The phrase “heartbroken” isn’t just poetic metaphor – it might be an accurate description of how emotional language creates genuine physical sensations in your body. When you describe feelings using ...

That deep ache after losing someone you love isn’t just a poetic metaphor. When you describe your heart as “broken” or emotional pain as “crushing,” your body takes these expressions literally.

In the weeks after my father died, I was numb. And then one day, about two months later, bam—I woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. My neck muscles were so tight I couldn’t turn my head, my ...

As you can imagine, this type of somatic mimicry can create confusion in regard to what to do: Some people will rush to the emergency room, while others may experience even greater anxiety as they ...