I wholeheartedly agree with the concerns regarding lovesickness. In fact, I even wrote about some of them in a 2004 Valentine's article:

• In one study, ending a relationship had a negative effect on mental health, and was particularly hard on women. This kind of stress may be even worse for the physical body than stress from non-emotional events, even though they evoke the same types of responses.

• In another study, female heart patients facing severe stress from marriage difficulties were found to have three times the risk of heart attack as peers without such stresses, though the pressure women felt from work-related issues did not have the same effect.

Moreover, studies have shown that when people feel loved or give love they: live longer, feel happier, have better health, make more money and are less prone to depression.

Treating (Love-Induced) Stress

Folks, stress is a key factor in any illness (lovesickness included) and it plays a major role in the health of nearly every patient I see. It can have negative effects on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, among others.

To completely eliminate stress from your life is virtually impossible; yet, if you don't learn how to deal with stress in a healthy way, a new study shows your brain may actually "rewire itself," altering its connections in such a way so it affects the way the brain functions.

So what can you do about it?

The key is not to eliminate the stress itself but rather adjust your body's ability to tolerate it. I've found energy psychology tools, like the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), can be very useful to battle the dual effects of stress and depression -- even when coping with lovesickness. I strongly urge you to review my free EFT online manual to learn how to use this effective tool.

Research studies and treatments aside, I think most people would agree that giving and feeling love is sure to lead to a happier existence. Of course, that's great to hear for those who are surrounded by love. For those who may be struggling with a relationship or are facing any type of love difficulty this Valentine's day, I'd like to leave you with some wise words from the famous English poet Alfred Tennyson: "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

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