Breaking up is never easy, especially when it’s with someone you’ve been with for a long time. It can feel like your whole world is falling apart, and the pain can be unbearable.
But you’re not alone, and there are steps you can take to make the process easier and more manageable. In this article, we’ll discuss the stages of a long-term relationship breakup and the challenges that come with it, as well as some tips for moving on and finding love again.
Stages of Long-Term Relationship Breakup
Denial
The first stage of a long-term relationship breakup is denial. You may refuse to accept that the relationship is over, burying your head in the sand and convincing yourself that it’s just a rough patch that you and your partner will get over.
You may tell yourself that they’ll come back to you, or that you’ll get back together eventually. But the reality is that the relationship is over, and you need to face the truth.
Blame
The next stage is blame. You may find yourself blaming yourself or your partner for the breakup, overanalyzing every aspect of the relationship to try to figure out what went wrong.
You may swing between blaming yourself for not doing enough, or blaming your partner for being too needy or distant. But the truth is, it’s rarely one person’s fault for a breakup.
It takes two to make a relationship work, and it takes two to make it fail.
Anger
As you begin to process your emotions, you may start to feel anger. You may feel seething rage towards your ex-partner or towards yourself.
This is a healthy and necessary stage of the breakup process, as it allows you to express your feelings and get them out in the open. You may find yourself processing emotions through physical activity such as boxing, running, or just venting to a trusted friend.
By the end of this stage though, you may start to feel like you’re getting somewhere and this is where the real healing can begin.
Sadness
The sadness stage follows after the anger subsides. You start to address the issue as you feel down and accept that the relationship is over.
During this time, it’s important to allow yourself to feel the sadness and grief, while also gathering support from your friends and family. You may feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself and you’re not sure how to move forward, but don’t worry, you will get through it.
Social Media Stalking
At some point, you may find yourself creeping on your ex’s social media accounts, looking for any sign of life from them. This is natural, but it’s also not healthy.
It can lead to overanalyzing, jealousy, and competitiveness. Remember, you’re no longer in their life, and you need to focus on moving on and creating a new life for yourself.
Block or unfollow them if you need to, as this will help you to stop monitoring their life which could be harmful to your own growth and well-being.
Numbness
The numbness stage brings a sense of emptiness, neither good or bad, it’s just there. It’s a short-lived stage that signifies that you’re processing and coming to terms with the breakup.
During this time, you may feel like nothing matters, and you’re unsure of what you want from your future. This is okay, let yourself just be and take things day by day.
Acceptance
The acceptance stage brings a sense of clarity and closure. You know that the relationship is over, and you’re ready to move on.
You’re not fully healed, as there may still be wounds that need time to heal, but you’re ready for the future. You’re not dwelling on “what ifs” or “maybes” anymore, and you’re confident in your decision.
Looking Forward
Looking forward is about hope for the future. You’re considering new opportunities and what you want for your future.
You’re excited about the possibility of meeting new people and finding love again. You may be trying out new hobbies and interests, and focusing on yourself.
You’re being yourself again, and it feels good.
Moving On
The final and healthy stage of the breakup process is moving on. You’ve healed, come out stronger and you’re ready to face the world.
It doesn’t mean that everything is perfect, there are still downsides when you go through a breakup, but you’re healthier and better equipped to handle whatever comes your way. You may start dating again, but only when you’re ready.
You don’t want past baggage choosing your future relationship, so take your time and allow yourself to be open to new possibilities.
The Difficulty of Ending a Long-Term Relationship
Ending a long-term relationship is never easy, but it’s a necessary step for the health and happiness of both partners. It’s not just a matter of walking away, but of untangling years of shared experiences, emotions, and memories.
Here, we’ll share some of the difficulties of a long-term relationship breakup and how to overcome them.
Heartbreak
Heartbreak is a real pain that is nothing like most people have ever felt. Experiencing emotional pain is so difficult, and many people describe it as feeling emotionally broken.
It’s a real challenge to end any relationship, but it is vital that you have a healthy process to heal and recover. The good news is that the pain does ease up with time, so give yourself the time to heal, and don’t rush the process.
Love and its Power
Love is a powerful force that can completely change your life. However, it doesn’t always work out the way you want, and that’s okay.
Everyone deserves to find someone who loves them as they are, without trying to change them. The best thing is to understand that there are stages in the process of getting over a breakup, and to know that each stage allows for a healthy recovery process.
Immersion in Stages
It’s important to feel and immerse yourself in all the stages of a breakup. This is critical as is allows you to process and accept the breakup.
