For those people who have a significant other Valentine's Day is a day of celebration of that love and all the days, months or years you have spent together. But let's face it, for those who may have lost their true love, are going through a divorce or separation, or just have not found THE ONE, cupids holiday is nothing but a commercial crazy reminder of their pain. Just like other holidays Valentines day can be a difficult love pill to swallow for the percentage of the population who are not "feelin the love." The are often oblivious to the fact that it is also National Autism Day, Batman Sticker Day, International Book Giving Day, Pet Theft Awareness Day, World Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, National Organ Donor Day, Quirky Alone Day, and ironically Singles Awareness Day. But then again how could they be with all of the teddy bears, boxes of chocolate and dinner specials at every turn. As a result there is an actual diagnosis called Broken Heart Syndrome (
takotsubo cardiomyopathy) that has been researched over the past decade by the Mayo Clinic. The symptoms are triggered by a particularly stressful event or life situation and can often mimic a heart attack and cause the person to temporarily act irrational. While the symptoms normally lessen as the situation becomes less stressful, calls to suicide hotlines and crisis centers tend to double over the holiday of hearts, surpassing even the Christmas holidays.
So what you may ask should we do about it? Ignore one of the few days in a year that promote the good in our relationships and the emotion that holds our society together? Absolutely NOT! What I am saying is spread the love around a little. Find a widow or widower who may have recently lost their valentine and send them flowers or take them a card. Call a friend who you know is struggling and invite them to dinner, or even throw an Un-Valentine party for all of your single friends who may otherwise stay home alone with Netflix and ice cream. Spread around what this country and this holiday are built on, love and compassion for others. And if you are the person who is feeling unloved or just not feeling the holiday, don't be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes the only way to mend a broken heart is to talk out the wedge that it driven in between the pieces. Until then...Happy Batman Sticker Day!!!
