adrenaline levels go up, the body goes into "fight or flight mode" and the stress can cause sudden heart attack and death.

‘They go pale, the heart starts beating too fast. When it does that, you have a narrowing in the arteries which is not normally significant, but it comes significant, when stressed.

‘Even if you don’t have a heart attack this can cause irregular heartbeat and rapid heart beat.

‘People who have this kind of stress, it’s like putting your heart on cocaine. Stress can even bring on the symptoms of a heart attack even if the arteries aren’t blocked.'

Women tend to die suddenly in the short term after a break up, but more men die of heart attacks in the long run.

Dr Jackson said men whose lives leave them tend to fare badly, he said.

‘They don’t look after themselves, they don’t eat well, they don’t exercise, they don’t go to the doctor. So they die,’ he explained.

Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, alopecia and acne deteriorate after a break up, due to a cocktail of hormones surging through the body

BAD SKIN

The stress hormones released after a break up can aggravate the skin.

Dr Daron Seukerman, a consultant dermatologist at SK:N clinic, Harley street, London, told MailOnline: ‘A break up is naturally one of the biggest things that can happen in a person’s life, comparable to bereavement.

‘A cocktail of stress hormones flood the body and can damage health in all sorts of ways.

‘Every dermatologist is aware that where a patient is going through a break up certain conditions can deteriorate.’

He said a mixture of studies and anecdotal evidence shows stress and depression is linked with a deterioration of psoriasis, eczema, alopecia and even acne.

Not only do stress hormones trigger changes in skin, people might become distracted after a break up and let their treatment regime slide.

‘One of the things that can happen is patients might have a daily regiment of treatment for their skin problem- moisturisers and so on,’ he said.

‘But because they’re stressed and it’s not their priority, they let it slide and skin gets worse.’

However, he did have some good news for those prone to comfort eat after the loss of romance.

‘There’s no evidence eating more chocolate would give you more acne,’ he said.

DIFFICULTY WALKING

People who have gone through a divorce are 23 per cent more likely to suffer from mobility issues such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances, according to a University of Texas study.

Sammy Margo, a chartered physiotherapist said people come in with a painful area of the body, and it turns out that they haven’t been in an accident, but have experienced their relationship break down.

She told MailOnline: ‘We don’t treat people for overdoing it or lifting heavy weights. We now treat people for sitting at desks for long hours, and stress.

‘If I talk to someone with a neck problem, usually they haven’t done anything mechanical to set the problem off.

‘But it comes up in conversation that they’ve had a break up or a divorce. The stress causes muscle spasms and tightness.

‘If this happens over the part of a body that is already weak, muscles shorten, tighten and this causes pain.

‘And it’s no less of a pain, you’d get a similar tightness in the shoulder from whiplash as from break up pain.’

People who are stressed are also more vulnerable to injury.

‘You’re more likely to crash your car or trip up,’ she added. 

LOSS OF APPETITE, WEIGHT GAIN AND DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

Stressed people lose sleep, do less exercise, and drink more alcohol, all of which can lead to them piling on the pounds

People are often too lovesick to eat in the first few weeks after a break up. 

This is because when stressed, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus produces a hormone which suppresses appetite, according to Harvard Medical School scientists.

The brain also sends messages to adrenal glands on the kidneys to pump out adrenaline, which triggers the body’s fight or flight response, which puts eating on hold.

But in the long term, Yale scientists discovered stress causes weight gain, especially around the middle.

It makes the cells less sensitive to the hormone insulin, and so the body produces more insulin in response.

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Emotional tears are more watery and less salty than 'everyday' basal tears causing eyes to look puffy

But insulin turns sugar into fat, increasing the rate at which fat is stored in the body and leading to weight gain. 

It also causes the body to crave sugar and fat, which leads to mindless eating.  

Stressed people also lose sleep, do less exercise, and drink more alcohol, all of which can lead to them piling on the pounds.

Stress also diverts blood away from the digestive system, which can lead to stomach pain, diarrhoea and constipation.

PUFFY EYES

Scientists have discovered that we shed different 'types' of tears.

Basal tears are released to keep the eyes moist, and reflex tears are released in response to irritants, such as when a person chops onions.

Tears associated with emotional crying are called 'psychic' tears and are produced by the lachrymal gland, located in the upper corner of the eyelids.

They are more watery and less salty than 'basal' and 'reflex' tears. 

Emotional tears overflow, spill down the cheeks (often leaving trails of mascara) and drain through tiny ducts in the back of the nose.

So because of the process of osmosis, the water moves into the saltier tissues of the eyes, which makes them swell up and look puffy.

Lots of rubbing with tissues can also make them red and sore.

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CUTTING TIES RITUAL

If you have ever experienced a broken relationship you will understand when I say it feels as if part of you is missing, this is because in effect is what has happened. When you have deep feelings for someone your auric field reaches out to that other person like a tentacle to be with them. People who are deeply in love will often say that their loved one is with them. However when that relationship breaks up suddenly it does literally, create this sensation that part of you is missing.
This is not the same as when a relationship ends due to the other person passing over in death so do not try this ritual to get over a bereavement. Grieving is a natural process.

CUTTING TIES RITUAL WHEN A RELATIONSHIP HAS ENDED


There are several rituals this is the one I have used and recommend.
It is done through visualisation and can be performed as much as necessary in the passing of time, you will find you wont feel you have the need to do it.

Visualise you are standing opposite the one you wish to cut ties with and visualise a ribbon of each associated colour with each chakra for example red for base, orange for sacral, yellow for solar plexus, green or pink for the heart, blue for throat, indigo for third eye and purple for crown. These coloured ribbons join each of you together.

As you face one another smile and send love. at the same time visualise a pink cloud surrounding both you feet, pink is associated with love.

Now visualise a pair of ornate golden scissors cutting each ribbon in turn starting at the base chakra, as you cut each ribbon each end curls back to each person and at the same time the pink cloud rises up to obscure the other.

All the time smiling and sending them love to see them on their way. Gradually as you cut you will obscure the person you are cutting ties with and with the final tie complete you have sent them away with love to live their own life and yours.

You will have to do this a few times and every time you think of them do this visualisation, You will notice as time passes you wont think of them so much and you will be able to do the ritual quicker and easier and it will no longer hurt if your thoughts do turn to the person you are cutting ties with.
Do not do this ritual after a bereavement or when you are in an actual relationship with someone. It should only be used when the relationship is over and no longer serves a purpose. To allow you both to move on, one neither hating the other, that is why you smile and send love as you send them on their way.

Astrid Brown (Author)

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