To the brokenhearted: Go ahead, cry your eyes out and treat yourself to that Ben and Jerry’s. New research proves that you’re truly in pain! In a study conducted by four top universities, 40 women were asked to view photos of their ex and muse about their breakup (torture), and then had heat applied to their arms (more torture). The fascinating discovery: The social and physical pain activated the exact same regions in the brain! At last, science proves what anyone with an ex already knew—love hurts, literally. The good news is, love is like hot sauce, they say. No matter how burned you got last time, you always go back for more.
MORE: Beauty Your Way Through a Breakup
