A break-up is a loss, not only of the relationship but also the plans, dreams and hopes you shared with your partner. Many people feel disappointment, grief, and a sense of failure when a relationship ends. Break-ups often mean a big change in your daily routine; this abrupt change can feel overwhelming.
Research published in the Journal of Family Psychology shows that breakups increase psychological distress and reduce life satisfaction. Often, the negative effects of a breakup can impact one's mental health for months, even years, after the dissolution.
Infidelity
Relationship breakup statistics in the Journal of Marriage and Divorce report that 70% of Americans will engage in some form of infidelity at some point during their marriage. Further studies reveal that infidelity is one of the most common reasons people break up.
Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. You may need to get professional help if these thoughts are making it hard for you to go about your daily life.
"We see changes in our heart rate and blood pressure, we release more stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, our blood gets a bit stickier, our immune system can be a bit vulnerable and our sleep can be disturbed."
They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, according to Mental-Health-Matters. These are the natural ways for your heart to heal.
Men might suppress their feelings more
From a young age, boys are told not to cry or show any emotions. They grow up learning that to cry is to be weak, and to feel hurt or to express it means they are somehow not “man” enough. Due to this, men tend to suppress their emotions a lot more than women do.
It's common to feel crummy for a while after a breakup. But major depressive disorder, or clinical depression, is different than normal sadness. It's constant, lasts at least 2 weeks, and can affect all aspects of your life. Stressful life events, like a breakup, can trigger depression.
People with PTRS can experience a range of symptoms, including rage towards their former partner, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, or nightmares of abusive experiences, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and extreme psychological distress when reminded of the trauma.
Breakups in the Brain
When we love someone, they come to live in the emotional or limbic center of our brains. They actually occupy nerve cell pathways and physically live in the neurons and synapses of the brain. When we lose a lover through a breakup or divorce, our brain gets confused and disoriented.
While it is established that about half of all marriages end in divorce, it is commonly assumed that the breakups are initiated by both genders equally. In fact, it is surprising to most people that women are actually more likely to end their marriages than men.
According to a study by David McCandless breakups most frequently happen on Valentine's day, Spring season, April fool's day, Monday, Summer holiday, two weeks before Christmas and Christmas day. After one year, stuff gets real.
If you've ever wondered who the dumper in the average US long term couple is, breakup statistics say that women are more likely to call it quits than men. 76% of women said that they had ended the relationship, just like 62% of men. Women might end things more often, but they also feel more pain after.
Some data (such as from self-reported surveys) do suggest that men recover from breakups faster than women, according to Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, a marriage and family therapist and author of the book Fragile Power: Why Having Everything Is Never Enough.
The death of a future you imagined for yourself with your ex, one that you probably imagined together, can be one of the most difficult things to come to terms with after a break-up. It makes your present that much harder to get through (see above). It's OK to mourn and grieve the loss of that future.
Yes, it is common for your ex to return to you. However, keep in mind that it is not always the case. It depends on the reasons for falling apart and the bond you share. People can take a break to reevaluate their relationship, work on the conflicts, resolve their differences, and get back together.
After a relationship break-up, men can often feel a deep sense of loneliness. This is because relationships can provide us with companionship and social support, which are important for emotional wellbeing.
Breakups can be brutal—and can easily trigger bipolar symptoms.
Situational depression can be triggered by big life events. The end of a relationship can cause huge levels of stress, emotional distress and upset. The breakdown of a relationship can lead to big life changes, which not only feel overwhelming but which you may feel like you have to face alone.
Stressful life events, such as going off to college or breaking up with a significant other, can trigger psychosis. Further research is needed into why this is, but a low underlying "stress tolerance" level is often seen.
The most obvious sign a man has a broken heart will be his pleading for a second chance. When a man is heartbroken over someone, more often than not, he will beg and plead with them to come back into his life. Through the sincerity of his pleas, you'll be able to tell whether he is heartbroken over you or not.
The truth is that it typically takes men longer to get over a breakup than women, Carol says: "It can take some men years—or even decades...if they truly loved her. They just don't show their grief to others—or even to themselves."
Spend some time alone
This is the most common change in a guy's behavior after a breakup. The need to be alone is so strong that it has caused people to ask the question, do guys hurt after a breakup? Yes, guys do hurt after a breakup. That is precisely why so many guys want to be alone immediately after a breakup.