heather locklearIt seems like only yesterday, Heather Locklear was being called onto the set of the (now canceled) CW Melrose Place reboot to work the same magic she did when the original series' ratings weren't up to par. But today, the actress seems to have a lot more to worry about than being the Superwoman who can save a flailing prime time soap. Yesterday, she was rushed to a hospital in L.A. after her sister dialed 9-1-1.

Thankfully, Heather's whole family seems to be on the scene and her parents have reported that she's "fine," but early reports from TMZ note that the 50-year-old may have overdosed on a "dangerous mix" of prescription drugs (likely Xanax) and alcohol. However, even if that's true, there's more to the story.

If you recall, it was only months ago that Locklear and her former MP co-star Jack Wagner ended their engagement, after dating since 2007. We haven't heard about her hanging out with any other hot suitors, no Demi Moore/Madonna-like dating of a younger man here. In fact, it has seemed like Locklear was laying pretty low post-split. Now, with the events of yesterday making headlines, it's not hard to draw the conclusion that emotional stress may have lead Locklear to this perilous situation.

A source even told Radar Online that Heather's "distraught over her relationship with Jack, it is on and off and it has upset her lately."

Now that's something that shouldn't be discounted at all! Surely, emotional distress is something they cover in rehab, but all too frequently, our reactionary society jumps to the conclusion that a person is a straight-up addict or suffering from depression. And maybe that's true, but what leads people there?

Some of the most put-together women find they're having panic attacks or sobbing themselves to sleep with no concrete "reason," but it's actually the result of days, weeks, months of stress of all types that we just sweep under the rug again and again and again. Because we're supposed to be able to handle break-ups, losing jobs, fights with family members, even daily stressors like laundry/dishes, etc. like it's all a piece of cake. Just letting it roll off our backs. But it's not always that easy, and sometimes the cumulative effect of not dealing with the little things snowballs into a BIG, scary moment ... like what happened here with Heather Locklear.

Recent research has even showed that women are nine times more likely than men to suffer from a broken heart. An emotional trauma, such as a break-up, can actually trigger heart failure or heart attack-like symptoms, known as broken heart syndrome. Right now, it doesn't sound like there was anything specifically wrong with Heather's heart technically, but could she have been suffering from heartbreak/relationship-related distress that weakened her physically and mentally? It's likely. Either way, it seems we could all stand to give more credence to the triggers and lead-up to a breakdown like this.

As for Heather, I hope that not only is she "fine" physically, but as she recovers, she's able to healthfully address any emotional trauma that may have lead to this scary incident. After all, our well-being is dependent on more than just our bodies and brains. Our hearts play a huge role, too.

Do you think emotional trauma may have played a role in Heather's hospitalization?


Image via Jason Merritt/Getty