Treating Love Trauma Syndrome
A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research offers new hope for those suffering from “love trauma syndrome” (LTS), the clinical term for severe emotional pain following a breakup. The study involved 36 volunteers who wore a transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) headset that delivers a mild electrical current to specific brain regions involved in emotion regulation. Patricia Wu discusses the story with therapist Ryan Heapy.
How the study was conducted
Participants were divided into three groups, with the current aimed at different areas or the headset switched off. Results showed that stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was more effective in reducing LTS symptoms, depression, and anxiety compared to stimulating the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) or the sham group. The positive effects persisted even a month after the treatment ended.
What does the future hold for this treatment?
While larger trials are needed to confirm these findings, this study suggests that tDCS could be a promising complementary treatment for LTS, particularly for those who don’t respond to traditional therapies like cognitive-behavioral therapy.
To learn more about Ryan Heapy visit his website.
