Broken Heart Syndrome.....

Yes, there is such a thing as broken heart syndrome.  If it feels like your heart is broken, then it could be exhibiting what is also called takotsubo.  This is  a Japanese fishing pot used to trap octopuses.  The heart actually weakens and the muscles of the left ventricle enlarge.  The heart actually changes shape due to extreme emotions or stress, such as the loss of a loved one.  This condition looks like a heart attack and mimics a heart attack, with chest pains and shortness of breathe.  However, this does not have a long lasting effect.  This symptom is not found with everyone, just  a few of us. 
Please see your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms.  
There is a connection to the brain.  And these connections are the areas that control the stress response, they quit working as well.  There tend to be fewer connections with the emotional processing and autonomic nervous system.  If the connections are weak, then the actions associated with the connections are weak.

Give LENS a try.  It can work wonders for the brain connections.