However, it’s important to realize that each stage is separate from another and will help you to move onto the next stage, bringing you closer to clarity and emotional strength. Some of the stages may be more difficult than others, but ultimately, each stage helps you to move forward, heal and let go of anything that may have been holding you back.
Baggage and Future Relationships
It’s important not to carry past baggage into future relationships. It can be tempting to view new people in the context of past experiences, but this is unhealthy, and could lead to self-sabotage.
Changing your perspective on love, discussing lessons learned and setting new intentions going forward are critical so that you can create a healthy, positive experience. While it may take time, the love that’s waiting for you at the end of the tunnel is worth the wait, and the journey is worth it as well.
Conclusion
Going through a long-term relationship breakup can feel like your world is falling apart. But remember, you’re not alone, and there is no right or wrong way to deal with it.
Embrace all the feelings, and allow yourself to heal at your own pace. Use these tips as a guide to help you move on, find love again, and live your best life.
You deserve it!
3) Importance of Allowing Yourself to Feel
Going through a breakup can be an emotionally overwhelming experience, and it’s perfectly normal to feel a range of painful emotions such as sadness, anger, and confusion. It can be tempting to bury those emotions and try to push through them as quickly as possible, but it’s essential to allow yourself to feel them.
In this section, we will discuss the importance of allowing yourself to feel your emotions during a breakup.
Normalcy in Feeling
One of the most important things to remember is that everyone experiences emotional upheaval after a breakup. The feeling of heartbreak is universal, and it is perfectly normal to feel like your world is falling apart.
No matter how strong we perceive ourselves to be, everyone experiences emotional brokenness after a split. Knowing that these feelings are normal can help you to feel less alone in the process.
Vitality in Feeling All Stages
It is essential to allow yourself to feel each stage of a breakup genuinely. By doing so, you allow yourself the space to process and accept the end of the relationship.
This may include feeling denial, blame, anger, sadness, and numbness that were discussed earlier. The deeper you go into the feelings, the more likely you are to get through them and emerge on the other side, healthier and stronger.
All of these stages are essential for the healing process, and it’s best not to try to avoid them.
False Hope
When you’re dealing with a breakup, it’s normal to experience a sense of hopelessness, and you may be tempted to reach out to your ex, but remember that hope does not lead to healing. Avoid contact altogether and give yourself the time you need to grieve the relationship.
It’s healthy to take the time you need to heal, separate from your partner, so that you can move forward with clarity.
Support Network
Going through a long-term relationship breakup can be challenging, and it’s important to lean on your friends and family for support. Surround yourself with those you trust and who give you a non-judgmental safe space to talk about your feelings.
Talking openly about your pain can be helpful in the healing process, and it will help you to process your emotions better. Having that supportive community is necessary and will keep you, as much as possible, in a healthy space to start healing from the breakup.
4) The Nine Stages of a Long-Term Relationship Breakup
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of allowing yourself to feel during a breakup, let’s take a closer look at the nine stages of a long-term relationship breakup.
Overview of Stages
While every individual goes through the breakup stages differently, there is a sequence that the majority of people go through for healthy and complete recovery. The stages include denial, blame, anger, sadness, social media stalking, numbness, acceptance, looking forward, and moving on.
Complete Recovery
It’s essential to go through all of the stages of a breakup for complete recovery. Each stage is critical in processing and accepting the end of the relationship.
The stages of a breakup may vary in duration for each individual, but the experiences are similar. By exploring and embracing each stage as part of the process, the healing process can be more complete and lead to growth.
Lack of Specific Sequence
It’s important to remember that there is no specific sequence for going through the stages of a breakup. Everyone deals with breakup stages in their way, and you may find that you experience some stages more intensely than others.
The key is to let yourself genuinely feel and identify the different stages of the breakup process, so that you can start to move forward. What’s important is that you don’t rush the process, but allow it to happen naturally.
Conclusion:
Going through a long-term relationship breakup will be challenging, and it will be easy to run away from the pain. However, it’s important to remember that going through the nine stages of a breakup will leave you healthier and stronger in the long run.
Allow yourself to feel the emotions, never rush the process, lean on your support network, and focus on complete recovery. Remember that you’re not alone, and there’s hope for the future.
In conclusion, going through a long-term relationship breakup is never easy, but it’s a necessary step towards finding happiness and healing. It’s essential to allow yourself to feel and process the emotions that come with the breakup, and to lean on support from loved ones during the process.
The nine stages of the breakup process – denial, blame, anger, sadness, social media stalking, numbness, acceptance, looking forward, and moving on gives a clear roadmap to navigate the complicated journey of healing after a breakup. Remember that everyone’s journey is unique, and focusing on complete recovery is vital for moving on and being open to new possibilities in the future.