People Ignore the Power of Emotions at Their Peril

Intense feelings can cause the heart to change shape and actually break, reports the Wall Street Journal, with an amazing diagram of the phenomenon verified by cardiologists. Broken-heart syndrome mimics a heart attack and is brought on by acute emotion or physical trauma. Here are some emotional stresses that doctors say triggered the malady in their patients:

- death of a spouse

- patient's dog caught in a racoon trap

- losing large amounts of money at a casino

- getting lost while driving in an unsafe neighborhood at night

- feeling overwhelmed by new computer software

As scientists learn more and more about the role that emotions play in our health and happiness, the evidence is mounting that learning to manage emotions is one of the critical social skills everyone needs.

Visit WINGS for more information on teaching social skills to children