Why a broken heart really hurts

The secret of how our mind processes emotional pain ought to change our outlook, says psychologist Sian BeilockSocial exclusion is a normal part of life. We have all, at one time or another, felt disliked at work, spurned by a partner or snubbed by friends. Even though it’s unpleasant, social rejection seems pretty different from a physical injury. Yet these experiences share a common biological substrate in the brain.For decades, neuroscientists have been aware that a specific brain circu